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Birth Control |
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BASIC R.C. BELIEF
The only lawful methods of birth control are rhythm and abstinence. (see
article on Abstinence, below)
From A GUIDE TO CONFESSION by Francis Connell, C.SS.R. Imp. Bishop Busch.
p. 26. "(The Holy Father) said that if a couple entered marriage with the
intention (even on the part of one) of restricting the marriage right to
certain days, the marriage would be null and void. He stated that the use
of Rhythm for a serious reason is lawful; but the use of this system of
limiting births without a serious reason is sinful. It would be a venial
sin to do this for a brief time - for example, a few months or even two or
three years. But it would seem to be a mortal sin to practice Rhythm for a
long time, such as four or five years. Some reasons that people might
allege for the use of Rhythm, which are not sufficient are: (a) they think
that two or three children are enough for any couple; (b) They want to have
a good time while they are young; (3) they wish to live in a fashionable
section of the city where apartments are small.
Verses used to "prove" this are Gen. 38:10; Tobit 6:16,17; 8:9
POST VATICAN II
In his famed encyclical,
HUMANAE VITAE, Pope Paul VI reiterated the Roman
Catholic position against mechanical birth control. In spite of this, many
Catholic women found this law intolerable, and there are priests who will
give them absolution in spite of their using unlawful methods of
birth control.
The formal announcement of Humanae Vitae was July 29, 1968
HUMANAE VITAE, Section 14, "In conformity with these landmarks in the
human and Christian vision of marriage, we must once again declare that the
direct interruption of the generative process already begun, and, above
all, directly willed and procured abortion, even for therapeutic reasons,
are to be absolutely excluded as a licit means of regulating birth. Equally
to be excluded, as the direct teaching authority of the Church has
frequently declared, is direct sterilization, whether perpetual or
temporary, whether of the man or of the woman. Similarly excluded is every
action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its
accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences,
proposes, whether as an end of as a means, to render procreation
impossible.
In a speech in early 1978, Pope Paul VI acknowledged that his 1968
encyclical
had imposed "difficult demands" on Roman Catholics. He asked for
"special attention" for those who have not been able to obey the directives
of HUMANAE VITAE. New methods of birth control are of constant interest in
Roman Catholicism.
In a 1981 Bishops' synod, Archbishop Quinn said that 80% of the women in
his diocese (San Francisco, California) had problems with HUMANAE VITAE,
but he was told this was not up for discussion.
In 1982, in York, England, Pope John II seemed to sound a fresh note about
birth control when he called for greater attention to "responsible
procreation," but in the next sentence he deplored "the spread of a
contraceptive and anti-life mentality."
In 1989, the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver sent out information about
Natural Family Planning, called the Synmpto-Thermal Method. It specifies
this method is not Rhythm, but if you read the second paragraph under this
heading, you will see that the Pope has already spoken against what the
Denver Archdiocese recommends.
CATHOLIC JOURNALS
From THE CATHOLIC VOICE, 6/1/92, p. 1. " Anglican archbishop blasts
Catholics on birth control. Two weeks before his first meeting with Pope
John Paul II, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey (since resigned) has blasted the
Roman Catholic Church's ban on artificial birth control, charging that the
1968 papal encyclical prohibiting the practice 'actually stopped theological
thinking.'"
SECULAR JOURNALS
From THE ORLANDO SENTINEL, 8/24/86. "According to a survey conducted for
the archdiocese of Miami, 64% of the respondents found artificial birth
control generally acceptable. An archdiocesan spokesperson, Marsha Whelan,
said of the survey, `My sense is that we are right in there ... that,
nationally, we fit in with how most Catholics think.
From Associated Press, 11/2/90. "The Roman Catholic Church benefited
financially from the sale of birth control pills, according to a German
television report last night.
"Citing internal documents from the prosecutor's office in Milan, the
report said the Vatican Bank in the late 1960s held a majority of shares in
the Rome-based pharmaceutical firm Serono, which began producing birth
control pills in 1968.
"...the Vatican Bank by 1970 had sold its shares in Serono to a
Milan-based bank, which the report identified as Banca Unione. But the Vatican
Bank has 20% of the shares of (this bank), and so profited indirectly from
the sale of birth control pills."
ABSTINENCE IS NOT A PROPER FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL
by David Cloud
"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good
for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication,
let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her
own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due
benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife
hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also
the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time,
that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come
together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency."
(1 Corinthians 7:1-5)
If a couple decides family planning is God's will for them, the
question of method still must be answered. What about abstinence?
Some decide to abstain from sexual relations in order to avoid
conception. The New Testament does not allow such an
arrangement on a long-term basis. In I Corinthians 7 the Apostle
Paul says that one purpose for marriage is to protect men and
women from fornication. In marriage, couples are entirely free to
satisfy themselves. There is nothing unspiritual about relations
between marriage partners.
"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled... " (Hebrews
13:4)
"Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of
thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of
waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers'
with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of
thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her
breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with
her love." (Proverbs 5:15-19)
Abstinence within marriage is not good. It is dangerous! It is, in
fact, disobedience to God's Word. The Bible commands Christian
couples not to defraud one another sexually.
"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and
likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not authority
over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband
hath not authority over his body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one
the other ..." (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)
The husband is responsible to satisfy the wife's physical needs; she
is responsible to satisfy his. The only exception is for the purpose of
fasting and prayer, and this is only to be for a time--not a permanent
or long-range agreement, but a temporary one for special periods of
concentrated prayer. Any other abstinence brings increased danger
of Satan using the natural desires of the flesh to create situations of
temptation.
" ... except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give
yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that
Satan tempt you not for your incontinency [lack of self control]."
(1 Corinthians 7:5)
Thus, except for brief periods agreed upon by husband and wife for
prayer and fasting, abstinence is not to be used as a birth control
method.
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