The Reality of Birth Control

After reading Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, I decided to choose a section from #11 dealing with Observing the Natural Law.  The specific paragraph is:

“The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. The Church, nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life.”

In my opinion, I feel as though this paragraph is indirectly telling people that it is unjust and “against god” to use sexual intercourse for reasons other than the procreation of life. As it states in the first sentence, it is believed that the use of sexual intercourse, known to us as sex, should only be used for the procreation of human life because of the clearly stated laws of nature that God “ordered”.  The Pope does not specifically reference birth control in this section but it can easily be inferred by stating that men must insure the preservation of the constitutional relationship and obligations of reproduction. The image above states how in today’s world, birth control is not just used preventing reproduction, but for other means such as women’s health, medical applications such as acne treatment, and relieving pain.  As the world grows older, our views regarding the social construction of birth control have expanded to a world outside of “just for procreation”.

            After studying this specific section for a long time, I came up with the conclusion that the Pope has used the form of Natural Law in order to shape his argument into a social construction.  As discussed with my neighbor in class, the Pope is using pathos which is the installation of fear into others in order to achieve a specific result.  The Pope is forming his words and phrases around the idea of scaring people into conforming to “Gods way”.  But what is “Gods way”?  In the context of this article, Gods way is using sex for the sole purpose of reproduction. All other forms and reasoning’s of sexual intercourse are strictly against Gods plan/way.  The Pope also installs fear into people with the use of psychology means by inferring that people will be deemed sinful if the preform acts of intercourse without the purpose of precreation. The Pope never specifically mentions birth control as a means of going for or against Gods way.  He does not state that by using birth control will help regulate the reproduction within the world, and he does not state that birth control is the perfect solution.  He does not want people to think that by using birth control you can have sex without abandoning Gods plan.

            The Pope intertwines social construction throughout this section by using ideas from both the past social constructions and the present constructions.  He understands that times have changed and there are many means of how religion is viewed such as different religions and different forms of respecting the path chosen for each individual.  In my opinion, I feel as though birth control is the new social construct used to help people find a way in life.  The way sex was used back in the early days of creation and how it is used now have very different definitions.  One is used for the sole purpose of sex which has evolved into the use of things such as relaxation and showing someone you love them.  Many are not ready to become committed parents which is where the new technology of birth control becomes a women’s daily practice.  Women do not soley use birth control for the prevention of sex by many new advancements it can be used as a pain reliever, an acne treatment, and more.  By placing all of these concepts together gives me a stronger understanding of religion vs. science and how they work together to form new constructions of life such as birth control for other means then sex.  Scientific advancements have evolved rapidly over the years and the Pope is using the advancements to show both those of the religious faith and those of any faith that sex is not just a way of reproduction but a way of life.

A Plan for -Every- Child?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2440412/U-turn-by-Maisies-REAL-teenage-dad.html

"The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws."

How I interpret these words is that no matter the situation or outcome, what happens is under God's purview and if he wanted it to be, it will be. While I don't believe in God personally (I fancy myself agnostic), I can understand the belief and faith people have. I don't discourage it and I don't look down upon it, but there are times like these where I question the interpretation people have. The Pope states that the Lord Almighty has a plan for each and every time someone has sexual intercourse. People will state that "God wanted this," or "It wasn't meant to be," in certain situations that involve birth, which always makes me wonder if that actually gives people faith or if it's just a blameless direction. In the instance of the article I linked above, there was a girl who had (apparently) slept with other underage boys her age (of 15). Although there were multiple... boys, it only took one to get her pregnant. Was that part of the plan?

I don't think that this is appropriate to say to anyone for any reason. To women or men who are infertile for whatever reason, are they being punished by God to live a life without children? Is this some grand punishment? Being unable to enact a holy and virtuous act, despite their belief and faith in God? If so, then what about the women that are raped, or this fifteen year old girl. I'm not saying that they're aren't worthy of God's love or anything like that, but there's the whole (slightly animated comedy style) scenario running through my head.

God: "Y'know, that couple really, really believes in me and my teachings. Let's give them a kid."

Random... ethereal being?: "What about that fifteen year old girl that keeps sleeping around with other fifteen year old boys?"

God: "Yeah. Let's make them sterile." - snaps fingers -

Random Ethereal being: "I think you've made a mistake... that girl is pregnant now."
God: "Oops."

