Contraception and Sterilization
Brief History:
|
Prior to the 1930s, contraception was generally condemned
by all the major branches of Christianity, including by major reformers like
Luther and Calvin. This condemnation was relaxed by the Anglican Communion at
the 1930 Lambeth Conference, and most Protestant groups followed suit over the
course of the 20th century. Some individual Protestants adhere to the
traditional view that contraception is wrong. The Lambeth Conference of 1930
produced a new resolution. It stated, “Where there is a clearly felt moral obligation to
limit or avoid parenthood, complete abstinence is the primary and obvious method,”
but if there was morally sound reasoning for avoiding abstinence, “the
Conference agrees that other methods may be used, provided that this is done in
the light of Christian principles.” This statement opened Pandora box.
By the 1958, Lambeth Conference, contraception was an accepted part of sexuality for most Anglicans, and a resolution was passed to the effect that the responsibility for deciding upon the number and frequency of children was laid by God upon the consciences of parents “in such ways as are acceptable to husband and wife.” The Anglicans present an excellent microcosm of what gradually happened among Protestant churches in the 1900s. Pope Pius XI's 1930 encyclical entitled Casti Connubii (meaning of chaste wedlock) was written in response to the Anglican Communion's Seventh Lambeth Conference, which approved contraceptive use in limited circumstances. Casti Connubii confirmed the Church's position opposing birth control. The Catholic Church has been opposed to contraception for as far back as one can historically trace. Many of the early fathers of the Church made statements condemning the use of contraception including John Chrysostom (347–407), Jerome (347 – 420), Clement of Alexandria (150 - 215), Hippolytus of Rome (170 – 235), Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430), and various others. Among the condemnations is one by Jerome which refers to an apparent oral form of contraception: Jerome says, "Some go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception."
Much of the world thinks that the Catholic Church is just behind the times on this issue. Many will say, including many Catholics, “The Catholic Church is just too tied to the past…get with the times... the Church is against modern reproductive science, medicine, and technology… the Church needs to catch up with the times…” Is this true? Or, does the Catholic Church see something about the acceptance of contraception that the world does not see? In order to start our reflection it is worth reading Humanae Vitae paragraph #17. Pope Paul VI wrote this encyclical in the year 1968. Now, 44 years later, we are seeing his predictions come true.
Consequences of Artificial Methods
17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
In order to read the remainder of the encyclical click here.
Why does the Catholic Church teach Contraception is wrong?
A Common Scenario: A healthy, fertile woman goes to her doctor and asks for a contraceptive. These contraceptives will interfere with the normal healthy working of her reproductive organs, so that she will be at least temporarily infertile. Yet, it is not fertility which is an illness, but infertility! We take “pills” when we get sick. What is the purpose behind chemically or mechanically sterilizing a woman's perfectly healthy reproductive system. It doesn't make sense to treat the moral weakness of the human heart and soul (our struggle with self-restaint) by pumping chemical toxins into a woman's body or putting devices into her body. The medical definition of health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness. If a woman’s organs are working properly, she is healthy! Therefore, there is no sickness in her that needs to be prevented, treated, or managed. She is the way God created her. Therefore, the purpose of contraception, most often, has nothing to do with women’s health care. Rather, the purpose and aim of contraceptives, for most women, is to prevent pregnancy. This being the case, we already have a method that is 100 percent safer and just as effective: no chemical carcinogens, no serious side-efffects, no dangerous mechanical devices. It is called Natural Family Planning!
If a couple, for good reason, has prayerfully decided to avoid pregnancy, then they would choose to abstain from sexual intimacy during the fertile period of her cycle. This is how Natural Family Planning works (Click here: Listen to Natural Family Planning Testimonies). Rather than treating a woman's fertility as an obstacle to self-indulgence, the man learns with his wife how to grow in self-mastery, reverance, and respect for God's design! Natural Family Planning teaches couples to look at each other as an integration of body, mind, and soul. Fertility is a part of the body and because we are a body, mind, and soul composite we cannot eliminate parts of the body without affecting other parts of the person. God created women periodically fertile for a good reason. Real health care addresses each person as an integral whole of body, mind, and soul. Why would anyone want to risk the serious side-effects of contraception, when Natural Family Planning is just as effective? Perhaps, couples don’t know that Natural Family Planning is just as effective withe added beneift of being 100% safer and 100% more respectful of his and her physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing. Created in God's image and likeness, men and women deserve the best. God only makes the best!
Using science, technology, and medicine to intentionally eliminate a woman's fertility, under the pretext of sexual liberty, is a misuse of science, technology, and medicine. In order for women to possess true sexual freedom, they must be empowered to embrace their whole personhood, fertility included. This is an authentic feminism! Fertility does not get in the way of intimacy, rather, fertility leads to the fostering authentic intimacy. It is a major oversight on the part of science and medicine to think that we can chemically or mechanically disrupt a woman's physical wellbeing without causing disturbing her psychological, emotional, and spiritual equilibrium. Again, every woman, like every man, is an integral whole of body, mind, and soul. The Catholic Church's teaching on any moral issue has to do with a proper understand of the nature and dignity of the human person. Any action which violates that integral nature of the human being as a body, mind, and soul person, is an action that cannot bring about human fulfillment and happiness. Contraception, for many, is perceived as a good and not an evil.
