Geldof condemned for inviting Pope

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Campaigners have penned an open letter to Bob Geldof in protest at his decision to invite the Pope to support Live 8.

The National Secular Society (NSS) is pointing to the Vatican’s refusal to condone the use of condoms, saying it has helped spread HIV in Africa.

The society, which campaigns for religion to be taken out of public life, says it will create a counter-campaign of protest against any decision by Pope Benedict XVI to get involved.

NSS executive director Keith Porteous Wood said Geldof should not have written to the Pope about attending the Hyde Park event.

He said: "Inviting the Pope to Live 8 would be a slap in the face for all those currently working to stem the spread of Aids in Africa.

"Aids is destroying lives, communities and, ultimately, will destroy whole nations for generations to come unless greater efforts are made to check it.

“To invite the Pope, who has supported and reinforced this inhumane policy, to an event aimed at combating poverty through protest, verges on an obscenity. The invitation must be withdrawn immediately.”

At the launch of Live 8, singer Sir Elton John raised his concerns about the invitation, saying: “When you take into consideration their (the Catholic Church’s) views of contraception, and how this affects the spread of Aids… it adds to the general poverty of this region, doesn’t it?”

The event in London’s Hyde Park - featuring Madonna, Robbie Williams and Paul McCartney - will draw attention to poverty and debt in the developing world.

Five free concerts will take place simultaneously in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Philadelphia on July 2.
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I would be very interested in hearing any comments Bob Geldolf might have in response to the criticisms/protests coming from NSS, Elton John, and others on this matter.
 
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stumbler:
At the launch of Live 8, singer Sir Elton John raised his concerns about the invitation, saying: “When you take into consideration their (the Catholic Church’s) views of contraception, and how this affects the spread of Aids… it adds to the general poverty of this region, doesn’t it?”
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This charge is ridiculous! :mad:
 
Yeah how dare they invite someone who preaches the only effective remedy for the spread of aids:mad: Bahhh!Elton stick to your music:tsktsk:
 
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Lisa4Catholics:
Yeah how dare they invite someone who preaches the only effective remedy for the spread of aids:mad: Bahhh!Elton stick to your music:tsktsk:
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You took the thoughts right out of my head. 😉
 
Yes we all know that condoms would be the end of AIDS and the ONLY reason it spreads is because the mean old Catholic church won’t promote them. Good grief a three year old could come up with a better argument. As to Elton John, to paraphrase Laura Ingraham, shut up and sing.

Lisa N
 
Yes he does need to stay out of this:tsktsk: He and his “husband”!:mad: How dare they propagate that you have to have sex?:tsktsk: The Catholic Church has always helped the poor both spiritually and materially,what they are promoting is the disasterous cause of this mess now:mad:
 
I commend Mr Geldof for his invitation to the Pope. I hope it was sincere and not with an attack motive behind it. I hope he sticks to his guns, but even if he backs down (I hope he doesnt, and I have a feeling Bono was instrumental, in getting the Pope invited, so my fingers are crossed),but if he does back down, I will understand and I’ll still watch the concert, I am very much looking forward to this event. 🙂
 
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ShroudMan:
I commend Mr Geldof for his invitation to the Pope. I hope it was sincere and not with an attack motive behind it. I hope he sticks to his guns,but if he does back down, I will understand and I’ll still watch the concert, I am very much looking forward to this event. 🙂
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I’m with you. I would understand if he were to back down also (though I wouldn’t agree with it), but would like to know what his thoughts are. I don’t think his motive was negative. I think he wants to do what he can to help who he can with the knowledge that he has. Like Bono, I think he is probably more open and tolerant then some others in the line-up. We all really do share the same concern here.
 
Knowing Bob’s rhetoric I would imagine his response to his detractors would be “F*** O**” Sounds reasonable to me!!
 
I am usually wary of throwing out “anti-Catholic”, but this Church-teaching-causes-or-contributes-to-x-evil is a perfect example.

Scott
 
So just to be sure I understand the pattern of thinking that Elton John and these other wackos have, let me get this straight.

In a continent where some cultures belive that raping a virgin will cure HIV, the rapist refuses to wear a condom because the Pope says he should not?

Words can’t even descibe the stupidity of the Knights of Sir Elton.
 
That story reminds me of Geldof’s praise for the Bush administration a couple years ago. It’s nice to see a guy who’s more committed to helping his cause than he is to maintaining the prevailing stereotypes. Here’s an excerpt from The Guardian:

*Bob Geldof astonished the aid community yesterday by using a return visit to Ethiopia to praise the Bush administration as one of Africa’s best friends in its fight against hunger and Aids.
The musician-turned activist said Washington was providing major assistance, in contrast to the European Union’s “pathetic and appalling” response to the continent’s humanitarian crises.

“You’ll think I’m off my trolley when I say this, but the Bush administration is the most radical - in a positive sense - in its approach to Africa since Kennedy,” Geldof told the Guardian.

The neo-conservatives and religious rightwingers who surrounded President George Bush were proving unexpectedly receptive to appeals for help, he said. “You can get the weirdest politicians on your side.”*
 
I find it ironic that somehow the Pope, a chaste 78 year old man is responsible for the AIDS crisis in Africa. It’s even more ironic that the AIDS virus was spread mostly by immoral people who were not responsible with their sexual behavior…but somehow…the is the Pope’s fault. Can you say COP OUT! :mad:
 
I am glad Bob Geldof invited the Pope. Between the advice of the Pope and that of Elton John on how to live life and what is moral or not, I’ll stick with the Pope (with God’s grace) everytime.👍
 
"Aids is destroying lives, communities and, ultimately, will destroy whole nations for generations to come unless greater efforts are made to check it.

“To invite the Pope, who has supported and reinforced this inhumane policy, to an event aimed at combating poverty through protest, verges on an obscenity. The invitation must be withdrawn immediately.”

At the launch of Live 8, singer Sir Elton John raised his concerns about the invitation, saying: “When you take into consideration their (the Catholic Church’s) views of contraception, and how this affects the spread of Aids… it adds to the general poverty of this region, doesn’t it?”

----How about promoting absentence??? Sex isn’t everything and is not the only way to show love--------Oh ya where is the catholic church growing fastest??? Could it be Africa??? And why should I even CARE what Elton John has to say…This round of Live AID isn’t going to do anything. It’s just being put togethe to make money…did you hear that the text message lottery isn’t evn going to be free???They are going to make millions just off of people join a lottery to be put in a pool to possible get tickets…ugh… I will not be spending money on tickets nor watching it on TV. These people/artist are just showing that they don’t even understand what is going on in the world. How can you want to bring attention to the poverty around the world when you can’t even spread Love. You are discriminating and throwing hatered out at a church and it’s leader who are on your SIDE!!!

GOD BLESS,
Beckers
 
AIDS is 100% preventable. If the world followed the Popes advice AIDS would be a thing of the past in no more than 50 years. By following the advice of Elton John the world is going to be dealing with AIDS forever.
 
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