Posted on 05/25/2006 9:14:50 PM PDT by nrfcmedia
"Birth Control Is Selfish" ... The Message Society Doesn't Want To Hear
This past weekend graduates of Saint Thomas University were treated to a surprising speech by 21-year-old graduating student Ben Kessler. Some graduates walked out, many jeered, and others spewed profanities in response to his speech.
Just what did he speak of which caused such an outcry? The War in Iraq? Border control? NSA spying? None of the above.
So, what exactly did Mr. Kessler do wrong? He touched society's third rail: contraception. Mr. Kessler had the audacity to call the use of birth control "an act of selfishness."
One would have expected some encouraging applause from the audience, after all St. Thomas is a Catholic institution. The reality is that many of these Catholic students and family members are themselves using contraception, and Mr. Kessler confronted their lifestyle and the use of contraception.
Mr. Kessler dared to speak about this issue and people didn't want to hear his message. What happened to the exchange of ideas universities are famous for? Where were all of the supposed "open minds" at during this speech? Instead of listening to his speech with an open mind, it seems that they were too busy keeping themselves ignorant by jeering and ridiculing him.
Society has a lust affair with birth control to the point of not being able to think outside of the box. We live in a contraception "matrix" where it's impossible to believe that there are any harmful effects on marriage, society, and the health of women.
This "contraception deception" is the primary force behind the attacks against the contra-contraception message.
For the most part, society doesn't want to hear the message. This message is that, in our culture, contraception leads to increases in abortion, teenage sex, affairs (and subsequent divorce), health problems, and statutory rape. These facts are apparent by simply comparing statistics.
Why are people willfully preserving their ignorance? For the past century, people have lived in a society that endorses the practice of a contraceptive lifestyle of easy, commitment free, and on-demand sex without challenging them to question possible adverse effects.
Mr. Kessler could have spoke about the start of a career, the discernment of a vocation, the undertaking of new responsibilities, or many other subjects related to graduation. But hopefully his bold message will help to his classmates to question the force-fed information they have heard all their lives concerning human sexuality and contraception and arrive at a more natural, healthier view of human sexuality.
The contraception debate is long overdue, and it is people like Mr. Kessler who are breaking down the walls of ignorance, selfishness, and deception. Society may be resistant to this message, but over time the truth will prevail.
'Social sciences' changes according to time and place. In the past, reducing (or at least limiting) number of population was seen as condition for development for 2 reasons: (1) there would be less people to be fed, and (2) people would go for quality. But, more recently the demographers and other social scientists start to see the impact of low birth rates (or negative population growth) in developed countries, so they are trying to find ways to increase the growth. So far, what they come up with is offering a generous benefit for family. However, most develop countries do not want to 'discriminate' their population, so in many cases, those immigrants, etc., are the ones who reap the benefits.
Only to somebody who thinks a 21-year old is wise.
Oh that's fine*. Unfortunately, it's not what youn posted.
*of course, you are assuming that everyone wants children.
"WHY not? It was a Catholic College.....and the next step for these graduates are ..... jobs....and FAMILIES.....IF they choose the best path."
The graduation belonged to all the graduates and their families...not just to this one man.
The fact that he is right about this particular topic does not give him the right to hijack everyone's graduation ceremony.
Like the newly-ordained priest I heard several years ago who, on the occasion of preaching to a First Communion class, spent the entire homily yelling at the parents about abortion.
His pastor (whom I know well) told him to never preach about abortion again, or he'd be forbidden from preaching.
You medant the kind of priest who actually tells his congrehation that birth control is morally wrong? Well, your're right. Haven't heard that from any priests in the Fort Worth diocese.
I'll bet all who attended will REMEMBER THIS SPEECH....any other speech given would have been forgotten within a month.
I think Teddy had six kids, right?
"At a Catholic university? It most certainly is. If it made some people feel uncomfortable, too darn bad.
"
So, because it is a catholic university then all bets are off?
Maybe next years speaker can give us the juicy details about when oral sex is acceptable and when it isn't.
Afterall...catholic theologians have weighed in on this so it should be fair game right?
or...maybe there are certain speeches that are better left for venues other than a graduation ceremony where the focus should be on the graduates.
Perhaps he should have spoken of the Trinitarian progression. There are hundreds of years of wisdom on that topic as well, and it would have been similarly received.
Fair enough post, but the comments made by the speaker are not in tune with Catholic lay thinking, is what I was suggesting. This near atheist thinks the comments have hectoring ring, that one size fits all, which is neither moral or wise, but obviously my point of view is irrelevant as to the internecine debate.
Now that is a conservative argument.
I concede the point and salute you.
Soooo....the students at this Catholic Univ. should just have an entertaining speech....wouldn't want to "offend." That's so MTV....
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