Humanae Vitae Expounded 1

Contraception and Cultural Chaos — Part 1 of 6

By Christopher West
July 21, 2008

This July 25th marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most controversial papal documents in history: Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae which reaffirmed the traditional Christian teaching on the immorality of contraception. If you have wrestled with this teaching, believe me, I can relate. Years ago I almost left the Church over it. Forty years of perspective provide an opportunity to take another look. That’s what I’ll be doing in [the next] several columns.

You may have noticed above that I said “traditional Christian teaching” on contraception. Only in the last 50-70 years has this been viewed primarily as a “Catholic” issue. Until 1930, all Christian bodies stood together in their condemnation of any attempt to sterilize the marital act. That year, the Anglican Church broke with more than nineteen hundred years of uninterrupted Christian teaching. When the pill debuted in the early 1960’s, the Catholic Church alone was retaining what in 30 short years had come to be seen as an archaic, even absurd position.

One way to begin understanding the Church’s stance is by “judging the tree by its fruit.” This is what first made me realize that contraception was a much more important issue than I had realized.

When Margaret Sanger and her followers started pushing contraception in the early 1900’s, wise men and women — and certainly not just Catholics — predicted that severing sex from procreation would eventually lead to sexual and societal chaos. Today’s culture of adultery, divorce, premarital sex, STD’s, out-of-wedlock births, abortion, fatherless children, homosexuality, poverty, crime, drugs, and violence was all foreseen.

What’s the connection with contraception? While today’s societal chaos is certainly complex, the following demonstrates the “inner logic” of contraception’s contribution. People are often tempted to do things they shouldn’t do. Deterrents within nature itself and within society help to curb these temptations and maintain order. For example, what would happen to the crime rate in a given society if jail terms suddenly ceased?

Apply the same logic to sex. People throughout history have been tempted to commit adultery. It’s nothing new. However, one of the main deterrents from succumbing to the temptation has been the fear of pregnancy. What would happen if this natural deterrent were taken away? As history demonstrates, rates of adultery would skyrocket. What’s one of the main causes of divorce? Adultery. Apply the same logic to pre-marital sex. Such behavior has, indeed, skyrocketed. Premarital sex, as a kind of “adultery in advance,” is also a prime indicator of future marital breakdown.

It gets worse. Since no method of contraception is 100% effective, an increase in adultery and pre-marital sex will inevitably lead to an increase in “unwanted pregnancies.” What’s next? So many people think contraception is the solution to the abortion problem. Take a deeper look and you’ll see that that’s like throwing gasoline on a fire to try to put it out. In the final analysis, there is only one reason we have abortion — because men and women are having sex without being “open to life.” If this mentality is at the root of abortion, contraception does nothing but foster and afford this mentality.

Not everyone will resort to abortion of course. Some will choose adoption. Other mothers (most) will raise these children by themselves. Hence the number of children who grow up without a father (which has already been increased by the rise in divorce) will be compounded. And a culture of “fatherless” children inevitably becomes a culture of poverty, crime, drugs, and violence. All of these social ills compound exponentially from generation to generation since “fatherless” children are also much more likely to have out-of-wedlock births and, if they marry at all, divorce.

What about homosexuality? Our culture is impotent to resist the “gay agenda” because we have already accepted its basic premise with contraception — the reduction of sex to the exchange of pleasure. When openness to life is no longer an intrinsic part of the sexual equation, why does sexual behavior have to be with the opposite sex?

Forty years after the release of Humanae Vitae, many people are beginning to see that the Church might not be crazy after all.

Greening Our Home One Step at a Time

Over the last few months Phillip and I have been in the process of greening our now home. This transformation began with a container garden at my apartment, consisting of a couple of bell pepper plants and an assortment of essential kitchen herbs. It has now been expanded to include cilantro, corn, and spinach using 5 gallon buckets as planters. Upon the purchase of land we will no longer have to utilize such containers and will have the space and be able to diversify the crops and multiply production exponentially.

Our second step was Phillip requesting the use of wind power through his electric provider when he moved into our current home. This is just a temporary adjustment until we have the land to install our own power producing wind turbines and solar panels if more power is required. There are even smaller versions available for instillation in residential areas. At this time, supply via our electric company was the only acceptable choice for our landless situation.