Some of the arguments for contraception: It seems to make life easier. It gives women the "freedom" to finally to enjoy their sex life without the fear of getting pregnant. The Pill has liberated women and the men in Rome have always been against give women having equal rights. whats the difference between contraception and natural family planning anyhow? In the end, you have the same result, NO BABY! Well, the Church teaches the the means by which we arrive at an end does matter. You can never use an evil means to attain your desired end. For example, I heard Christopher West, a well known author and speaker on marriage, family, and sexuality explain it like this. What is the difference between allowing grandma to die naturally and shooting grandma in the head? Same end, you have a dead grandma! Right? Yes, but the mean by which the end is achieved is morally worlds apart. One is obviously wrong. We cannot take grandma's life. We are not God! Remember, the way of the cross is the way of love and life. Just because something is easier or just because it is scientifically or medically possible does not make it right or good for humanity. Making it easier to indulge our selfishness is not a good thing. Just like we are disciplined and work hard to be successful at school, on our exams, in sports, at our jobs..., we also need to be disciplined and work hard at living out the truth of our sexuality. This is true freedom! Freedom from the compulsions to self-indulging and seek instant gratification at the expense of human dignity.
Contraception has also had damaging effects on men. A part of the reason why God made women temporarily fertile is so that men and women could grow in self-mastery, which is a necessary virtue for any relationship to be successful, most especially to be a good mom or dad. This is why God gave human beings a rational soul. The human intellect and will which are the higher powers of the human soul give each person the ability to direct their sexual passions and desires in accordance with the true good. In other words, we are called to live out our sexuality in a responsible way knowing that their is the possiblity of becoming a mommy or daddy. If we are not responsible enough to be parents, then we should be responsible enought to not have sex. Thus, the mess we have today of countless "fatherless" children. Without self-mastery or self-control, men and women cannot learn to love. It is akin to not showing up for school. Natural Family Planning is the classroom of authentic love. True love is sacrifical. Jesus says, "Take up your cross and follow me." Jesus did not say, "gimme your body so I can use you." Jesus said, "This is my Body given up for you...do this in rememberance of me."
Thus, contraception has promoted a mentality which has seriously damaged the psycho-sexual development of many men and women. The is cultural promotion of an unrestained and wreckless sexual lifestyle has opened wide the doors to an innumerable amount of social disfunction. For example, the pornography industry is a near a 100 billion dollar industry (click here: Pornography Statistics). Pornography is a cancer that destroys marriages! Becasue of contraception, we've gone from 5 STD's to 30 plus STD's. Remember, the main stream media and goverment are promoting contraception as a form of women's preventative health care. Huh? The only thing contraception is preventing is healthy marriages and families. Abortion has become another form of contraception, which brutally murders millions and millions of the most vulnerable of our society, all in name of sexual liberty and health care (click here: Abortion Statistics). Huh? Our young people are becoming sex addict. 1 in 4 teen girls have an STD! Health Care? This must stop! We cannot continue to allow Planned Parenthood and others to pass out contraception to our teenagers like its candy. (click here: What Planned Parenthood is Teaching our Teens.) We need to educate ourselves and stop listening to the secular media. If contraception is such an integral part of good health care, then why has it lead to social disaster?
When we start to disassociate the life giving dimension of sex (procreative dimension) from sexual union through the use of chemicals or mechanical devices, we will always cheapen and disrepect the sacredness of sex. Rather than being a sacred union between a married man and woman (unitive dimension of sex), it becomes nothing more than another form of entertainment. Something "fun" to do! Young men and women no longer associate sex with the possiblity and sacred privledge of becoming a mom or dad. This is problamatic because the very natural and purpose of the sexual act is to create a loving union that will enable children to grow in a stable enviroment of love. Psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually childen need this in order to become healthy, holy and virtuous citizens. Having children today is often viewed as an inconveniet obstacles to MY LIFE PLANS! Yes, having children is at times inconvenient, but so is love!!! Yes, having children does call me to give up my life!!! Love is the cross and the cross is love!
We also have seen a drastic increase of infidelity. This should not surprise us considering the approach to sex which our current culture and goverment are promoting. Instant gratification and indulgence is promoted as the a natural thing to do! As cancer is to the body so contraception has been to marriage, family, and society. It has atrophied our spiritual muscles to make commitments because we are so used to giving ourselves permission to indulge. Rather than taking up the cross, we've taught a whole of generations to run from the cross. Avoid pain and maximize pleasure! And now, since our culture has mentally subracted life (the procreative dimension) from sex, there is even a growing number of people that can't see anything wrong with men "marrying" men and women "marrying" women. If sex is not about marriage and if marriage is not about the family, then what is sex about? Men can be friends with men and women can be friends with women, but men can never be spouses to men and women can never be spouses to women. Why? It is simply because the nature of spousal love is that one man and one woman are able to become one flesh and God designed the male and female body to fit together for obvious reasons! This is not rocket science. Homosexual behavior contradicts the nature and pupose of God's design for man and woman. What is the nature and purpose of God's design of our bodies? Family!