My poor satire aside, this can really mess with a person's identity. Having faith in Christ for so long, only to be met with such sorrow. I don't know anyone personally who have encountered this issue, but I can't imagine there isn't a couple like this somewhere. To me, having something so ingrained and attached to who you are and what you are, such as religion, and being told that good things to happen to those who are faithful and respectful, only to have something like infertility present itself. I couldn't imagine the repercussions this could have on a person. If someone came up to me and told me that my father isn't my father (which is the closest thing I could empathize with), I would be crippled emotionally and mentally. I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I wouldn't know who I was anymore. It would be as if everyone had just lied to me my whole life and I wouldn't know what to believe. In the case of religion, belief is the most powerful thing you can have. You've been taught to believe from (conceivably) birth to revere a mighty Lord, going to church and performing activities such as praying. You're creating docile bodies to belief and cherish and worship. Then in the case of infertility, and maybe even the case I've linked to above, these beliefs just shatter because they are completely opposite of what you've been told. Not only would this effect you on a personal and emotional level, this could irreparably effect you psychologically.

I just don't think that going around saying that if you do or don't have children, it is God's way or punishing/praising you for all of your (lack) of faith. There are just too many things that make the notion of religion contrived and could break the faith of many people who have had faith all their lives.

Artificial Methods

Humanae Vitae - Consequences of Artificial Methods - Number 17

Pope Paul talks about the consequences of artificial methods. He says, "Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law." I believe the pope is trying to say how young people are so easily tempted and persuaded by contraceptives. Society is at a place now where we have so many resources for young girls to have access to contraceptives which is ultimately a bad thing. I believe Pope Paul is right - to an extent. Twelve year old girls should not be able to have access to contraceptives like Plan B.

If all twelve year old girls knew about this, it would make many of them believe they should try sex. If contraceptives like Plan B would be readily available for them, then why wouldn't they? In their mindset, if anything went wrong they could swallow a pill the next morning and be carefree. Twelve year olds are not old enough to understand the full use of contraceptives and young boys would forget about respecting girls and just want to have sex. Again the pope writes, "Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection." My fear would be having young boys not respecting women at all by their teenage/college years.

I believe sex is supposed to be an act between two people that care deeply about each other. It is not supposed to be something that is taken lightly -- although the age of people having sex has dropped significantly. If Plan B was offered to such a young audience, girls would not know their relationship role. I mean, they are supposed to have children, but with so many different, accessibly contraceptives, I can see many more girls having self esteem issues. Boys would use them and girls would let them. At such a young age, they do not know any better. I believe this would lead to body issues. With constant pressure to be having sex, girls would want to look their best -- better than all the other girls.

The young boys and girls will eventually grow up and find their lifelong partner. My question is, will sex still mean the same thing for them? If they have been having sex since they were 12, sex probably wouldn't feel like the same thing. It wouldn't be new and exciting. I feel like some of the intimacy would be absent, but I could be wrong. However, if young girls are deciding to have sex, ultimately, it is a good thing that we could have contraceptives available to them. I would much rather have a twelve year old girl swallow a pill then having the same twelve year old be a mother at such a young age.

Interpreting The Moral Law

4. "This kind of question requires from the teaching authority of the Church a new and deeper reflection on the principles of the moral teaching on marriage—a teaching which is based on the natural law as illuminated and enriched by divine Revelation.

No member of the faithful could possibly deny that the Church is competent in her magisterium to interpret the natural moral law.

It is in fact indisputable, as Our predecessors have many times declared, (l) that Jesus Christ, when He communicated His divine power to Peter and the other Apostles and sent them to teach all nations His commandments, (2) constituted them as the authentic guardians and interpreters of the whole moral law, not only, that is, of the law of the Gospel but also of the natural law. For the natural law, too, declares the will of God, and its faithful observance is necessary for men's eternal salvation. (3)

In carrying out this mandate, the Church has always issued appropriate documents on the nature of marriage, the correct use of conjugal rights, and the duties of spouses. These documents have been more copious in recent times. (4)"

This is a very large assumption/claim that is made by the Pope. By assuming that the Church has the ability or the RIGHT to interpret the Moral Law, every idea that Christianity aligns itself with is given credibility. Odd, considering that, although Christianity is the leading world religion, it does not represent the majority and that only a small percentage of the people who practice the religion adhere to the authority of the Pope. Also interesting is that the four reasons stated for why the Church is considered competent to interpret moral law are merely claims to authority and do not provide support for the authority. It is pure rhetoric, plain and simple, and for you to accept the claim he is making, you must have faith in a God that gives no proof and no fact. Religion is based on faith, authority rests on faith and faith is, in turn, dependent on the rhetoric of the people who believe. There is no proof. Only claims.

Additionally, any claims made by faithless people should be disregarded because they do not have the claim of authority that the Pope has. You may have all the social evidence to support your claim to authority (professional authority, success, education, knowledge about the subject) but it will mean less than nothing compared to the authority claimed by the church....even though it offers no such proof.

