THE EMERGENCE OF CONTRACEPTION (The Hydra-headed problem) AND THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH (continued)
Before we continue our discussion on contraception dear Friends, let us ponder for a moment:
If truly contraception was wrong from the beginning of Christianity until 1930 when the Anglican Church accepted it, what really changed? Does the truth ever change? Does it depend on what is in vogue like fashion?
Consider also the allowances made by the Anglican Church for the use of contraception – (the pills only (tablets) and for married couples alone). Today is contraception limited to the pills? Is it married couples alone that are into contraception?
Let us now continue our discussion looking closely at what has become known today as the predictions or “prophesies” made by Pope Paul VI in HUMANAE VITAE guided by Dr. Janet Smith. I would hope that by now you have taken a little time to read the document as was encouraged last week! And if you have not, please do make the effort. You will be glad you did.
The Pope in Humanae Vitae “prophesied” that marriages and society would suffer if the use of contraception became widespread. Now many spouses, as well as those who are unmarried, use some form of contraception.
To be sure, the encyclical was not written to be a prophetic document. Rather, it was written to be a clarifying document, intending to explain what the Church teaches about contraception. The encyclical does present this teaching clearly, but it has been little heeded. Statistics show that few Catholics live by these teachings, and it seems safe to suppose that fewer Catholics have even read Humanae Vitae.
Christians understand marriage as an elevated calling, whereby God enlists spouses in the all-important enterprise of bringing forth new human life. The Church teaches that to use contraception is to reject God and his life-giving blessings. The Church teaches not merely that contraception is wrong, but that because contraception is wrong, it will have bad consequences.
Pope Paul VI made four rather general “prophecies” about what would happen if the Church’s teaching on contraception were ignored.
These prophesies are:
- Irresponsibility will be “rewarded”
- There will be Loss of Respect for Women
- Abuse of Power by governments and civil authorities regarding family matters
- Pope Paul’s final warning was that contraception would lead man to think that he had unlimited dominion over his own body. ‘
In <Humanae Vitae> the Pope also made some positive predictions and we discuss those in due course. It is pertinent now to ask after 50 years plus, … Have these prophecies/predictions come true? Keep a date with Family Forum and discover for yourself the answer to this pertinent question!
