contraception and hypocrisy

Recently sent to the NY Times by my Mom.
Here here Mom!!!
I'm very proud
BB

Thoughout the Roman Catholic world, educated and affluent women have access to birth control even
if they must import it . If an abortion is required, that too is available to them, either
locally or abroad. Priests everywhere tell their wealthy parishoners to ' follow their
conscience.' Yet the Church's official ban persists in keeping the poor and uneducated locked in
the helplessness of too many mouths to feed. [ Look no farther than Mexico for an example. ] It's
not about 'the culture of life', but about control of the franchise and keeping the poor in their
place.

In this country, the religious right is as sex-obsessed as any adolescent. Its proposed
restrictions on contraception and abortion impact only the poor and powerless. Middle class
couples will be always be able to contol their family size no matter what idiotic laws are on the
books. Can't the media be open and honest about this hypocrisy! Is even the Times afraid of the
truth?

Let's be consistent: if sex is only for procreation, then certainly we should ban Viagra. [
Women can identify with erectile disfunction just as completely as men can understand pregnancy.]
And in vitro fertilization should be banned if its byproduct, excess embryos, can't be used for
stem cell research. And no more organ transplants or joint replacements.....they 're nowhere in
the Bible, so certainly they're not ordained by God.

Judith Burke