Is the Catholic Church wrong about her teaching on contraception? If contraception is such a good thing for women and men, then why the social disfunction? As our good Lord said, "You will know a tree by it's fruits." Judging by the fruits of a contracepting society, I think we would be wise to return to mother Church's teaching on this issue. Fertility is a blessing from God, NOT a curse. Wanting to avoid having children, for serious reasons, is NOT against Church's teaching. In fact, the Church teaches that every couple is called to practice responsible parenthood. The Church does NOT teach that married couples should have as many children as possible. Thus, the Catholic Church has used science and medicine at the service of human dignity by repecting the integral design God gave to man and woman as body, mind, and soul persons. The Church encourages couples to learn about these two highly effective and safe methods of Natural Family Planning: The Creighton Model and the Sympto-Thermal Model (Click here: Listen to Natural Family Planning Testimonies from both methods).
While respecting the woman's physical design (leaving her fertilty alone), Natural Family Planning reaps countless psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social benefits for men, women, and society. If their is good reason to avoid having a child and she is fertile, the married couple are invited into virtue. They learn to express their intimacy in other ways: perhaps they go on a walk together, talk more, hold hands, go on a dinner date, go to a movie... The point is that being sexual, if we properly understand sexuality, is not just having sex. Being sexual is acually being who you are, male and female! Sex, in principle, is a noun not a verb. It is first and foremost about our identity NOT an action we do! Sex involves every dimension of our personhood: body, mind, and soul.
Natural Family Planning teaches couples how to foster and develop a healthy and integrated expression of their sexuality. It becomes the means by which married couples enter the school of authentic love. It is the classroom where they learn and discover the truth and beauty of married love. It is a proven fact that those who use contraception cannot reach into full depth and beauty of married love. They fail to collect the countless graces which are available in the winepress of taking up the cross of self-restraint. Again, self-restraint is chosen rather than self-indulgence because our human dignity is to glorious to profane. Those graces which come from the winepress of learning to say no are precisely what makes a marriage heavenly. Contracepting couples never really learn to develop and deepen their intimacy.
People are more than Biology
QUESTION: What difficulty is contraception trying to resolve?
How does a woman avoid pregnancy when she is fertile? There are two different approaches that a woman can have toward her fertility. She can abstain from gentile intimacy during fertile times or she can use some form of contraception. Abstinence during fertile times is based on fertility awareness and appreciation. With the modern methods of fertility care (Creighton Model and Sympto-Thermal), both the man and the woman work together in recording certain biological markers in the woman's body. Whereas with contraception, most of the burden falls upon the woman.
Science, medicine, and technology have tried to help women to develop ways of avoiding pregnancy when she is fertile and ways of achieving pregnancy if she is infertile. In order for science, medicine, and technology to uphold the integrity and dignity of women, it is vital that each of these fields consider the multiple dimensions of a woman's personhood and not just isolate her fertility. Since women and men are body, mind, and soul beings, we must then ask ourselves, "Is it possible to chemically and/or mechanically eliminate a man's or woman's fertility without disturbing his or her physically, psychologically-emotionally, and spiritually equilibrium and wellbeing?" Not to consider this question when dealing with a man's or woman's fertility is not only less than sufficient, but it ignores the complexity and depth of the human person.
Scientists and doctors must strive to always treat the person as an integral whole. If we are truly concerned about women health care, then we need to honestly assess how the use of contraception has affected men and women physically, psychologically-emotionally, and spiritually. Understanding the complexity of human nature, we cannot just presume that the elimination of fertility has no adverse affect on the psychological/emotional and spiritual development and wellbeing of men, women, marriage, families, and society. the elimination of any naturally functioning organ can have serious developmental effects on a persons well-being.
