Main Street Improvement

I hate to throw one of these in every time that we go to Belgium, but it really is an odd culture. On one hand, they seem to be ultra-religious. Every house has a covered statue of Mary and every town has a giant crucifix prominently displayed, leaving no doubt that the state and culture support (Christian) religion.

But then you see things like this outdoor condom dispenser, also prominently displayed on the main street right beside the post office, that would bring condemnation from every pulpit in any town in almost every country in the world. In most places these contraptions are hidden in a dark and filthy mens bathroom in the seediest bars in town so that you can slink in and out without the shame of others knowing that

a) you might actually want to have sex (oh my god!)
b) you might want to be responsible about it

And what about the children? My god the children! The only way to prevent them from having sex is to hide all the condoms and don't talk about "it". If they got their hands on a machine like this then there would be nothing stopping them from going at it like rabbits in the streets!

Don’t get me wrong, I personally think it’s great to have condoms available to anyone who happens to wander down main street on their way to drop off a letter to grandma. For me, it’s more interesting to try and figure out how Belgians rationalize this type of thing with their seemingly fanatical devotion to religion. Maybe the rest of the world could learn a thing or two about a balanced perspective.