Donald A. Collins | 2 June 2015
Church and State
As we hear powerful religious voices such as Pope Francis’ latest statement on gay rights and contraception, we are poignantly and sadly aware of how his utterly immoral stances are so counterproductive. With its vast wealth and its pervasive international network of service delivery, the Vatican’s potential to do so much more good works is going begging as the result of its misguided policies.
Giving every woman who voluntarily seeks services free access to contraception could be greatly aided by such enlightenment and would be critical in addressing so many dire planetary conditions.
Without mentioning the impact of religious opposition to birth control, the Population Institute, with the pending June 15th release of a disturbing report on the “Demographic Vulnerability” created by population growth in many critical areas, has provided any reasonable and objective reader with a laundry list of serious conditions which require urgent secular action.
Population Institute Report Looks at
Where Population Growth Poses the Greatest ChallengesList of the 20 Most Vulnerable Countries
Includes Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, and YemenRelease Date: June 15, 2015
The Population Institute is releasing today a report on how population growth is affecting the development prospects of some of the world’s most fragile countries. The report, “Demographic Vulnerability: Where population growth poses the greatest challenges,” identifies and ranks the 20 countries facing the greatest demographic challenges with respect to hunger, poverty, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and political instability.
World population is projected to increase from 7.3 billion today to 9.6 billion or more by 2050. Virtually all that growth will be in the developing world, and much of that increase will occur in countries struggling to alleviate hunger and severe poverty. Many countries with rapidly growing populations are threatened by water scarcity or deforestation; others are struggling with conflict or political instability. While progress is not precluded, rapid population growth for these countries is a challenge multiplier. Because of population pressures they are more likely to suffer from hunger, poverty, water scarcity, environmental degradation and political turmoil.
One can read more here.
Fundamental to any solution to the problems PI cites in this excellent new report will be urgent attention to educating and thus empowering women and girls, as well as providing free access to all methods of avoiding pregnancies and insuring abortion choices are available safely and legally.
PI has of course taken no position on the terrible impact male dominated monotheistic religions have had on the unbridled growth of human numbers from 2 billion in 1930 to over 7 billion today with 11 billion projected by 2100.
We certainly appreciate this outstanding recitation of planetary ills, but must point out that the major religious leaders now mouthing platitudes about their concern for the poor, while at the same time standing against facilitating the above birth control services, are acting in an utterly immoral way.
What can a good Catholic do about this? Well, for example, letters from Catholic parishioners to their local priests explaining the immorality of present Vatican stances on contraception and, yes, gay rights, may not instantly produce results, but any committed Catholic lay person can see the dire trends Vatican policies are creating for their religion. The Vatican has been long wrong on birth control and since Humanae Vitae was issued in July 1968 which ruled against the liberal wishes of the vast majority of the voting members on its study commission. Since that time, the vast majority of American RCC women have ignored its teaching with impunity, which of course has led to widespread undermining of the presumed integrity of the Vatican and the entire RCC.
Why has the Vatican steadfastly coupled immorality with bull headed stupidity?? One is tempted to recall the pundits who said about priestly celibacy, “If you don’t playa the game, you don’t maka the rules”, but of course the aged rulers have ignored such sound advice to the utter detriment of their faithful.
Imagine the powerful assistance the Vatican could give to those who need help!! As noted above, with its vast wealth and its world wide networks, the Vatican wastes its potential for good and continues to shoot itself in the foot on this issue. It will surely continue to pay the price in declining fealty and revenues. Proof: The average age of its nuns is 75 and their numbers have rapidly declined.
Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC., has spent over 40 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013.
From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013
By Donald A. Collins
Publisher: Church and State Press (July 30, 2014)
ASIN: B00MA40TVE
Kindle Store
Back in 1991, the NGO Don Collins founded in 1976, International Services Assistance Fund (ISAF), co-produced a TV quality 22-minute film called “Whose Choice?” which Ted Turner arranged to broadcast on September 21, 1992 in prime time on his then independent Turner Broadcast System (TBS). Other outlets such as PBS and several of its affiliates Collins and his colleagues contacted then refused to run it because of its forthright treatment of the abortion issue, arguing for all women’s right to choose not to have a baby. ISAF has made a new edition of that DVD. The purpose for reissuing this 3rd version of “Whose Choice?” was simply to show the historical urgency that attended those times, still blocked and attacked over 40 years after the Roe v Wade decision in 1973. This video is available for public viewing for the first time.
Al Bartlett – Democracy Cannot Survive Overpopulation
What Melinda Gates would tell the Pope
Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook
This article echoes the point I made in my book, Manifest Insanity:
“It seems to me that there are two options for directing the efficient use of this very generous financial aid they admittedly pour into third world countries. One, raise a smaller population to a level of self-sufficiency by spending it on education, hospitals, clean drinking water and infrastructure. Or two, spread those same funds among an exploding population that is deliberately kept breeding—and almost by default, illiterate—diluting the available money to provide only the most basic necessities of life. The Vatican chooses the second option, and by choosing the latter they condemn these unfortunate people to a vicious circle of never-ending poverty. Then again, teaching poor and ignorant Catholics about healthy sexual relations and allowing them to have condoms wouldn’t be good for the Vatican’s long-term business plans—but it explains so much." http://diogenesofmayberry.com/manifest-insanity/