The different organs of the human body have different functions. Among these organs, there is a hierarchy, communication, and order. For example, hierarchically, the brain and the heart are most important. How is a person's wellbeing affected when an organ is not working properly or removed? It depends upon which organ? Every organ is placed in the human body for a reason. Here, we are discussing the temporal or permenant sterilization of the reproductive system. How does this affect the man or woman's wellbeing? Physically, there are obvious side affects when we use chemicals to make the female body "think" it is always pregnant. As recognized by the World Health Organization, hormonal contraceptives are a Group 1 Carcinogen (cancer causing). Why would someone choose to eliminate a perfectly healthy reproductive system? How does taking powerful synthetic homonal pills, which shuts down the ovaries affect a woman's well-being? Does the use of contraception increase the respect due to women? This abnormal elimination or disruption of a woman's fertility does have serious consequences. There are many serious side-affects. A woman's cycle is how she connects to her inner self and intuitive wisdom. We take medicine, 'a pill,' when we are ill not when we are functioning healthy.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: How does fertility affect a woman's pursuit of happiness? Is fertility an integral part of a woman's discovery of herself? Does contraception foster an unhealthy mentality in men's and women's understanding of sex, marriage, and family? How has the promotion of contraception affected the psychological-emotional and spiritual development of our young people and their approach toward sex, marriage, and family life? Does contraception help or hinder the psychological-emotional and spiritual development of young men and women into becoming committed husbands-fathers and wives-mothers. Does contraception foster a reverence, respect, and discipline which is necessary for marriage and family? Can a woman chemically and/or mechanically eliminate her fertility as an integral part of her personhood and still find fulfillment? Is there any connect between the use of contraception, the STD epidemic, the rise in teen pregnancy rates, and the 100 billion dollar pornography industry? How has this affected our economy? How has the contraceptive mentality affected our work ethic and economy? These are important questions that cannot be ignored.
By the 1958, Lambeth Conference, contraception was an accepted part of sexuality for most Anglicans, and a resolution was passed to the effect that the responsibility for deciding upon the number and frequency of children was laid by God upon the consciences of parents “in such ways as are acceptable to husband and wife.” The Anglicans present an excellent microcosm of what gradually happened among Protestant churches in the 1900s. Pope Pius XI's 1930 encyclical entitled Casti Connubii (meaning of chaste wedlock) was written in response to the Anglican Communion's Seventh Lambeth Conference, which approved contraceptive use in limited circumstances. Casti Connubii confirmed the Church's position opposing birth control. The Catholic Church has been opposed to contraception for as far back as one can historically trace. Many of the early fathers of the Church made statements condemning the use of contraception including John Chrysostom (347–407), Jerome (347 – 420), Clement of Alexandria (150 - 215), Hippolytus of Rome (170 – 235), Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430), and various others. Among the condemnations is one by Jerome which refers to an apparent oral form of contraception: Jerome says, "Some go so far as to take potions, that they may insure barrenness, and thus murder human beings almost before their conception."
Much of the world thinks that the Catholic Church is just behind the times on this issue. Many will say, including many Catholics, “The Catholic Church is just too tied to the past…get with the times... the Church is against modern reproductive science, medicine, and technology… the Church needs to catch up with the times…” Is this true? Or, does the Catholic Church see something about the acceptance of contraception that the world does not see? In order to start our reflection it is worth reading Humanae Vitae paragraph #17. Pope Paul VI wrote this encyclical in the year 1968. Now, 44 years later, we are seeing his predictions come true.
Consequences of Artificial Methods
17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.
Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
In order to read the remainder of the encyclical click here.
Why does the Catholic Church teach Contraception is wrong?
A Common Scenario: A healthy, fertile woman goes to her doctor and asks for a contraceptive. These contraceptives will interfere with the normal healthy working of her reproductive organs, so that she will be at least temporarily infertile. Yet, it is not fertility which is an illness, but infertility! We take “pills” when we get sick. What is the purpose behind chemically or mechanically sterilizing a woman's perfectly healthy reproductive system. It doesn't make sense to treat the moral weakness of the human heart and soul (our struggle with self-restaint) by pumping chemical toxins into a woman's body or putting devices into her body. The medical definition of health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness. If a woman’s organs are working properly, she is healthy! Therefore, there is no sickness in her that needs to be prevented, treated, or managed. She is the way God created her. Therefore, the purpose of contraception, most often, has nothing to do with women’s health care. Rather, the purpose and aim of contraceptives, for most women, is to prevent pregnancy. This being the case, we already have a method that is 100 percent safer and just as effective: no chemical carcinogens, no serious side-efffects, no dangerous mechanical devices. It is called Natural Family Planning!
If a couple, for good reason, has prayerfully decided to avoid pregnancy, then they would choose to abstain from sexual intimacy during the fertile period of her cycle. This is how Natural Family Planning works (Click here: Listen to Natural Family Planning Testimonies). Rather than treating a woman's fertility as an obstacle to self-indulgence, the man learns with his wife how to grow in self-mastery, reverance, and respect for God's design! Natural Family Planning teaches couples to look at each other as an integration of body, mind, and soul. Fertility is a part of the body and because we are a body, mind, and soul composite we cannot eliminate parts of the body without affecting other parts of the person. God created women periodically fertile for a good reason. Real health care addresses each person as an integral whole of body, mind, and soul. Why would anyone want to risk the serious side-effects of contraception, when Natural Family Planning is just as effective? Perhaps, couples don’t know that Natural Family Planning is just as effective withe added beneift of being 100% safer and 100% more respectful of his and her physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing. Created in God's image and likeness, men and women deserve the best. God only makes the best!