Our third and most recently step was the installment of our, 7 day a week, 3 time period a day, programmable thermostat. Phillip's research and calculations found that by utilizing the 3 time periods and setting the temperatures accordingly, our average savings is 20% a month. Our specific model only cost $30, which we thought was more than reasonable for both the environmental and economic benefits. More information on picking the right thermostat, suggested temperatures and more general information can be found at the Energy Star website.
I encourage everyone to do their due diligence and find the thermostat that fits their family the best, $30 is a small price to pay as we attempt to be good stewards of the Planet that God gave us.

How Can These Still Be Legal?

After viewing this video I find it difficult to accept the use of these medications for the current indications they are prescribed before concerning the curse of Eve and female ailments. I wish there was more emphasis placed on the alternative treatments of these conditions so the afflicted woman's health was not put in jeopardy. See here for and earlier discussion on the subject.

Benedict XVI to US Women

Pope's Message to US Women

By Miriam Díez i Bosch
5/7/2008

Zenit News Agency

President of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations summarizes the Holy Father's Message to Women of the United States.

ROME, Italy (Zenit) - Benedict XVI's zealous promotion of human rights during his trip to the United States has direct consequences for women, says the president of a Catholic women's group.

Karen Hurley is the president of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, which aims to promote the presence, participation and co-responsibility of Catholic women in society and Church.

In this interview with ZENIT, Hurley gives a review of the Pope's trip to the United States last month, and explains why his trip brought such a positive reaction.

Q: What is your personal impression of Benedict XVI's apostolic visit to the United States?

Hurley: We are still basking in the glow of the apostolic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the USA. For me it was such a joy to have our Holy Father visit my homeland.

Through my service in the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, I have been blessed to be able to greet both Pope John Paul II as well as Pope Benedict XVI, both in Rome and at Castel Gandolfo. But most Americans only see our Holy Father from a distance through the media. People traveled from every state to Washington, D.C., and New York City to catch a glimpse of our Holy Father in person.

There was such elation, as well as deep abiding peace, when one saw the Pope. People clutching cameras forgot to take photographs because they were smiling and waving at the Pope.

Stadiums packed with worshippers were hushed with silence so all could hear each and every word spoken by our Holy Father.

Beginning on the sunny afternoon our Holy Father stepped off Shepherd One and was welcomed by President Bush until six days and nights later as the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Sambi, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney stood on the airport runway waving good-bye, the spiritual and emotional connections deepened.

There was a tremendous witness of faith, a greater conviction that Christ is our hope, and an outpouring of love on the part of all whose lives were touched by this visit.

Q: The Pope himself has confessed he learned a lot about you, American Catholics. Is this encouraging for you?

Hurley: Yes, this is very encouraging because I believe our Holy Father found Americans who are committed to professing and living our Catholic faith in the midst of secular cultural influences.

Pope Benedict's words reflected his knowledge of the history of our nation, but also his awareness of the challenges and opportunities that face us in the present day.

The Holy Father, in his quiet, caring manner, was able to "meet people where they are": clergy and vowed religious, laity, women and men, young people, children with disabilities, representatives of other religions, and, quite poignantly, survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

In Pope Benedict's own words, he came as "a friend, a preacher of the Gospel." But he certainly spent his time listening, as well as preaching, learning as well as educating, and praying as well as being a sign of Christ's healing and peace to all whose lives he touched.

Americans also learned a lot about Pope Benedict XVI whom they compare to his predecessor, beloved John Paul II.

Clearly they are two different personalities with unique gifts which the Lord has called forth in his service.

Any earlier misperceptions held by some Americans of Cardinal Ratzinger in his previous role as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith were shattered by this personal encounter with a compassionate Pope Benedict XVI who pastorally enunciated the truths of our faith.

Q: Is there a special message for the mission of women that you could learn from this papal trip?

Hurley: Our Holy Father spoke clearly of the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. His words resonate particularly during this 20th anniversary year of Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter, “Mulieris Dignitatem," On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.

Referring to the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the role of the United States of America in the international community, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged efforts to build "a world where the God-given dignity and rights of every man, woman and child are cherished, protected and effectively advanced."

