Contraception: A Moral Issue? Natalie Vallee

Presented to a Grade 11 Religious Education Class.

Contraception: What is it? The intentional prevention of fertilization of an ovum, as by special devices, drugs, surgical procedures, or sexual practices.

What is a Moral Issue? A moral issue is something that involves a difference of belief and not a matter of preference… So, why is Contraception a Moral Issue? Contraception is a preference for sexual intercourse Catholic Church has a difference in belief to the preference of Contraception.

The Belief of the Catholic Church The act of sexual intercourse has two functions in a marriage: 1. Unitive – the couple become one flesh 2. Procreative – the sexual act creates the possibility of conception.

In Catholic thinking… In Catholic thinking, these two functions cannot be separated, and therefore each act of sexual intercourse must be open to the possibility of new life. The avoidance of contraception is viewed as allowing God to decide whether or not conception will take place.

“Avoidance of Contraception”  The Catholic Church considers all artificial methods of contraception which intentionally prevent conception as wrong or a mortal sin.  Contraceptive Pill  Condoms  IUD – Intrauterine Device  Medical Procedure ex. Vasectomy  Sterilization

Contraception as a Mortal Sinful  A Mortal Sin is an action that is a result of a conscious decision to separate from or turn one's back to God.  In using contraception you are placing something in between your relationship with God and therefore a deliberate sin is committed within the Catholic Church.

So… If artificial contraception is a Mortal Sin, then what can be used by a married couple in order to become one flesh in the marriage bond? Remember: The Catholic Church considers intercourse as a bond for married individuals. Sex before marriage is also a Mortal Sin!

Natural Family Planning  Natural Family Planning is a method where intercourse is avoided on the days when a woman is at the most fertile phase of her menstrual cycle.  Natural Family Planning (or Fertility Awareness) are also methods that couples can use to increase their chances of conceiving - - depending on how they are used.

Contraception vs. Conception  Predict ovulation to avoid sexual intercourse.  Tracking ovulation should be taught and should not be depended on unless couple is trained properly.  Predict ovulation to arrange to have sperm, present in a woman’s reproductive tract at about that time of ovulation.

Methods of Natural Family Planning  Calendar Method  The Basal Body Temperature Method (BBT)  Billings Ovulation Method

Catholic Thought on Contraception…

Scripture: Gen 1:28, 9:1,7; 35:11 - from the beginning, the Lord commands us to be fruitful ("fertile") and multiply. A husband and wife fulfill God's plan for marriage in the bringing forth of new life, for God is life itself.

Gen. 28:3 - Isaac's prayer over Jacob shows that fertility and procreation are considered blessings from God. Gen. 38: Onan is killed by God for practicing contraception (in this case, withdrawal) and spilling his semen on the ground.

Tradition / Church Fathers "To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature." Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor of Children 2:10:95:3 (A.D. 191).

"[Some] complain of the scantiness of their means, and allege that they have not enough for bringing up more children, as though, in truth, their means were in [their] power... or God did not daily make the rich poor and the poor rich. Wherefore, if any one on any account of poverty shall be unable to bring up children, it is better to abstain from relations with his wife." Lactantius, Divine Institutes 6:20 (A.D. 307). "God gave us eyes not to see and desire pleasure, but to see acts to be performed for the needs of life; so too, the genital [’generating’] part of the body, as the name itself teaches, has been received by us for no other purpose than the generation of offspring.” Lactantius, Divine 6:23:18 (A.D. 307).

Humanae Vitae  Humanae Vitae is Latin for “Of Human Life” and it is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI.  An Encyclical was originally a letter sent to all of the churches in a specific area in the ancient Catholic Church.  The Humanae Vitae is subtitled “On the Regulation of Birth” and it deals with the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church regarding abortion, contraception and other issues that deal with human life.

"Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary." "Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation - whether as an end or as a means." Humanae Vitae

 Are both spouses guilty of a mortal sin if one chooses to use a contraceptive against the others will?  No. If a man decides to have a vasectomy against his wife’s will, she may still have sex with him and not be guilty. Likewise, if a woman is taking birth control pills against a husband’s wishes, he may still have sex with her and remain guilt free. Some Questions…

If a woman is using birth control for medical reasons other than preventing pregnancy, it is okay to have sex?  First of all the problem here is not with the idea of contraception but the reasoning or intention behind the use of contraception. If the use is for medical reasons and does not interfere with procreation then there is no sin, but if the purpose behind the contraception is to prevent pregnancy then sin is committed, it’s an issue addressed in Humanae Vitae.

If a man has a vasectomy, does he need to reverse the procedure before having sex again? If a man is truly sorry for having the operation and has gone to confession, he may have sex again without fear of committing a sin, but being truly sorry and “partially sorry” and separate feelings.

Questions?

Some Helpful Websites   abortion-article.html  pages.com/morality/fatal.asp  pages.com/morality/