Dear Holy Father: A Catholic’s Query on Contraception

One Peter Five ^ | April 6, 2018 | Brice Griffin

[ebb tide]

Still won’t answer, huh?

[af_vet_1981]

As I attempt to convince my Protestant brothers and sisters that the Catholic Church is the only defender of the sanctity of innocent life from fertilization until natural death, I ask you for clarification of your comments.

But some evangelical leaders, perhaps tired of explaining what happens in the murky hours between sex and conception, are no longer relying on this intricate biological argument to shoo their followers away from birth control. In a recent blog post, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, declared that evangelical acceptance of oral contraceptives happened “without any adequate theological reflection.” Evangelicals today, he wrote, are “indeed reconsidering contraception.” In Mohler’s view, contraception isn’t just problematic because it might cause abortion. Any attempt to artificially regulate fertility is at odds with a “pro-life” ethos.

Fifteen years ago, this position would have been unthinkable. But an about-face on contraception isn’t unprecedented; in fact, evangelicals’ growing doubt about birth control echoes their theological U-turn on abortion four decades ago.

It’s hard to imagine today that there was ever a moment when abortion wasn’t at the crux of evangelical political consciousness. In the late 1960s, when the pro-life movement was just beginning to coalesce, animosity toward abortion was left to the Catholics. Well-known evangelical leaders rejected the Catholic notion of fetal personhood wholesale. “I have always felt that it was only after a child was born and had a life separate from its mother that it became an individual person,” observed W.A. Criswell, then the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, in 1973.

Little more than a decade later, Criswell and others were leading the charge in an impassioned crusade against legal abortion, creating one of the first evangelical-Catholic coalitions in American political history. But birth control didn’t come along for the ride; it remained, until recently, a matter of Catholic concern. Could the same evangelical reversal be taking place today—this time, with contraception?

[ealgeone]

Waiting on you. I asked you first.

[boatbums]

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 or as a means, to render procreation impossible” (HV 14).

Could you explain how NFP (Natural Family Planning), which IS approved by the Roman Catholic church, doesn't fit under this? It is a conscious, planned method to avoid having sexual intercourse during the fertile time in the woman's cycle.

[ealgeone]

You do realize Roman Catholics are practicing birth control...right? Rhythm method....NFP....though ebb thinks they are the same.

http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-natural-family-planning

[FreshPrince]

NFP is NOT a type of contraception.

Contraception is the interception of conception as a result of intercourse.

NFP involves abstaining from intercourse itself. It is not sinful to abstain from sex if you dont want to conceive (when it is for legitimate reasons)

[Mom MD]

one (wrong) southern baptist does not speak for all protestants. Abortion has always been rejected as sinful in my church. And multiple examples have been given of RC leaders accepting abortion going back hundreds of years. So I suggest you remove the log in your own eye first. The RC church has no claim to primacy here....

[ealgeone]

>>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 or as a means, to render procreation impossible” (HV 14).<<

Could you explain how NFP (Natural Family Planning), which IS approved by the Roman Catholic church, doesn't fit under this? It is a conscious, planned method to avoid having sexual intercourse during the fertile time in the woman's cycle.

It's "OK" because the RCC says it's ok. They're parsing words like a Clinton does.

I'm sure Roman Catholics are also practicing other means of avoiding pregnancy such as withdrawal.

[ealgeone]

NFP is NOT a type of contraception. Contraception is the interception of conception as a result of intercourse. NFP involves abstaining from intercourse itself. It is not sinful to abstain from sex if you dont want to conceive (when it is for legitimate reasons)

You're splitting hairs...it's a form of birth control.

[ebb tide]

Still won’t answer, huh?

[ealgeone]

Amazing how the group that claims they never change have had differing positions on this topic over the years isn’t it?

[ealgeone]

Waiting on you, junior.

[Mom MD]

Seriously. Who determines legitimate reasons? NFP is one of many ways people try to prevent pregnancy period. Should every post menopausal woman abstain from sex since there is no possibility of pregnancy? What about those who have had hysterectomies? Those who are infertile from other reasons, chemotherapy etc...? Those all cause contraception. I guess it is like divorce, only the RC can decide if it is legitimate to abstain from sex or have sex with no possibility of conception? Just like the RC church is the only one that can decide if divorce was for good enough reasons that it will grant an annulment (get out of jail free card) to those it wishes? Whatever...

[ebb tide]

I’ve answered it.

You refuse to answer mine.

[ealgeone]

Show me.

[ealgeone]

They do love the word games don’t they?

[ealgeone]

Through the intercession of Our Lady, Jesus has given an answer to my family’s daily prayer that we be blessed with more children.

More false Roman Catholic teaching....Mary does not make intercession for us. She would have been wiser to give credit to the Holy Spirit who we do know constantly makes intercession for us. She should have appealed straight to Christ.

But as I have noted with the Roman Catholic...they have to funnel practically everything through Mary first.

If the writer is wrong on this, why take her opinion on anything else?

[ebb tide]

I’m done with your refusal to accept my answers.

Everybody knows the Catholic teaching on NFP.

So don’t expect me to address anymore questions from you. I recommend you bookmark this post, in case you wonder why I don’t respond to them anymore.

P.S. Neither you nor Mom MD have answered the question on what your “churches” teach about contraception.

[Mom MD]

If everyone knows it then Im glad you agree NFP is another form of contraception. Because that is what “everyone knows” but some refuse to admit.

[ealgeone]

I’m done with your refusal to accept my answers. Everybody knows the Catholic teaching on NFP. So don’t expect me to address anymore questions from you. I recommend you bookmark this post, in case you wonder why I don’t respond to them anymore. P.S. Neither you nor Mom MD have answered the question on what your “churches” teach about contraception.

Yet you've not posted anything.

But then again, why should I expect any insights from someone who doesn't know the difference between the rhythm method and NFP.

The RCC position on contraception is yet another parsing of the topic of birth control.

The RCC allows birth control methods which again...as boatbums notes would go against the RCC position in HV (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 or as a means, to render procreation impossible” (HV 14).)

Like divorce, the RCC has created a different understanding on the issue to get around the issue.

Honestly, ebb....just stick to bashing your pope...and sometimes your fellow Roman Catholics. It's what you do best.