For the members of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations, this encompasses our mission to work for human rights beginning with the fundamental right to life, the education of women and girls, caring for the poor, the sick and the stranger, and advocating for justice based on God's moral law.

Before his election, then-Cardinal Ratzinger wrote in the “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and in the World":

“It is women, in the end, who even in very desperate situations, as attested by history past and present, possess a singular capacity to persevere in adversity, to keep life going even in extreme situations, to hold tenaciously to the future, and finally to remember with tears the value of every human life."

Our Holy Father reminded all men and women of our God-given dignity. A reality of the dignity of women is a "capacity for the other," which elicits life and contributes to the growth and protection of all those entrusted to our care.

Q: Everybody seems happy about this visit. Why has it been so important at this particular moment in history?

Hurley: So many people are searching for meaning and purpose in their lives.

Others may have grown lukewarm in their faith. Still others were actively seeking a more intimate union with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Pope Benedict came to the United States of America to preach the Gospel message, "Christ our Hope." This was the message people of all ages and stages of life needed to hear and to respond to.

Our Holy Father's visit presented a unique opportunity for all people of good will to experience a personal encounter with the Lord; an encounter which impels one to share the good news with others, like the Samaritan woman at the well.

Indeed, people are now sharing their faith, hope and love with renewed fervor.

With the grace of God, the fruits of this visit will continue to flourish for years to come as the seeds that were planted begin to grow.

Benedict XVI on Marriage

New compendium examines Pope Benedict’s teachings on marriage

Catholic News Agency

Washington DC, Apr 15, 2008 / 11:44 pm (CNA).- A report examining Pope Benedict XVI’s writings on marriage has just been released.“Pope Benedict XVI on Marriage: A Compendium,” has been published by the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and released on the eve of Pope Benedict’s first papal visit to the United States.

The compendium collects and analyzes the Pope’s public remarks about marriage over the first three years of his pontificate. According to the analysis, the Pope has spoken publicly about marriage on 111 occasions, often connecting marriage to wider themes such as human rights, world peace, and the dialogue between faith and reason.

He has called the family the “fundamental nucleus of society” and the “primary agency of peace,” while urging people to end the “growing crisis of the family.”

"Over and over again he has made it clear that the marriage and family debate is central--not peripheral--to understanding the human person, and defending our human dignity," said Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy.

The report cites many instances where the Pope has spoken on marriage. On September 27, 2007, Pope Benedict addressed participants in a conference of the Executive Committee of Centrist Democratic International. In his address, he connected the crisis of the family to philosophical skepticism: “There are those who maintain that human reason is incapable of grasping the truth, and therefore of pursuing the good that corresponds to personal dignity. There are some who believe that it is legitimate to destroy human life in its earliest or final stages. Equally troubling is the growing crisis of the family, which is the fundamental nucleus of society based on the indissoluble bond of marriage between a man and a woman. Experience has shown that when the truth about man is subverted or the foundation of the family undermined, peace itself is threatened and the rule of law is compromised, leading inevitably to forms of injustice and violence.”

Pope Benedict also devoted a large part of his message for the World Day of Peace on January 1 to examining the role of marriage in developing a culture of peace and openness to life, saying: “Consequently, whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community, national and international, since he weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace.” “This point merits special reflection: everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace.”

When receiving the credentials of the new U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, Harvard Law Professor Mary Ann Glendon, Pope Benedict connected American efforts to safeguard marriage and the family to what he called “the American people’s historic appreciation of the role of religion in shaping public discourse and in shedding light on the inherent moral dimension of social issues.” This role, Pope Benedict said, was at times disputed “in the name of a straitened understanding of political life and public discourse.”

However, he thought the role religion played in American life reflected many Americans’ view of interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a “positive force for peacemaking.”

Maggie Gallagher summarized the report’s interpretation of Pope Benedict’s writings on marriage, saying, "The short pontificate of Benedict XVI is already a standing rebuke to those voices of our time who seek to make us ashamed or embarrassed of caring about marriage and sexual issues, who try to get us to view the contemporary marriage debate as merely a distraction from more important issues." "Pope Benedict clearly connects life and marriage, the human person in the human family, with the most fundamental international issues of peace and human rights facing our times."

The full report can be viewed at www.marriagedebate.com .