The Anchoress points out a surprising source for support of the Church’s teaching re: Birth Control– Business Insider, of all places!
Here’s a tasty bit:
Today’s injunctions against birth control were re-affirmed in a 1968 document by Pope Paul VI called Humanae Vitae. He warned of four results if the widespread use of contraceptives was accepted:
- General lowering of moral standards
- A rise in infidelity, and illegitimacy
- The reduction of women to objects used to satisfy men.
- Government coercion in reproductive matters.
Does that sound familiar?
Because it sure sounds like what’s been happening for the past 40 years.
As is said, read the whole thing!
To be honest, I used to be a lot more laissez-faire about the issue myself. After all, if God wanted you to have a kid, it would happen– both myself and my little brother were conceived while our mother was using birth control.
However, in learning more about the Church’s teaching on the matter, as specifically, the bits referenced by BI above, it’s the social impact of widely availible birth control that has illuminated the truth of the teaching for me. It’s the way it degrades women and men by making them into rutting, lust-driven animals, the way it sets children up as “mistakes” or, to quote a famous man, “Punishments for mistakes.”
There are sometimes good medical reasons for women to temporarily go on these medications if their hormonal cycles are messed up beyond any other help. There are diseases that cause this, and this in turn causes other problems, so treatment is important. However, the disconnectong of sex from “potential Responsibility” has led to an growing void of respect among and between individuals, that has led to shattering social and cultural results. It is my growing belief that a fair number of the Marxist “intellectual elite” behind the push for contraception and abortion agreed completely with the Pope– that it was part of their plan of destroying America from within.
Unfortunately for us, their plan is working out stupendously.
Related: EWTN is filing suit against the Mandate, and Dan Burke asks us to Remember Lepanto.
Also: Rick Warren says “I’d rather go to jail. . .”
American Slytherin 
I would like to add that Ann Barnhardt made a particularly good case for the Church’s stance on contraception during a radio interview a few months ago. I’ll try to find the audio. This is probably the very most controversial of all the Church’s positions, and the most disregarded by Catholics. I’m convinced that other Christians must think that Catholics are huge hypocrites just on the basis on this one issue alone, since everyone seems to openly disregard the teaching. I’d like to point out that the appearances are sometimes deceiving.
I know many Christian young people (e.g., Ann Barnhardt, Tim Tebow, and many who are not famous), who are open about their choice to remain celibate until marriage. More importantly, I personally know many Catholic and non-Catholic couples who have embraced life without “the pill” and foregone artificial contraception. Many, like my wife and I, gave it up only to find out we weren’t that fertile after all. We ended up with only 3 children and wanted more. Many others we know at church, ended up with large but wonderful families; truly shining examples of what a family should be. Two moms, in particular, found themselves with surprise babies recently when they were nearing the age of 50. Both were scared (who wouldn’t be with the endless preaching about the dangers of late-in-life pregnancies?) but courageous, and were blessed with beautiful little girls. These now-toddler girls are the joy of our whole congregation and are the ones who are passed around from pew to pew during mass, especially among the youth, who adore them and help with them whenever they can. My only point is: we DO believe. Not all of us are saintly enough to overcome our fears, but it’s good to try. God bless those who try.
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Personally, I’m in the Tim Tebow/ Ann Barnhardt camp– living a chaste life means never having to say “Oh no, I forgot to take my pill!”
But like most Catholics, I didn’t understand the teaching, didn’t understand what the big deal over birth control was. I do now. I think that this is just one more issue that the Church has been really crappy at educating people about– I never got the info I needed from priests or other Catholic educators when I asked them. It was bloggers like Ann and the Anchoress who clued me in. I know people getting their doctorates in theology, with focuses on these issues, that not only don’t know this reasoning, what they’ve been taught seems to have deliberately omitted the reasoning.
This is a huge problem, this lack of understanding. But, I do think that a lot of the generation younger than me is even stronger on life issues than mine. Abortion is the foot in the door with them. Positive advocates for chastity like Mr. Tebow and (I’m so out of touch, I assume they still qualify) the Jonas Bros., will help. Unfortunately, there are old, pwerful, vested interests in the destruction of American virtue. Those behind Madonna (and I’ll admit, I do love some of her music) and other “stars” will not give way to virtue any time soon.
Belated Congrats on the 3 munchkins! A family’s a family, no matter how small! (although, I don’t consider 3 small. It’s what I grew up in.) It’s wonderful that your church treasures those children. I hope my church becomes a place like that.
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Thanks! And I’m sorry I left you out of the Ann/Tebow list earlier. I admire that virtue very much, and I was committed to it myself for 20 years, before marriage shifted the need to other virtues. God love ya, Z!
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Well, it’s not really something I go about proclaiming, you know. . .:lol:
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Thanks for standing up for what’s right. Wish there were more like you.
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Yes, Zophiel is a rare gem. Thanks for being such a good example to so many and for speaking out so much lately!
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Thanks Bob and Grunt. Unfortunately, my standing is late in coming, and few can see or hear me. But as some pieces are finally coming together in my brain, and I can finally see what faces us, I have no choice, really, but to finally get off my duff and point out the tragedies around us.
I am hoping to continue like this, as I gain more confidence/ courage to speak–something I sorely lacked until recently. But I’ve been imploring St. Michael to ask God to help me be “even a little less useless”– it may be starting to pay off!
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Not being Catholic, I never understood the big deal either. After learning about the destructive nature of radical feminism it all makes sense now. However, I still don’t have a problem with birth control with a married couple that can’t afford or are just too damn old to have any more kids. 🙂
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Of course, there are a slew of details once marriage kicks in– the science behind which is a lot stronger and more studied now than it used to be. Natural Family Planning has come a long way from the days of the “Rhythm Method”.
Of course, my mother was a married woman who used birth control and thus ended up with two of her three children . . .
And the thing, G8rmum, is that you make your decisions based on your conscience. I think that you, as a free American, should be free to purchase birth control if you and your doctor decide that it is necessary (but I’m sure you don’t think that I should be paying for it).
However, I also believe that there are health risks to the woman and any possible future children she has to be informed about– but you rarely hear about them. The wide availability of BC has led to a social assumption of its use– it is that assumption that is corrosive to society. Moreover, between the implanting of contraceptive devices in 13yr old w/out parental consent, and the roads that all socialist regimes always end up running down. . . these are moves that need to be nipped in the bud. All the pieces are in play for forced sterilizations and abortions, as nearly happened to that one woman who’s story is linked in an earlier post.
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