Using science, technology, and medicine to intentionally eliminate a woman's fertility, under the pretext of sexual liberty, is a misuse of science, technology, and medicine. In order for women to possess true sexual freedom, they must be empowered to embrace their whole personhood, fertility included. This is an authentic feminism! Fertility does not get in the way of intimacy, rather, fertility leads to the fostering authentic intimacy. It is a major oversight on the part of science and medicine to think that we can chemically or mechanically disrupt a woman's physical wellbeing without causing disturbing her psychological, emotional, and spiritual equilibrium. Again, every woman, like every man, is an integral whole of body, mind, and soul. The Catholic Church's teaching on any moral issue has to do with a proper understand of the nature and dignity of the human person. Any action which violates that integral nature of the human being as a body, mind, and soul person, is an action that cannot bring about human fulfillment and happiness. Contraception, for many, is perceived as a good and not an evil.
Some of the arguments for contraception: It seems to make life easier. It gives women the "freedom" to finally to enjoy their sex life without the fear of getting pregnant. The Pill has liberated women and the men in Rome have always been against give women having equal rights. whats the difference between contraception and natural family planning anyhow? In the end, you have the same result, NO BABY! Well, the Church teaches the the means by which we arrive at an end does matter. You can never use an evil means to attain your desired end. For example, I heard Christopher West, a well known author and speaker on marriage, family, and sexuality explain it like this. What is the difference between allowing grandma to die naturally and shooting grandma in the head? Same end, you have a dead grandma! Right? Yes, but the mean by which the end is achieved is morally worlds apart. One is obviously wrong. We cannot take grandma's life. We are not God! Remember, the way of the cross is the way of love and life. Just because something is easier or just because it is scientifically or medically possible does not make it right or good for humanity. Making it easier to indulge our selfishness is not a good thing. Just like we are disciplined and work hard to be successful at school, on our exams, in sports, at our jobs..., we also need to be disciplined and work hard at living out the truth of our sexuality. This is true freedom! Freedom from the compulsions to self-indulging and seek instant gratification at the expense of human dignity.
Contraception has also had damaging effects on men. A part of the reason why God made women temporarily fertile is so that men and women could grow in self-mastery, which is a necessary virtue for any relationship to be successful, most especially to be a good mom or dad. This is why God gave human beings a rational soul. The human intellect and will which are the higher powers of the human soul give each person the ability to direct their sexual passions and desires in accordance with the true good. In other words, we are called to live out our sexuality in a responsible way knowing that their is the possiblity of becoming a mommy or daddy. If we are not responsible enough to be parents, then we should be responsible enought to not have sex. Thus, the mess we have today of countless "fatherless" children. Without self-mastery or self-control, men and women cannot learn to love. It is akin to not showing up for school. Natural Family Planning is the classroom of authentic love. True love is sacrifical. Jesus says, "Take up your cross and follow me." Jesus did not say, "gimme your body so I can use you." Jesus said, "This is my Body given up for you...do this in rememberance of me."
Thus, contraception has promoted a mentality which has seriously damaged the psycho-sexual development of many men and women. The is cultural promotion of an unrestained and wreckless sexual lifestyle has opened wide the doors to an innumerable amount of social disfunction. For example, the pornography industry is a near a 100 billion dollar industry (click here: Pornography Statistics). Pornography is a cancer that destroys marriages! Becasue of contraception, we've gone from 5 STD's to 30 plus STD's. Remember, the main stream media and goverment are promoting contraception as a form of women's preventative health care. Huh? The only thing contraception is preventing is healthy marriages and families. Abortion has become another form of contraception, which brutally murders millions and millions of the most vulnerable of our society, all in name of sexual liberty and health care (click here: Abortion Statistics). Huh? Our young people are becoming sex addict. 1 in 4 teen girls have an STD! Health Care? This must stop! We cannot continue to allow Planned Parenthood and others to pass out contraception to our teenagers like its candy. (click here: What Planned Parenthood is Teaching our Teens.) We need to educate ourselves and stop listening to the secular media. If contraception is such an integral part of good health care, then why has it lead to social disaster?
When we start to disassociate the life giving dimension of sex (procreative dimension) from sexual union through the use of chemicals or mechanical devices, we will always cheapen and disrepect the sacredness of sex. Rather than being a sacred union between a married man and woman (unitive dimension of sex), it becomes nothing more than another form of entertainment. Something "fun" to do! Young men and women no longer associate sex with the possiblity and sacred privledge of becoming a mom or dad. This is problamatic because the very natural and purpose of the sexual act is to create a loving union that will enable children to grow in a stable enviroment of love. Psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually childen need this in order to become healthy, holy and virtuous citizens. Having children today is often viewed as an inconveniet obstacles to MY LIFE PLANS! Yes, having children is at times inconvenient, but so is love!!! Yes, having children does call me to give up my life!!! Love is the cross and the cross is love!
