Catholic Church out to defeat family planning in the Phillipines.

[riverdeep]

I missed this when it came out last week, but it's just stunning in the 21st century this still goes on.

Population control is a highly politicised issue in the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the 90 million population are Catholics.

The church, which wields considerable public influence, frowns on any artificial form of birth control and has been waging a high-profile campaign to block the passage of the bill, which is now before congress.

International aid agencies and economists have backed the bill saying it is crucial if the Philippines is to curb its annual population growth rate of 2.04 percent, one of Asia's highest.

The bill seeks to establish a national family planning programme that would include sex education and advice on birth control, which the church considers "immoral."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081120/wl_asia_afp/philippinespopulationreligioncongress

Because what the world needs is more poor people.

[defendandprotect]

1. Their only interest is there own ... controlling women's bodies and increasing members...

[marmar]

2. My already low opinion of The Catholic Church (the hierarchy, not parishioners).....

..... has taken a beating over the last few weeks.

[azurnoir]

3. The church would rather see families

with 5 or kids where in all probability only 2 or 3 will survive due to malnutrition or disease in no small part because the parents are too impoverished to feed or obtain medical care for them, not to mention the dangers to the mothers of these children due to frequent pregnancy and child birth. How very christian of them

[msongs]

4. birth control = fewer desperately poor catholics to fleece for the church nt

[still_one]

5. This is why it is so imperative that religion STAY OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT /nt

[southernyankeebelle]

6. Ya think?

What the heck do you think that is going on here in the states? The catholic church has always been against any type of birth control. I don't know any catholics that don't use birth control. They are trying now to limit the sell of any birth control pills. Bush is trying to push a bill to stop forcing the pharmacist who say its against their religion to do so.

[pscot]

7. Philippine population

is doubling every 29 years.