Dominic Davis
Mr. Dan Stout
The 330/Block 5
8 May 2017
Contraception and the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church teaching on the use of contraception is inappropriate, unjust, and immoral. Contraception, also known as birth control, is a method or device used to prevent pregnancy. Methods of contraceptives range from sterilization techniques such as vasectomies, tubal ligation, implantable birth control, hormone based methods such as oral pills, vaginal rings, patches, all the way to the simple physical barriers such as the more common birth control sponges and condom. The Church teaches that the use of contraception is immoral and that it is an attack on one’s human dignity, however, this strategy in fighting against the use of contraception …show more content…
Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).” Additionally, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states the following on contraception, “Contraception and sterilization are not neutral medicine. They work against the natural gift of fertility, treating pregnancy as if it were a disease and fertility as if it were a pathological condition… Contraception should not be considered part of preventive health care because pregnancy is not a disease… To pose contraception as “basic health care” treats a woman’s fertility as an unwelcome aspect of who she is as a woman. It also undermines a basic principle of real health care, which has a responsibility to affirm how a healthy body functions, always treating it with respect and reverence because it is integral to who we are.” In our book for class, “Living and Loving as Disciples of Christ” it has a chapter which talks about the sixth commandment which is “You shall not commit adultery.” According to our book, the use of contraception goes directly against the sixth commandment because it is thought that when one is using artificial birth control, they are not fully giving themselves to their partner. The sixth commandment’s purpose is to protect the integrity of marital sexual relations and the Church believes contraception in any form damages the integrity of such a relationship. Despite the overwhelmingly practical and logical implications of contraception such as condoms, the Church still maintains that it is a morally unjustifiable
Mr. Dan Stout
The 330/Block 5
8 May 2017
Contraception and the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church teaching on the use of contraception is inappropriate, unjust, and immoral. Contraception, also known as birth control, is a method or device used to prevent pregnancy. Methods of contraceptives range from sterilization techniques such as vasectomies, tubal ligation, implantable birth control, hormone based methods such as oral pills, vaginal rings, patches, all the way to the simple physical barriers such as the more common birth control sponges and condom. The Church teaches that the use of contraception is immoral and that it is an attack on one’s human dignity, however, this strategy in fighting against the use of contraception …show more content…
Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).” Additionally, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states the following on contraception, “Contraception and sterilization are not neutral medicine. They work against the natural gift of fertility, treating pregnancy as if it were a disease and fertility as if it were a pathological condition… Contraception should not be considered part of preventive health care because pregnancy is not a disease… To pose contraception as “basic health care” treats a woman’s fertility as an unwelcome aspect of who she is as a woman. It also undermines a basic principle of real health care, which has a responsibility to affirm how a healthy body functions, always treating it with respect and reverence because it is integral to who we are.” In our book for class, “Living and Loving as Disciples of Christ” it has a chapter which talks about the sixth commandment which is “You shall not commit adultery.” According to our book, the use of contraception goes directly against the sixth commandment because it is thought that when one is using artificial birth control, they are not fully giving themselves to their partner. The sixth commandment’s purpose is to protect the integrity of marital sexual relations and the Church believes contraception in any form damages the integrity of such a relationship. Despite the overwhelmingly practical and logical implications of contraception such as condoms, the Church still maintains that it is a morally unjustifiable