Sister Kristin part III

Thanks to Riggsveda over at Corrente, we have this, from New Scientist:

Will cancer vaccine get to all women?

DEATHS from cervical cancer could jump fourfold to a million a year by 2050, mainly in developing countries. This could be prevented by soon-to-be-approved vaccines against the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer - but there are signs that opposition to the vaccines might lead to many preventable deaths.

The trouble is that the human papilloma virus (HPV) is sexually transmitted. So to prevent infection, girls will have to be vaccinated before they become sexually active, which could be a problem in many countries.

In the US, for instance, religious groups are gearing up to oppose vaccination, despite a survey showing 80 per cent of parents favour vaccinating their daughters. "Abstinence is the best way to prevent HPV," says Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council, a leading Christian lobby group that has made much of the fact that, because it can spread by skin contact, condoms are not as effective against HPV as they are against other viruses such as HIV.

This really really really pisses me off.

I lost my sister to cervical cancer 3 years ago, so I gave a right to speak to this issue. To any right winger who fights this on pseudo-faith based grounds, I truly hope you have to go through what I and my family did with my beautiful sister. You deserve a strong lesson

The radio said there was going to be a flood, and people should evacuate. The man said, "God loves me, He will save me."

The flood came. A man came by in a boat to rescue the man. He said, "God loves me, He will save me."

A helicopter came to pick the man up. He said, "God loves me, He will save me."

The man drowned. When he got to Heaven, he asked God, "God, I am faithful, why did you let me drown."

God replied, "I gave you the radio, I sent the boat and the helicopter, what the f... more do you want from me?"

While not totally applicable, the story still has the message that we are given, through divine or other means, the ability to change the world for the better. And to have breakthroughs such as this insulated from reality by "spiritual" beliefs such as these is barbaric. The real spirituality (What would Jesus do?) is in helping others, not denying them because of your own mental straight jacket.

So right wingers, when one you loved lays dying, look to your God/Allah/Krishna/Jahweh and ask Him/Her why this is happening to your loved one. I'll bet I know what the answer will be.