Y’all break my heart with this meanness. It appears that we all agree that abortion is wrong.
Some of you are long time FRiends. Those of you who know me know that ethics is my avocation and that pro-life medical ethics are my passion.
As I’ve said before on these contraception threads and on the (un)Christian debate threads, what a shame to instigate this fight. I hate to see the immediate personal attacks and fail to understand why this happens over and over.
Yes, there is evidence that abortion is related to an increased risk of breast cancer. Delayed pregnancy and/or no pregnancy is also connected. Breast cancer was once referred to as the “nun’s disease.” (It has nothing to do with “pre-milk.”)
Yes, eugenicists and atheists have worked to devalue families and the helpless at either end of life, it is true.
However, contraception and/or childlessness whether due to infertility, abstinence or responsible contraception (including natural family planning) do not equal abortion or a lack of respect for human dignity.
I disagree.
Natural Family Planning is really the only acceptable method of “birth control” that I can see. Oral contraceptives & IUDs are abortifacients. Unacceptable whether married or unmarried. Unacceptable.
You wrote:
“Those of you who know me know that ethics is my avocation and that pro-life medical ethics are my passion.”
Your passion is lackluster if you support what is unethical and anti-life. Contraception is both.
“However, contraception and/or childlessness whether due to infertility, abstinence or responsible contraception (including natural family planning) do not equal abortion or a lack of respect for human dignity.”
Let me ask you something. When you put a bike together, do you believe that it is important to follow the instructions listed, or would you prefer to simply figure things out on your own and do the best you can?
Do you believe that there is a moral jusitification for choosing one approach over the other?
We Catholics have reflected on what we called the contraceptive mentality and its effects on a society. Those effects are, we believed, profoundly pessimistic. The society that ceases to treasure the future is doomed to die. Gibbons condemned the spread of monasticism in the late Roman empire, because it did not treasure civilization. But the monks.paradoxically, became the great missionaries not only of Christianity but of Roman civilization. I don’t see that German has a mission, except to enjoy and draw out their lives as long as possible,so long as it is in comfort.
However, contraception and/or childlessness whether due to infertility, abstinence or responsible contraception (including natural family planning) do not equal abortion or a lack of respect for human dignity.
If you don't know that some oral contraceptives are abortifacient, then your "passion" is very superficial.