We also have seen a drastic increase of infidelity. This should not surprise us considering the approach to sex which our current culture and goverment are promoting. Instant gratification and indulgence is promoted as the a natural thing to do! As cancer is to the body so contraception has been to marriage, family, and society. It has atrophied our spiritual muscles to make commitments because we are so used to giving ourselves permission to indulge. Rather than taking up the cross, we've taught a whole of generations to run from the cross. Avoid pain and maximize pleasure! And now, since our culture has mentally subracted life (the procreative dimension) from sex, there is even a growing number of people that can't see anything wrong with men "marrying" men and women "marrying" women. If sex is not about marriage and if marriage is not about the family, then what is sex about? Men can be friends with men and women can be friends with women, but men can never be spouses to men and women can never be spouses to women. Why? It is simply because the nature of spousal love is that one man and one woman are able to become one flesh and God designed the male and female body to fit together for obvious reasons! This is not rocket science. Homosexual behavior contradicts the nature and pupose of God's design for man and woman. What is the nature and purpose of God's design of our bodies? Family!
Is the Catholic Church wrong about her teaching on contraception? If contraception is such a good thing for women and men, then why the social disfunction? As our good Lord said, "You will know a tree by it's fruits." Judging by the fruits of a contracepting society, I think we would be wise to return to mother Church's teaching on this issue. Fertility is a blessing from God, NOT a curse. Wanting to avoid having children, for serious reasons, is NOT against Church's teaching. In fact, the Church teaches that every couple is called to practice responsible parenthood. The Church does NOT teach that married couples should have as many children as possible. Thus, the Catholic Church has used science and medicine at the service of human dignity by repecting the integral design God gave to man and woman as body, mind, and soul persons. The Church encourages couples to learn about these two highly effective and safe methods of Natural Family Planning: The Creighton Model and the Sympto-Thermal Model (Click here: Listen to Natural Family Planning Testimonies from both methods).
While respecting the woman's physical design (leaving her fertilty alone), Natural Family Planning reaps countless psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social benefits for men, women, and society. If their is good reason to avoid having a child and she is fertile, the married couple are invited into virtue. They learn to express their intimacy in other ways: perhaps they go on a walk together, talk more, hold hands, go on a dinner date, go to a movie... The point is that being sexual, if we properly understand sexuality, is not just having sex. Being sexual is acually being who you are, male and female! Sex, in principle, is a noun not a verb. It is first and foremost about our identity NOT an action we do! Sex involves every dimension of our personhood: body, mind, and soul.
Natural Family Planning teaches couples how to foster and develop a healthy and integrated expression of their sexuality. It becomes the means by which married couples enter the school of authentic love. It is the classroom where they learn and discover the truth and beauty of married love. It is a proven fact that those who use contraception cannot reach into full depth and beauty of married love. They fail to collect the countless graces which are available in the winepress of taking up the cross of self-restraint. Again, self-restraint is chosen rather than self-indulgence because our human dignity is to glorious to profane. Those graces which come from the winepress of learning to say no are precisely what makes a marriage heavenly. Contracepting couples never really learn to develop and deepen their intimacy.
People are more than Biology
QUESTION: What difficulty is contraception trying to resolve?
How does a woman avoid pregnancy when she is fertile? There are two different approaches that a woman can have toward her fertility. She can abstain from gentile intimacy during fertile times or she can use some form of contraception. Abstinence during fertile times is based on fertility awareness and appreciation. With the modern methods of fertility care (Creighton Model and Sympto-Thermal), both the man and the woman work together in recording certain biological markers in the woman's body. Whereas with contraception, most of the burden falls upon the woman.
Science, medicine, and technology have tried to help women to develop ways of avoiding pregnancy when she is fertile and ways of achieving pregnancy if she is infertile. In order for science, medicine, and technology to uphold the integrity and dignity of women, it is vital that each of these fields consider the multiple dimensions of a woman's personhood and not just isolate her fertility. Since women and men are body, mind, and soul beings, we must then ask ourselves, "Is it possible to chemically and/or mechanically eliminate a man's or woman's fertility without disturbing his or her physically, psychologically-emotionally, and spiritually equilibrium and wellbeing?" Not to consider this question when dealing with a man's or woman's fertility is not only less than sufficient, but it ignores the complexity and depth of the human person.
Scientists and doctors must strive to always treat the person as an integral whole. If we are truly concerned about women health care, then we need to honestly assess how the use of contraception has affected men and women physically, psychologically-emotionally, and spiritually. Understanding the complexity of human nature, we cannot just presume that the elimination of fertility has no adverse affect on the psychological/emotional and spiritual development and wellbeing of men, women, marriage, families, and society. the elimination of any naturally functioning organ can have serious developmental effects on a persons well-being.
