Sex shop to give away pope condoms in the Netherlands

A sex shop in the Netherlands is giving away 2,000 free condoms this weekend, each with a wrapper carrying an image of the pope.

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Antinous / Moderator

I take it back. Someone else tried to jack the thread and you jumped on it.
warreno

I’d heard it was legal to have sex with twelve-year-old boys there, but isn’t this going a little far, even for the Catholic church?
Anonymous

I guess that’s one way to get people to abstain.
phisrow

I don’t know whether the Netherlands would catch an M18 Claymore reference; but “Front toward altar-boy” could definitely go on the opposite side of the package…
Phikus

Obviously part of a papal smear campaign. ;D
- bjacques
  
  *Groan* Heehee!
  
  Pop or Pope?
- Felton
  
  Phikus, could we just give you a lifetime achievement award so someone else can win the internets for a day? ;-)
MrJM

“Pop condoms”?

That typo plays right into the Vatican’s plan!
ericmartinex1

Catholic Church is an easy target. I’d like to see this condom manufacturer have the cajones to put the prophet Muhammed on there and see what happens.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  For starters, Islam doesn’t oppose birth control, except for permanent sterilization. And second, the Pope has gone to great lengths to tell people in Africa not to wear condoms, effectively encouraging millions to die from AIDS.
  
  Such an easy target? He painted a bulls-eye on his own forehead.
  - Church
    
    “For starters, Islam doesn’t oppose birth control…”
    
    But they do object to the image.
    - Ugly Canuck
      
      An echo of the iconoclast vs. iconophile religious wars which ravaged the Byzantine Empire and its Official Christian Church in the centuries around and about the time that Mohammed was flourishing in Mecca. And well before the Catholic Christian Church hived itself off from the Orthodox Christian Church, IIRmy history lecturesC.
      An issue which engendered centuries of violent conflict back in those ancient days, the echoes of which – as IMHO the Islamic ban on the use of images in worship is – seem strange both to, and in, our image-rich world.
      A view of the use of images in worship which Islam shares with Judaism, IIRC. But do not take my word for it.
      But I do not recall that the Roman Catholic Church has EVER disapproved of images of its Pontiff. Perhaps of the unlicensed stuff, outside of copyright, patent, or trademark. But do not take my word for that, either.
      - Wuss Brillis
        
        A pontiff is not a prophet, and the Qurâ€™an doesn’t forbid such images, but thanks for the (history) memories.
  - Adze
    
    You’re missing the point. Catholic sensitivities are an easier target because Catholic nations don’t tend to block social networking sites or have groups who force people to go into hiding for years. In the real world you’re not likely to have an albino acolyte come after you.
    - Antinous / Moderator
      
      Oh, please. The Catholic Church does everything possible to promote laws that oppress women and gay people.
      - Adze
        
        Yes. And..? Islam (or certain flavours of it) does the same. All that was pointed out is that it’s easy to attack one and not the other, and the reason is entirely political, not moral.
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        The politics in this case being that it’s easier to whip up rage against brown people who wear turbans than against ‘regular’ people like Catholics. People die because the Pope rants against condoms. Why aren’t we bombing the Vatican to keep that extremist ideology from destroying civilization?
      - insatiableatheist
        
        Bombing the vatican is hardly going to help matters, besides this topic should surely be about the popedoms.
        We should perhaps carry on the ‘social network blocking’ discussion on the relevant post:
        http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/21/pakistan-gov-flips-o.html#comments
        
        …but comments appear to be blocked.
        Is this topic now closed?
      - Adze
        
        Yeah because only brown people are muslim, and only white people are catholic. Try sticking to the issue.
        It isn’t about race, carbon emissions or oil underneath the Vatican. It’s simply an observation that if people think it’s not OK to offend one religious group in the name of free speech, it’s hypocritical to relish the opportunity to offend another for the same reason. Why is that so difficult?
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        Why is that so difficult?
        
        Why is it so difficult for you to deal with criticism of an organization that systematically promotes the oppression of women and gay people?
        
        It isn’t about race, carbon emissions or oil underneath the Vatican.
        
        No, it’s about the Pope and sexual politics, not about countries blocking social networking. You tried to jack the thread and you got busted for it.
      - Adze
        
        Oh what rubbish. Your cognitive dissonance on this issue is astounding.
        
        But if you think this is threadjacking, I’ll end here.
      - Antinous / Moderator
        
        Your cognitive dissonance on this issue is astounding.
        
        Every time someone criticizes Christianity, people show up to say, “ZOMG! What about the Muslims???” The only cognitive dissonance is unrealized xenophobia.
      - failix
        
        “The only cognitive dissonance is unrealized xenophobia.”
        
        The main reason most people on the left don’t criticize Islam isn’t because they fear death threats or hurting muslim sensitivities; it’s because they fear to be called xenophobic. That just shows how confused and uncertain they are about their own stance on the issues of racism and xenophobia.
        
        Even if it could be said that the main reason most people on the far right criticize Islam is in fact xenophobia (since most of them are proud Christians), it also has to be said that two bads doesn’t make a good.
        
        The catholic church is a criminal organization that should be prosecuted. Just like there should be no tolerance for crusades and inhumane Christian preachings in general, there should be no tolerance for inhumane Muslim preachings.
        
        So yeah. it sucks the “draw muhammad day” thread is blocked…
ericmartinex1

Cojones not cajones…
bbbaldie

So, is Vatican City blocking access to any sites covering this? ;-)
skeptacally

“gee, honey, i don’t know why these keep leaking… let me see the package… oh! er, oops?”
Stay_Sane_Inside_Insanity

Is there a picture of this condom wrapper? Because it sounds like the best thing ever.
ausPPC

Just a picture on the wrapper? I was imagining a roll-your-own-pope printed condom… Bah – I’m not really that disappointed. ;)
Anonymous

Sound Artist Johannes Kreidler played a speech of the pope, using a condom as a speaker membrane. at 1’11”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iMPxJ8WSkc
Ugly Canuck

I bet there are places where you could not give these away.
Anonymous

I am not against birth control, contraception or condoms in any way. However, I suspect that those that ridicule the catholic church for being anti-contraception actually have very little understanding of why the church is, and their reasoning behind it.
- warreno
  
  Because of a foolish belief in a nonsensical fairy tale?
Felton

Holy prophylactics, Batman!
Felton

It’s an immaculate contraceptive.
Anonymous

I hope the contraception is immaculate, because you wouldn’t want the condom to be “Your Hole-iness”
Wuss Brillis

I always thought that anal sex was the best catholic contraceptive.
Anonymous

Failix, are you familiar with the principle of explosion? it says that if you assume false premises, you can conclude anything. In this case, you assume that the fear of being labelled “Xenophobic” drives a huge segment of the population to avoid criticizing Islam.

Not only is this quite a stretch, but the conclusion doesn’t even follow if you believe that IS true. Many on the left criticize Islam, they simply don’t do it the same way as the rabid xenophobes on the right who spend their time pining for Revelations.
Halloween Jack

Cute idea, but in reality would be a definite boner-killer/cooch-drier.