Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Burning Rubber


"In the beginning..." are the first three words in Genesis. The words in modern times have been hijacked for a Byrds LP, a Genesis album, an episode of the sci-fi TV show BABYLON 5, and songs by the Moody Blues and Mötley Crüe.
The Old Testament opening continues to say, "God created the heavens and earth."

The Big Bang theory as written by St. John and religions have been arguing about creation ever since the beginning. I've conjectured that light is eternal, therefore there was no creation, however the ex-model from Paris accepts the Bible version as truth.

My father was more pragmatic. He would see a baby and say, "Can you imagine that creature came from a single cell. Amazing."

My father was pro-life. He loved his children. Contraception has beyond his ken. Our talk about the Birds and Bees was bereft any mention of condoms. Teens in the 60s had a source about sexual information independent of family, school, and church. Porno instructed the boys on every facet of human desire.

We joked about wearing a rubber was like taking a shower with a raincoat.

Boys could laugh at that, because they didn't get pregnant.

Girls were not so lucky and the Church fought any legislation to legalize contraception, while the religious right rejected any reform on sex education. These powers advised young and old alike, "Abstinence."

Few people heeded their course of inaction. Teenage pregnancies soared, despite federally-financed sex resistance courses. STDs spread through the country. No politician braved the controversy for the side of reason. Sperm was the spark of life and the womb is fireplace.

This week a group of health experts suggested that a wide range of contraception devices be added to the programs offered by HMOs. They were responding to the new law passed by the Obama administration that women receive these benefits without any charge. The religious right were quick to criticize the plan for forcing birth control down the throats of conservative Americans.

To the Bible Belt contraception is abortion, despite nearly 100% of American women of all religious beliefs having used some kind of birth control.

Men telling women what to do.

Before the beginning there was light and that light shone on the truth.

In the words of the immortal Earl Butz to the Pope on contraception, "If you donna playah the game, you donna makah the rules."

Right on.

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