Posted on 03/29/2009 3:25:06 PM PDT by stfassisi
God in His mercy allows evil that greater good may come as a result of the evil. He has allowed contraception to plague the modern world so that we may repent and return to our Father’s house.
I have deliberately stated the title of this conference in uncompromising language: “Either we stop contraception or we destroy the family.” This is a warning to all of us, married and single, the laity and the clergy, bishops, priests, deacons, and religious, parents and children.
Why do I say this? Because, in greater or less measure, it has been the infidelity of so many professed Catholics in every state of life, which has contributed to the disappearance of the family in once Christian cultures of the modern world.
My plan, therefore, is to cover several aspects of this historic subject. There will be a series of statements followed by clear explanations and then what I hope will be an uncompromising conclusion.
Since the Incarnation, Christianity is the Foundation of the Family.
Contraception undermines the Foundation of the Family.
To preserve the Family, Christianity must be restored in the modern world.
Since the Incarnation, Christianity is the Foundation of the Family It may seem strange to say that “Since the Incarnation, Christianity is the foundation of the family.”
What makes it sound strange is that the coming of Christ is so widely underestimated. When God became Man, He did more than die on the Cross to redeem a sinful world.
By His Incarnation, the God-man revealed to the whole human race such truths of faith and morality as had never been known before since the beginning of the world.
Among these truths which the Son of God revealed, the central truth was the truth of love.
That God is Love; the eternal Love of the Holy Trinity.
That out of love, God created man out of nothing.
That out of love, God gives us a free will to express our love for Him and thereby reach our heavenly destiny.
That out of love, God put other people into our lives, so that by loving them we might prove our love for Him.
That out of love, God became Man to die for us and gives us the privilege of dying to ourselves out of love for those whom He places into our lives. It was not coincidental but divinely ordained that, when God became Man, He became a member of a family.
It was divinely ordained that, the Incarnate God made monogamy binding on all His married followers; one man with one woman, faithful to each other in marital chastity until death.
It was divinely ordained that, Christ should have instituted the vocation of celibacy or consecrated chastity. Why? To show His married followers the power of divine grace in controlling the desires of the flesh.
It was not coincidental but divinely ordained that His followers would master even their disorderly thoughts and sexually perverse desires.
So far from taking back the Old Testament precept to, “Increase and multiply,” the Savior told His followers to, “Let the children come unto me, for to such belongs the Kingdom of God.” Indeed, we adults need children to inspire us to become as little ones in humility, and thus enter the Kingdom of heaven.
How, then, is Christianity the foundation of the family? It is the foundation of the family in teaching and providing grace for the practice of selfless love. Without love, the family either does not exist; or if it exists, it will be destroyed.
Contraception Undermines the Foundation of the Family Those who practice contraception can be militant in their claim that contraception does not undermine the foundation of the family.
They will give every conceivable reason for practicing artificial birth control:
the pressure of conformity to the practice of married people in today’s society.
the economic pressure of keeping up one’s standard of living with each additional child.
the social pressure of being told by other married people, “What, another child?” as though the pregnancy of a wife was something out of order, or motherhood a liability on society.
the political system of a nation, which discourages larger families and penalizes those who have children. In Russia, during the 70 years of Communist occupation, the average number of abortions each year was 16 million, and houses were built like prison cells, to house no more than two children per couple. Now in Red China, the law forbids a woman having more than one child.
the social structure of a nation, which favors feminism, discourages women from having children so they can be “productive for the people”. Thus in our country, the majority of employed persons in every sector of business and industry. This works havoc with even wanting a family. It encourages late marriages with their high percentage of sterility. At the root of these factors, which undermine the family, is the contraceptive mentality.
In order to bring out in stark contrast, the teaching of Christ on selfless charity and the selfish philosophy of the contraceptive mentality, it will be worth looking at each with absolute frankness and sincerity.
The Teaching of Christ. The words of God became Man could not be plainer:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
“Greater love than this has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).
“These things I command you, that you have love for one another.” (John 15:17). By this, He tells us, shall all men know that we are Christ’s disciples, if we have love for one another.
So literally did the early Christians take Christ’s teaching that this selfless love which they had for one another was the single principal reason for the marvelous conversion of so many pagans to Christianity.
One thing should be added, however, the selfless love of the early Christians was especially manifest in their strong family life.
