Posted on 12/13/2001 10:02:59 AM PST by Brian Kopp DPM
It seems to me the only debate left is whether the protestant capitulation to the contraception agenda, from 1930 to 1960, was "wisdom" or imprudence, an acceptance of "change" or the agent of change.
The legacy of widespread acceptance of the contraceptive mentality--sexual promiscuity, STD's, increased divorce, abortion--is already quite apparent.
Prior to 1930, contraception use was not widespread. In fact, it was quite rare, because it was considered a sin commensurate with adultery and homosexuality by the protestant forebears of this country.
The development of simple and highly-effective contraceptive methods is one of the all-time great medical/technological advances of human civilization. In the past women were always at the mercy of chance whenever they engaged in sexual intercourse, never knowing whether it would result in pregnancy and even possible death during childbirth. Especially given the prevalent attitudes of paternalistic societies (frequent arranged or forced marriages, no right to refuse intercourse with one's husband, etc.), most women had no control over how many children they would bear or when they would bear them. Now for the first time in all of human history, the female half of the human race is free of that biological straightjacket. Finally each woman is able to reliably plan her future and make her life choices as she sees fit, instead of being trapped in the often-unwanted role of a baby factory.
I often think how fortunate my daughter is to have grown up in this country and in this era of tremendous progress.
When I was a freshman at my Catholic High School I remember the Religion teacher trying to explain why the Church was against contraception. She said that, "Removing the possibility of pregnancy changes the designed nature of the sexual act and therefore interferes with G-d's plan." We all laughed at her becuase we didn't understand her point. She held firm. Time went by.
In 1990 I came to understand her point. I was listening to "Morning Edition" on NPR. They were doing a week-long series called "30 Years with The Pill." On one of those shows Bob Edwards pointed out that what The Pill had done, as no other method of birth control before it, was remove contraception from the sex act. You didn't have to be planning to have sex, and you didn't have to interrupt a passionate moment to go put on a barrier. The woman simply took a pill every morning whether she thought she might have sex or not. Contraception had been dis-connected from sex.
That Religion Teacher's point from nearly 20 years earlier hit me between the eyes so hard I almost went off the road. Just as contraception had been dis-connected from sex, so had conception. People no longer associated conception with sex. That's why people could tell you that the reason we have more unwanted pregnancies is because we don't have access to condoms or we don't have access to abortions or any reason at all except that people are having sex when they aren't ready to be parents. Obviously if you ask people where babies come from, they will tell you that it comes from heterosexual sex. But when you talk about abortions or unwed mothers or whatever, asking people to take responsibility for their sexual activity is never put on the table.
Like it or not, contraception impacts our fundamental understanding of our sexuality. And once you've made such a fundamental change, the law of unintended consequences takes its toll.
And, for the record, I'm a Protestant Christian.
Shalom.
Now, for the first time in all of human history, the male half of the human race is free to use women as the sexual toys that they were intended to be without having to be concerned with stupid romantic entanglements or silly child support. And, to cap it all off, we've convinced those airheaded females that we did this for their liberation.
Shalom.
Don't worry, no offense taken. No, I am not now (pun intended) nor have I ever been a member (I don't think they encourage men to join anyway). And to the best of my recollection I have never read a PP or NOW brochure.
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