Ex-Church of Christ Support Board

Hell, I use a condom even when I screw my hand. No telling where that nasty [derogatory term] hand has been or with who.

I've always heard condoms were 98, 99% effective, but conservative Christians will tell you otherwise. They will tell you that condoms have a very high failure rate. In fact, they will tell you that the failure rate is so high that you shouldn't bother using them - you should just abstain.

The final straw for me with the NI church I attended for a few years was when the preacher claimed, during Sunday night class, that condoms are "useless to prevent AIDS" -- which is not and has never been true. But the elders were more upset by me calling him on it than by him spreading lies. (The preacher who was there when I started attending that congregation was much saner, which is the main reason I stayed for as long as I did...but he hooked up with his HS sweetheart on FB and left his family and the church for her.)

I keep thinking of Austin Powers:
Vanessa: But did you use protection?
Austin Powers: Of course. I had my 9mm automatic.
Vanessa: You know I meant did you use a condom?
Austin Powers: Ha ha ha. Only sailors use condoms, baby.
Vanessa: Not in the nineties, Austin.
Austin Powers: Well, they should, those filthy beggars. They go from port to port.

cathym wrote:The final straw for me with the NI church I attended for a few years was when the preacher claimed, during Sunday night class, that condoms are "useless to prevent AIDS" -- which is not and has never been true.

Its a huge problem when they spread misinformation like that.

People should listen to their doctor and not their preacher.

faithfyl wrote:I've always heard condoms were 98, 99% effective, but conservative Christians will tell you otherwise. They will tell you that condoms have a very high failure rate. In fact, they will tell you that the failure rate is so high that you shouldn't bother using them - you should just abstain.

Those poor Christians need to get some ear condoms so the stuff that blows out of the preacher's mouth won't knock up their minds with bull.

Of course a condom is better than nothing. However, if the condoms break, and they surely can and do......your protection rate has
just plummeted to zero....whether it's your first or thousandth time with this person.

cathym wrote:The final straw for me with the NI church I attended for a few years was when the preacher claimed, during Sunday night class, that condoms are "useless to prevent AIDS"

That statement has one purpose only -- to scare people into not having sex. Unfortunately, although fear IS a motivator, it is not nearly as strong as the sex drive. As a matter of fact, fear was often their primary mode of persuasion. How many people got dunked just because they thought they might die in a car wreck on the way home from "services?" Didn't they know "Perfect love casteth out fear?" If you're not motivated by LOVE, aren't you just a clanging cymbal or something? That's a topic for another thread, though.

Melanie wrote:That statement has one purpose only -- to scare people into not having sex.

That's the theory, but all it really does is make people not bother with the allegedly-useless condoms when they do it anyway.

Actually fear is what made me always use a condom in the first place. But a problem comes up when you run out of new condoms. This is a real bind because you have to think that a used condom is better than no condom. hmm, what to do? And if self-control were an option then you would not be in the situation to start with.