Do I say strong family life? There was no family life until Christianity began to convert the Roman Empire.
As Christianity took root, not only contraception disappeared among the followers of Christ, but abortion, and divorce, and infanticide.
The verdict of history is absolutely clear. As Christianity, true, honest-to- Christ Christianity takes root among a people, contraception and its allied evils are removed.
Why? Because, as Christ tells us, there can be no compromise between Him and the world. We either accept Him and reject the contraceptive selfishness of the world; or we give in to the seductions of the world and write books defending contraception as just another moral option. For anyone who really believes in Jesus Christ, contraception is a mortal sin.
The Contraceptive Mentality. In contradiction to the teaching of Christ, the contraceptive mentality sees nothing wrong in artificial birth control.
Once Christianity was established in the Mediterranean world, the practice of contraception - along with abortion and infanticide - ceased among believing Christians. This for the best of reasons: because from the first century of Christianity, already by the year 90 A.D., contraception was denounced by the Church as a grave sin against God.
For the next 1,800 years, even among those separated from Rome, contraception was generally forbidden until the present century.
Then two things happened. A chemical means of preventing conception was discovered, and the Protestant Church of England approved contraception for its members.
Given the tremendous influence of Anglican Protestantism on Anglo-Saxons Catholics, before long many Catholics began to practice contraception.
By 1968, the situation became so grave that Pope Paul VI issued in July of that year his historic encyclical Humanae Vitae, condemning contraception.
This was right after the close of the Second Vatican Council. Dissenters from the Church’s teaching erroneously used the council to support the idea of bishops being independent of the Pope.
When Humanae Vitae was published, the bishop’s conferences of most countries throughout the world met to vote on the binding character of Humanae Vitae. About half the bishops supported the Pope, while another half did not. Among the countries whose bishops left contraception open to the consciences of the people were the United States, Canada, France and Germany.
Inevitably the faithful in large parts of the Catholic world were confused.
All of this is part of the history of what we are calling “the contraceptive mentality”.
As might have been expected, at the Cairo meeting of the United Nations, the agents of evil were almost unanimous in their claims that:
the world is becoming overpopulated.
the alleged underdeveloped countries must be kept from growing in numbers by contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The only world representative at Cairo to oppose this contraceptive-homicidal plot was the Vatican.
Christianity Must Be Restored All that we have said so far leads to a sobering conclusion. The propagation of Christ’s teaching in today’s world is imperative as never before.
What am I saying? I am saying that the day is gone when we can think of evangelization as something merely good. Oh no! Evangelization of the world, including our own American world, is a dire necessity.
God is not mocked. When He became Man, He did not leave us the pleasant option of either proclaiming His Gospel or not. He said, in the imperative mood, “Proclaim the Gospel to all nations … Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
With the spread of the contraceptive plague, and its murderous consequences, we see something more evil taking place in our day than ever before. We see whole nations losing their grip on sound morality, and even the rudiments of the natural law.
Whole countries are going morally insane and crazed in their ethical thinking, as seen in the irrational laws they make to bind their people contrary to the most elementary prescriptions of the living God.
In the early Church, Christianity was given a name that is all the more meaningful today.
“Christians,” it was said, “are the soul of the world.” In Latin, “Christiani sunt anima mundi.” So we are. And we had better wake up to our God-given responsibility.
What the human soul is to the body, giving it life and rational power, we Christians are to the world in which we live.
In a deeper sense than we can fathom, because it is a mystery, the world without Christianity is a cadaver.
That is why God became Man, as St. John tells us. He is the Light of the world. He is the Life of the world. He is the Truth, without whom the world is walking in darkness and the shadow of death.
But Christ tells us that we are to bring His light to the world. We are to provide His life for the world.
If we do, and in the measure that we do, we shall restore stability and peaceful unity not only to our families, but to our parishes and dioceses as well.
Where a person stands on contraception is a good test of his (or her) authenticity as a Catholic.
The reason, as we have seen, is that at the root of the evil of contraception is selfishness. But the foundation of Christianity is the love of others out of love for God.
I am almost finished, but not quite. All of us, young and old, bishops, priests, clerics, religious and the laity have one basic obligation in life: to grow in the likeness of Christ by following His example of selfless charity.