The different organs of the human body have different functions. Among these organs, there is a hierarchy, communication, and order. For example, hierarchically, the brain and the heart are most important. How is a person's wellbeing affected when an organ is not working properly or removed? It depends upon which organ? Every organ is placed in the human body for a reason. Here, we are discussing the temporal or permenant sterilization of the reproductive system. How does this affect the man or woman's wellbeing? Physically, there are obvious side affects when we use chemicals to make the female body "think" it is always pregnant. As recognized by the World Health Organization, hormonal contraceptives are a Group 1 Carcinogen (cancer causing). Why would someone choose to eliminate a perfectly healthy reproductive system? How does taking powerful synthetic homonal pills, which shuts down the ovaries affect a woman's well-being? Does the use of contraception increase the respect due to women? This abnormal elimination or disruption of a woman's fertility does have serious consequences. There are many serious side-affects. A woman's cycle is how she connects to her inner self and intuitive wisdom. We take medicine, 'a pill,' when we are ill not when we are functioning healthy.
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: How does fertility affect a woman's pursuit of happiness? Is fertility an integral part of a woman's discovery of herself? Does contraception foster an unhealthy mentality in men's and women's understanding of sex, marriage, and family? How has the promotion of contraception affected the psychological-emotional and spiritual development of our young people and their approach toward sex, marriage, and family life? Does contraception help or hinder the psychological-emotional and spiritual development of young men and women into becoming committed husbands-fathers and wives-mothers. Does contraception foster a reverence, respect, and discipline which is necessary for marriage and family? Can a woman chemically and/or mechanically eliminate her fertility as an integral part of her personhood and still find fulfillment? Is there any connect between the use of contraception, the STD epidemic, the rise in teen pregnancy rates, and the 100 billion dollar pornography industry? How has this affected our economy? How has the contraceptive mentality affected our work ethic and economy? These are important questions that cannot be ignored.
Contraceptive Mentality and Abortion
The current government wants to place pregnancy within the category of preventative health care. What wrong with this? Well.... Breast cancer, AIDS, cervical cancer, STD's are also a part of the preventative health care plan... What's wrong? The question: "Which of these doesn't fit?" A.) Breast Cancer. B.) AIDS. C.) STD's. D.) Pregnancy. If you answer D.) then you got it right! Pregnant, unlike the others, is NOT a disease! When a woman gets pregnant, it actually means that the her body is working properly. Women are designed, by God, with a potential to get pregnant during fertile time. This is a power the woman has been given. It is a blessing NOT a curse! "God blessed them and said, be fertile and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). Children are wonderful blessings not burdens or inconveniences or distractions to our lives. Men and women find themselves in light of children. Currently, our government is affirming an understanding of pregnancy which is pessimistic and dark.
Today, life in the womb is no longer respected. It is no longer a safe place for children to be nurtured. It is no longer a sanctuary. In fact, in the name of woman's rights or sexual liberty, we literally vacuum thousands of the these little babies each day from their mother's wombs limb by limb. We tear them to pieces. Ripping them from their mothers womb in the name of inconvenience, economics, or interference with MY career. (Click Here: Chart of why women have abortions.) Today, life in the womb is dismissed as a clump of tissue. Truly, the only way we can consciously continue to promote abortion is to pretend that life in the womb is only a clump of tissue. Are you sure? What if you're wrong? This is no small matter that we can just dismiss. In truth, every human being is an organized clump of tissues. From the first moment of conception, the new living being in the womb is human by nature. It is not a cat or dog. The nature of the being in the womb is human. Therefore, human life begins at the first moment of conception. The only difference between the life in the womb and a 30 year old adult is that one is more fully developed than the other. Being more fully developed, the 30 year old man or woman is capable of more functions than the baby in the womb. To insist that human life begins, other than at the moment of conception, has very serious social ramifications. Why is this? Well, if life does not begin in the womb at the moment of conception, then when does life begin? Who will decide? What are the criterion for determining when life? Is it stage of development? Is it functional capacity? Is it viability? Is it the mother's decision to determine if it's a baby or not? Throughout history, there have been a number of leaders that have chosen to determine who is human and who is not. The result was genocide! Today, there is a global genocide of the most innocent in the womb. We worry about terrorism, but what about those being terrorized in the womb? Does anyone care? Should we just keep pretending while literally millions of the most precious and vulnerable of society are being slaughtered.
