Religion And Birth Control

There are many concepts nowadays that individuals argue over and disagree with each other on. Each individual forms their own opinions and beliefs that to them are the right viewpoint unlike everyone else’s whose differs from their own. This is mostly due to environmental influences when growing up that can be identified by parents, neighbors, lifestyle, and so on. Furthermore, when religion is brought into the mix, the situation often times becomes even more complicated. Religious views and governmental views often times differ and look at major problems in a different light. So, when observing the topic of contraceptive use, it is evident that religious and non religious parties are going to have separate ideals. However, even though the …show more content…
In order to understand the Catholic Church’s stance versus the science approach to contraceptive use, it is foremost important to understand the purpose of contraceptives. First, there are multiple forms of contraceptives, however, the two most common are birth control and condoms. Focusing on birth control, “the Pill was first approved in 1960, [and] birth control continues to work in only one of two ways: by preventing fertilization or by preventing ovulation” (Watkins, 2012, p. 1462). Birth control has changed and developed immensely over the years. A long time ago in AD 354-430, Augustine took a stance on birth control saying “it was gravely (a mortal sin) if married people had sex when they knew they could not have a child” (Kelly, Magill, ten-Have, 2013, p. 96). Therefore, he sided against the use of any form of contraceptive because intercourse was only meant for the purpose of procreation. However, by the 1930’s and leading up until then individuals were disagreeing with Augustine’s argument. Pope Pius XI announced to all individuals his opinion which was that there are other reasons for intercourse. One “of these secondary ends is now called ‘mutual love’(Kelly et al., 2013, p. 98). Intercourse can produce unity and mutual …show more content…
Additionally, “the costs associated with treating these preventable infections have soared in the United States” (Kao, Tsui-Sui Annie, Manczak, & Melissa, 2013, p. 61). So, not only are these effecting an individual’s health negatively, but it is also placing individuals in debt in order to pay for the treatments. Moreover, when on the topic of contraceptive usage, religion and science tend to take two opposite sides. The Catholic Church “has been opposed to the use of what it defines as ‘artificial contraception’, including the use of a condom, because it separates the two meanings of human intercourse: the so-called ‘unitive’ purpose from the reproductive one” (Benagiano et al., p. 701). Intercourse according the the Catholic Church serves the purpose of not only unity between the couple but also procreation. Furthermore, the Catholic Church and those who agree with this concept support their idea with the following