But selfless charity is impossible without the Cross. Love and pain go together as condition and consequence. If I really love someone, including the unborn children that I can bring into the world, I am willing to pay the price of my love, which is pain.
That is why, over the years, I have come to define paganism as “Christianity without the Cross.”
We are truly followers of Christ, as genuine disciples of His Gospel, as really in love with Him - as we love the Crosses He puts into our lives, which generally have people’s names!
Prayer Lord Jesus, teach us the hardest lesson in life we have to learn, to love others as you have loved us. This means that we accept suffering for others, even as you chose to suffer for us.
If we live, in this way, dear Jesus, we shall expiate the crimes of abortion and infanticide, whose roots are selfish contraception. We shall obtain for families the graces they need to live together in stable harmony and peaceful love. All of this we ask through your Mother, the Mother of the Holy Family and the spiritual Mother of the human family. Amen.
Vatican and Italian government criticize sale of RU 486 in Italy
New Condom Ads Target Catholics, Latinos
St. Padre Pio, Humanae Vitae, and Mandatory Abortion
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part Two [Open]
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part One [Open]
Humanae Vitae and True Sexual Freedom — Part 6 of 6 [Open]
Contraception v. Natural Family Planning — Part 5 of 6 [Open]
Sex Speaks: True and False Prophets — Part 4 of 6 [Open]
Contraception and the Language of the Body — Part 3 of 6 [Open]
Does Contraception Foster Love? — Part 2 of 6 [Open]
Contraception and Cultural Chaos — Part 1 of 6 [Open]
Priests still suffering from effects of Humanae Vitae dissenters, Vatican cardinal says (Must read!)
"Provoking reflection" (Contrasting views on Humanae Vitae)
Humanae Vitae The Year of the Peirasmòs - 1968
Catholics to Pope: Lift the Birth Control Ban
[OPEN] The Vindication of Humanae Vitae
Catholic Clergy Challenge Colleagues to Reacquaint Themselves and Their People with Humanae Vitae
White House proposes wide "conscience clause" on abortion, contraception
THE EX CATHEDRA STATUS OF THE ENCYCLICAL "HUMANAE VITAE" [Catholic Caucus]
“A degrading poison that withers life”
Australia Study: 70 Percent of Women Seeking Abortions Used Contraception
[Fr. Thomas Euteneuer] In Persona Christi: The Priest and Contraception
A Challenging Truth, Part Two: The Day the Birth Control Died
A Challenging Truth, Part One: How Birth Control Works
Ten Challenges for the Pro-Life Movement in 2008
The concept of the "intrinsically evil"
Pope Tells Pharmacists Not to Dispense Drugs With 'Immoral Purposes'
Massive Study Finds the Pill Significantly Increases Cancer Risk if Used more than Eight Years
Birth Control Pill Creates Blood Clot Causing Death of Irish Woman
Seminarians Bring Church’s Teaching on Contraception, Sexuality to YouTube
Abortion and Contraception: Old Lies
History of Catholic teaching on Contraception
Pope: Legislation "Supporting Contraception and Abortion is Threatening the Future of Peoples"
Contraception: Why It's Wrong
On Fox News Fearless HLI Priest Takes on Sean Hannity (may be indebted for saving his soul)
VIDEO - SEAN HANNITY vs REV. THOMAS EUTENEUER (must see!)
The Early Church Fathers on Contraception - Catholic/Orthodox Caucus
Pope on divine love vs. erotic love
Conjugal Love and Procreation: God's Design
Being fruitful [Evangelicals and contraception]
Contraception does not cause meaningless sex. PEOPLE cause meaningless sex.
NFP — It Ain’t Your Momma’s Rhythm
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part Two [Open]
Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part One [Open]
Contraception v. Natural Family Planning — Part 5 of 6 [Open]
Journey to the Truth (Natural Family Planning) [Open]
Enslaving Women One Pill at a Time (Birth Control Pills and Natural Family Planning)
New Study Shows Natural Family Planning Technique More “Effective” Than Contraception
Fargo) Diocese set to require pre-marriage course in natural family planning
Making Babies: A Very Different Look at Natural Family Planning
Clerical Contraception (Important Read! By Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer)
(Fargo) Diocese set to require pre-marriage course in natural family planning
Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, July 25, 2004
IS NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING A 'HERESY'? (Trads, please take note)
Thanks Doc: More (and Younger) Doctors Support Natural Family Planning
Couple say Natural Family Planning strengthens marriage
Reflections: Natural family planning vs sexism
British Medical Journal: Natural Family Planning= Effective Birth Control Supported by Catholic Chrch
Natural Family Planning
Did what does contraception cause?
