Liberal writer Max Blumenthal has a provocative piece charging that Rick Warren’s anti-AIDS allies in Africa have actually made matters worse. (Hat tip: Progressive Revival)
Specifically, he writes, Uganda had been a great success story as a result of their “ABC” program (Abstain, Be faithful, use Condoms). After they implemented the strategy, AIDS rates dropped 10%. Then, he writes, the country’s leadership was taken over by evangelical Christians who began de-emphasizing condoms, one of them setting a box of condoms ablaze and declaring, “I burn these condoms in the name of Jesus.” Then AIDS cases began rising. Many fascinating details here.
Blumenthal uses this info to blast Warren, who has embraced the Ugandan leadership. I do want to hear Warren’s reaction. But I’d like to make a broader point: conservative discomfort with condoms repeatedly clashes with other conservative goals. They want to reduce the number of abortions, but resist greater use of condoms. They want to reduce the prevalence of AIDS but resist the use of condoms. They want to reduce teen pregnancy but resist the use of condoms.
The conservative Protestant argument often is that prevalence of condoms will encourage sexual activity among teens. (The Catholic Church agrees with that assessment and adds that it;s spiritually unhealthy because it encourages non-procreative sex). The left mocks that argument saying “they’re doing it anyway,” whether they’ve got condoms or not.
I happen to think the liberal rejoinder is naive. Conservatives have a strong case when they say making sex safer will increase sex.
But I want to sidestep that unproductive argument and pose a different challenge to conservatives. Let’s posit that conservatives are right that greater condom availability does encourage teen sex and sex among unmarried adults. Let’s also posit that increased condom use decreases abortions and AIDS.
Which is more important to you: reducing abortion and AIDS or discouraging teen sex?
You’ve avoided confronting this question by asserting that no such tradeoff exists (i.e. that condom use neither curbs AIDS use nor abortion) but, for now, humor me and answer: if you could be convinced that greater condom use reduced the number of abortions and AIDS, would you support its wider availability and stop discouraging their use — even if it also increased teen sex or sex outside of marriage?