The real issue concerning contraception and abortion is a total disrespect of God's plan for sexual love. We don't want self-control. We want to be "free." We want to decide what we want and when we want it. We want to be in control. Ironically, what we see today is anything but being in control of our sexuality. Pregnancy should not be placed in the preventative health care category. What kind of subliminal message is this sending to our younger generations about sexuality? Blessed John Paul II identified this attitude toward sex as the 'contraceptive mentality.' It is this contraceptive mentality that encourages a promiscuous attitude and approach toward sex. This is extremely detrimental to the health and stability of a society. We are already seeing the carnage of the contraceptive mentality in our world. According to the current government, if you catch the disease of pregnancy, you should treat it with a Pill or have an abortion. In other words, have wreckless sex and don't worry about it. You don't have to live responsibly. This is what we are teaching the younger generations and this is precisely why we have men and women who don't have a very strong capacity to live a committed life long marriage. It's also why our society is slowly moving toward the legalization of homosexual "marriage." Think about it? If sex has nothing to do with being responsible parents, then why can't two people of the same sex marry? Once you factor out the life giving (procreative) dimension of sex, you begin to equate sex solely to pleasure and fun. Again, this is why we have a rampant epidemic of STD's (1 in 4 Teen Girls). This is why we have an insane amount of people addicted to pornography (100 billion dollar industry -- click here: Pornography Statistics)
The current government wants to place pregnancy within the category of preventative health care. What wrong with this? Well.... Breast cancer, AIDS, cervical cancer, STD's are also a part of the preventative health care plan... What's wrong? The question: "Which of these doesn't fit?" A.) Breast Cancer. B.) AIDS. C.) STD's. D.) Pregnancy. If you answer D.) then you got it right! Pregnant, unlike the others, is NOT a disease! When a woman gets pregnant, it actually means that the her body is working properly. Women are designed, by God, with a potential to get pregnant during fertile time. This is a power the woman has been given. It is a blessing NOT a curse! "God blessed them and said, be fertile and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). Children are wonderful blessings not burdens or inconveniences or distractions to our lives. Men and women find themselves in light of children. Currently, our government is affirming an understanding of pregnancy which is pessimistic and dark.
Today, life in the womb is no longer respected. It is no longer a safe place for children to be nurtured. It is no longer a sanctuary. In fact, in the name of woman's rights or sexual liberty, we literally vacuum thousands of the these little babies each day from their mother's wombs limb by limb. We tear them to pieces. Ripping them from their mothers womb in the name of inconvenience, economics, or interference with MY career. (Click Here: Chart of why women have abortions.) Today, life in the womb is dismissed as a clump of tissue. Truly, the only way we can consciously continue to promote abortion is to pretend that life in the womb is only a clump of tissue. Are you sure? What if you're wrong? This is no small matter that we can just dismiss. In truth, every human being is an organized clump of tissues. From the first moment of conception, the new living being in the womb is human by nature. It is not a cat or dog. The nature of the being in the womb is human. Therefore, human life begins at the first moment of conception. The only difference between the life in the womb and a 30 year old adult is that one is more fully developed than the other. Being more fully developed, the 30 year old man or woman is capable of more functions than the baby in the womb. To insist that human life begins, other than at the moment of conception, has very serious social ramifications. Why is this? Well, if life does not begin in the womb at the moment of conception, then when does life begin? Who will decide? What are the criterion for determining when life? Is it stage of development? Is it functional capacity? Is it viability? Is it the mother's decision to determine if it's a baby or not? Throughout history, there have been a number of leaders that have chosen to determine who is human and who is not. The result was genocide! Today, there is a global genocide of the most innocent in the womb. We worry about terrorism, but what about those being terrorized in the womb? Does anyone care? Should we just keep pretending while literally millions of the most precious and vulnerable of society are being slaughtered.
The real issue concerning contraception and abortion is a total disrespect of God's plan for sexual love. We don't want self-control. We want to be "free." We want to decide what we want and when we want it. We want to be in control. Ironically, what we see today is anything but being in control of our sexuality. Pregnancy should not be placed in the preventative health care category. What kind of subliminal message is this sending to our younger generations about sexuality? Blessed John Paul II identified this attitude toward sex as the 'contraceptive mentality.' It is this contraceptive mentality that encourages a promiscuous attitude and approach toward sex. This is extremely detrimental to the health and stability of a society. We are already seeing the carnage of the contraceptive mentality in our world. According to the current government, if you catch the disease of pregnancy, you should treat it with a Pill or have an abortion. In other words, have wreckless sex and don't worry about it. You don't have to live responsibly. This is what we are teaching the younger generations and this is precisely why we have men and women who don't have a very strong capacity to live a committed life long marriage. It's also why our society is slowly moving toward the legalization of homosexual "marriage." Think about it? If sex has nothing to do with being responsible parents, then why can't two people of the same sex marry? Once you factor out the life giving (procreative) dimension of sex, you begin to equate sex solely to pleasure and fun. Again, this is why we have a rampant epidemic of STD's (1 in 4 Teen Girls). This is why we have an insane amount of people addicted to pornography (100 billion dollar industry -- click here: Pornography Statistics)
Click Here to Visit the Following Publications:
The Pill is Not Good for Women by Erika Bachiochi & Catherine R. Pakaluk Catholic doctor says 'no more to birth control’ by Lisa A. Johnston World Health Organization: 543 Page Study on Carcinogenic Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives by International Agency for Research on Cancer Meta-Analysis: Oral Contraceptives and Pre-menopausal Breast Cancer by Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Doctors Kahlenborn C, Modugno FM, Potter DM, Severs WB. Pope Paul VI as Prophet: Have Humanae Vitae's Bold Predictions Come True? by Janet Smith |