No conception..............that’s painful to a couple who wants to have childre.
sfa, probably the greatest mistake the Vatican made since WWII, and maybe since Vatican I, was Humanae Vitae. The Laos tou Theou have resoundingly rejected it, yet it continues to be taught as dogma. In the pre Schism Church, that rejection would have meant the end of any pretense that Humanae Vitae taught true dogma. The wisdom of that ecclesiology and praxis is demonstrated by the almost complete loss of credibility the Magisterium has suffered since the 1960s. The people simply don’t buy it, sfa and sadly, that has lead to a disregard of almost all the teachings of the Western Church.
You should know that in Orthodoxy, matters of family planning by non abortifacient contraception are left to the couple in prayerful consultation with their spiritual father. In this manner the decision to use or not use contraception is informed by The Faith. I’ll bet there isn’t one Orthodox Christian in a million who disagrees with that, preferring rather the Latin prohibition.
Humanae Vitae was ill considered. It was a bad choice and the ramifications of that bad choice are, sadly, plain to see.
Contraception is like leaving your car parked in front of a car thief's house with the keys in the ignition and not expecting your car to be stolen.
The motto is- that we don't tempt sin by making something easy for the sinner
Our Lord also said, “By their fruits, you shall know them.” The fruits of contraception and the contraceptive mentality are quite clear.
I disagree with the Orthodox on this because contraception is man's decision not to TRUST God through prayer alone.
In order for contraception to exist it must be offered to the secular world to allow mankind to promote promiscuous sex outside of marriage.
Well, Octomom and her enablers perverted the natural process, and that is quite clear.
“The fruits of contraception and the contraceptive mentality are quite clear.”
P, contraception has been around since before the Crucifixion. Are those fruits today different from what they were in the past? I suggest that they are not and what you believe to be the fruits of contraception are in fact the fruits of the self destruction of the credibility of the Magisterium by disregarding the evidence that the HS is saying no to Humanae Vitae. If I think Humanae Vitae is no dogma, then I might conclude that the priests preaching that it is are liars, at a minimum misinformed people who, given their celibacy, don’t understand. If they haven’t got it right on contraception, maybe they are wrong on abortion too, and the Real Presence, etc, etc until in the end people simply become Unitarian/Universalists who go to Mass a couple of times a year.
No, my comments *refute*, not reflect, an evil culture. My argument was that casual sex with multiple partners harms the process of marriage, having and raising children.
That much of the culture does not appreciate this fact is the problem. They will passionately defend casual sex with multiple partners, because they do not grasp that it will likely harm them and their eventual offspring.
In religious cultures that appreciate this fact, both parents and their children are stronger and healthier, because they do not waste their personal resources. Instead of having casual sex with multiple partners, they can have and raise more children in a monogamous relationship.
Yeah, that’s our problem. Not enough welfare mommas having babies.
Thank you for this ,Dear Friend!
From the article you gave me... When God allows one of His friends to suffer, He alone knows the value of it and the joy that can result. Conformity to Christ is the reward of those who humbly and joyfully accept His Cross
Effective contraception has only been around for the past 50 years or so.
Support your post with a biblical reference. Thanks.
You’re not seeing the forest from the trees. The main reason why they’re welfare moms in the first place is the government destroying the families by their “aid.”
Thanks for the clarification,dear friend.
Sorry about the misunderstanding
Where does this idea come from? Orthodox Christians are advised to pray and take counsel with their spiritual father. Is it the consultation with the sf that bothers you? I know that the Western Church's concept of God has, especially since the Reformation, diverged from that of the pre-Schism Church, but insisting that Ο ΩΝ wants to decide that Dick and Jane will make a baby on Tuesday night but not Thursday unless His ineffable purposes are frustrated by a condom seems just a bit over the top, sfa.
"In order for contraception to exist it must be offered to the secular world to allow mankind to promote promiscuous sex outside of marriage."
So? Don't Latin Church priests preach against promiscuity? Of course they do. Where they fall down is in giving communion to people who are publicly living in sin but breeding freely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.