by Fr. Jim Whalen
The issue of ‘contraceptive culture’ provokes different reactions among parents, doctors, public authorities, and whole nations. It implies that a couple has not only the means to separate intercourse from procreation, but the right or responsibility as well. Its purpose is to allow contracepting partners to enjoy the pleasures of sex without fear that their activity will lead to the procreation of another human person.
A conspiracy of silence
There is, first of all, a conspiracy of silence regarding contraception from the fearful, be they parents, young adults, youth or pastors. There is a fear of listening to the truth, for it may mean changing ways of thinking and ways of acting. There is a fear of teaching or preaching the truth for it may mean being rejected or persecuted. There is a fear of witnessing to the truth for it is sometimes controversial or complicated. There is a fear of living the truth for it is not politically correct, and leads to marginalization or isolation. There is even a pathological fear of parenthood. There is a fear of offending the sensitivities of men or women, friends, neighbours or parishioners but, strangely enough, not of offending God.
A deception
There is, secondly, a massive acceptance of falsehood, half truths and secular views regarding artificial contraceptive means, for they are promulgated endlessly in advertising campaigns by governments, anti-life organizations (e. g.: IPPF), and in the media, as safe and available. They are promoted, erroneously, as instant solutions for recreational sex, as a means of experiencing pleasure without consequences. They are presented as the answer to world overpopulation, a myth advocated by national and international groups such as Planned Parenthood Federations. They are even offered as part of financial aid packages to third world countries, where mandatory sterilization or birth control quotas are stipulated (e.g.: World Bank loans; China’s one child per family policy). Many are ignorant of the whole truth or misinformed about contraceptive abortifacients, their harmful and even life threatening effects. They are swayed by various superficial arguments, by personal preferences or circumstances (situational ethics).
There is, thirdly, a strong Opposition to the contraceptive culture by those who faithfully follow the teaching magisterium of the Catholic Church. This is evident in such pro-life groups as Priests for Life Canada, Human Life International, One More Soul, and others. They adhere to Catholic Church teachings (documents about choosing life at all stages from conception to natural death), about rejecting contraception, abortion, sterilization, euthanasia and assisted suicide; about promoting generosity, chastity, natural family planning and adoption.
A conspiracy of evil
There is a world-wide evil Conspiracy which shows its hidden agenda by usurping the right to abort, to sterilize, and to euthanize. This is the actualizing of evil: to attribute to human beings, in the name of freedom, the right to exercise absolute control and power over others and against others. There is a need for a face to-face confrontation with the proponents of contraception. There is a need to develop ‘a comprehensive pro-life checkmate strategy’. This calls for a realistic assessment of the strategies of the enemy, so that the contraceptive mentality can be eliminated. Failure to curb erroneous principles results in misleading and incomplete presentations and interpretations of magisterial pro-life teachings. Such behaviour obstructs truth and weakens rather than develops faith. The essentials to build a ‘culture of life’ depend on biblical foundations, ethical and moral grounds, and sound principles and doctrines that should be the heart and~ core of conscience formation.
In Genesis, God’s plan is clear with regard to procreation: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28). Many today, including those who consider themselves Christians or Catholics, imitate Onan, who offended God by avoiding conception. He had a direct intention of avoiding procreation during the conjugal act. He was punished for his crime of contraception. What he did greatly offended the Lord, “...and the Lord took his life” (Gen. 38: 9-10). God’s will is a fruitful womb: “Shall I who allow her to conceive, close her womb? says your God” (Is 66:9). A great progeny of children is a special blessing to married couples, a reward to the faithful: “I will make you exceedingly fruitful and will make nations of you” (Gen. 17:16).
Contraception is a violation of procreation, a self-seeking pleasure, an immoral act which defiles and divorces the two sacred purposes of the conjugal act in matrimony: the procreative and the unitive. It seeks to separate the life-giving act and the love-giving act. “The body is not meant for immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body” (1 Cor 6:13). To deny or question scriptural teachings against birth control is to refuse obedience to God’s revealed natural and supernatural truths.
Key Questions
Do we choose to live a lie or the truth? Is the Church’s teaching about contraception too much for us? It need not be if we remember that Jesus continues to speak to us through the Scriptures, and through the magisterial teachings of the Church He founded. His Vicar-General, Pope John Paul II, continues to guide and instruct us. God is still in charge of creation and procreation. Jesus is alive. He is present in His body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacles in our Catholic churches. He is also present in His living word in Scripture, in the sacraments and where two or three are gathered in His name. He comes to us as our daily bread in the Holy Eucharist at Communion. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
The Holy Spirit continues to sanctify us and reveal the truth to us. The fact is that we cannot be pro-life and pro-contraception at the same time. To be pro-life is to be pro-God, pro-family, pro-women, pro-men and pro-church. Enough is enough. We have borne witness to the prevention of life, to attacks on the unborn and other human person at all stages of life, and to the failure of authorities to act decisively against contraception.
Contraception is anti-life
Msgr. Vincent Foy summarizes it well: ‘The primal evil of contraception is ‘anti-God’. It puts up a barrier against God’s creative will, a horrendous crime when seen in all its implications in time and eternity. It is ‘anti-Church’ for it is against Church unity and results in mass immorality and mass weakening of the faith; it is ‘anti-society’ for it diminishes the level of love in society and increases the level of selfishness and lust; it is ‘anti-family’ for it makes a lie of the marriage covenant, replacing self-giving love with the hate of marital abuse; it is ‘anti-spousal’ for it promotes mutual abuse and violates the conscience and person; it is ‘anti-self’ for it creates, selfish and exploitive persons’ (From Humanae Vitae To Veritatis Splendor, St Joseph’s Workers for Life & Family, Msgr. Vincent Foy, March, 1994, pp. 15-18).