Consequences of Artificial Birth Control

In conscience, I am duty-bound by love for God’s people to once again speak the truth regardless of consequence.  I would really much prefer not to, like the fleeing Jonah or the reluctant Jeremiah or the young Samuel, especially on difficult moral issues of the day, but my conscience tells me that my judgment before the awesome God of Love would be more severe if I do not open my mouth.  I asked the Lord to send someone else for this task, since there are still so many things in my life I need to sort out first, but He says to me speak my Word to my people since I have given you so many gifts and opportunities to live and teach my holy doctrines and to learn moral theology and that to whom much is given much will be expected.  

Pope Paul VI foresaw the consequences of artificial contraception in 1968: (1) A general lowering of morality; (2) the degradation and objectification of women; (3) an increase in marital infidelity; and (4) coercion by governments for manipulative population control.  We are seeing this last foreseeable consequence now with the President’s persecution of the Catholic Church in the U.S.  Not only in the U.S. but we are also seeing this play out in the Philippines, where our loving Father is King and Mary is Queen of the land, through the diabolical RH Bill.

The Church doesn’t teach that conception must occur after each marital act but rather that each marital act must be open to human life.  “Contraceptive sex” is not true sex but rather an act turned in on itself rather than the other.  As a great alternate that respects the moral law, Natural Family Planning is a wonderful gift to learn.  This is not Rhythm.  Let me repeat that: This is not Rhythm.  Oh, did I say that it’s not Rhythm?!  NFP as it is sometimes called is an exciting way for married couples to discover the beauty of the feminine body.  God is a genius in creating the female body, and married life is a great way to discover this together.

My sense is that many Catholics have been neutralized to speak in the public forum on this difficult issue, even if they were to agree with this.  I suspect this to be the case because I find that many Catholics are sincere in their faith and want to do what’s right even through weaknesses.  So other than educating the faithful with charity and mutual respect, I close here knowing that I can sleep in peace for having taught the Lord’s flock as it has been handed on to me and, by virtue of my baptismal call to evangelization, I hand on to you in season and out of season. 

God forgive me for my reluctance, weaknesses and cowardice like Peter, for fleeing at the sight of the wolves, and for leaving the lambs to fend off for themselves.  But may I and you and others given authority to teach the Faith say, in conscience, at the end of the day, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.