"When the evidence of the experts had been received, as well as the opinions and advice of a considerable number of Our brethren in the episcopate—some of whom sent their views spontaneously, while others were requested by Us to do so—We were in a position to weigh with more precision all the aspects of this complex subject. Hence We are deeply grateful to all those concerned.

The Magisterium's Reply

6. However, the conclusions arrived at by the commission could not be considered by Us as definitive and absolutely certain, dispensing Us from the duty of examining personally this serious question."

The claims and authority of these experts, no matter how diverse the opinion, is put under the scrutiny of this proof-less claim.

God's plan....for abortion?

God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws.

As explained in Observing the Law, paragraph 11, the Pope discusses that intercourse between a husband and wife, regardless of whether or not conception occurs, is noble and important for a marriage. They justify this by saying that obvioulsy not every act of sex results in a pregnancy because, and here's the kicker, God has already planned which acts of intercourse will end in conception as a part of His master plan. If this is true, why would he make babies come from rape and incest incidents? Why would he give infertility troubles to women who are in sturdy relationships and praying to be mothers? Why would human kind have invented abortions? If there really is some set plan, abortion is a good way of showing that it must not hold much weight compared to the power of human science discovery. If someone is "destined" to conceive at a certain point, say out of wedlock, she can easily erase it and go on with her plan of how life should be. I believe this to be proof of the fact that, even if there is some greater power, the amount that our culture and innovation has grown exceeds whatever is "in store for us." The whole idea that God has a plan already devised for our lives completely goes against all I've learned in cultural studies. Cultural studies claims that what we believe, enjoy, hate, and love is based on what is around us and labels we have constructed. The things I enjoy are part of my life because of where I live, who raised me, and where I go to school. If we move, we may become different "types" of people because we will have new friends and new environments. I God has some plan for who we are and what we will be, then none of these surroundings would be afffecting us and I just can't see how that is possible.

Consequences of Artificial Methods

Pope Paul’s Humanae Vitae-#17 Consequences of Artificial Methods.

In Pope Paul’s Humanae Vitae he lists many severe consequences that result because of the use of contraceptives. For example he says that the usage of contraceptives lead to greater temptation because the stakes of having sex is not as high. Also, he says that contraceptives will cause people to view women more as sex objects and forget about the love that is supposed to be shared between two people engaged in a sexual relationship.

I do agree with his ideas for several reasons:

Greater Temptation

The pope says that the availability of contraceptives is not a good thing because it causes temptation for people to have sex. Logically what he is saying is true. Because there is less at stake, (the chances of you having a child is less), than more people will be willing to have sex. Studies have also shown that sexuality has increased in the last couple of years and there is no doubt that this is due to the recent promotion of contraceptives and sexuality in the media. People are also more likely to cheat because of contraceptives because there is a lower chance for them getting caught due to the lowering of the chance of getting pregnant or impregnating the person they are cheating with. Again, it is all about what you could lose and the lower the stakes are for doing something, the more people will do it.

Causes People to View Women has Sex Object

The pope says that when men use contraceptives it might lead them not into respecting sex and its main purpose and instead causes them to view women more as sex objects. I think that the Pope is right in this explanation except for his lack of mentioning that women can view men as sex objects too. Because sexuality has increased due to the usage of contraceptives, so has our views of sexuality changed. With the increase of sexuality, sex has become less “special” and more of a common occurrence. Now days more and more people are “hooking up” just for the sex and forgetting about the love and the feelings that is supposed to be felt between two individuals before they have sex.

Governments will Use and

The Pope says that when the government is given a chance to utilize contraceptives, they will use that power and the power they already have to impose birth control on people. I agree with the Pope’s opinion of this because it has already happened. The government, when given tools that could promote a better economy or country, will go to any measure to do so. Take for example the Eugenicist Movement. The government had thousands of people sterilized in order to stop “bad genes” in our society. The Chinese government has also promoted contraceptives and harsh punishments in their society in order to control its population.

However I do Disagree the Pope on Somethings........

Despite me agreeing with the Pope about the consequence of contraceptives, I still believe that contraceptives are morally correct before God. Being a part of the Lutheran Missouri Synod faith, I have been taught that birth control is not sinful as long as you already have children or will eventually “be fruitful and multiply” (aka have children). With all religion aside, contraceptives do exist, (it is not like we can un-invent them), and they have change our whole perspective of sex and prevention. Like mentioned before, sexuality has become more common ever since the promotion of contraceptives and sex in the media, which is something that won’t probably change unless something drastically happens in our culture. Because of this increase in sexuality, the outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases, and the ever growing world population, contraceptives have become a necessity in our culture like it wasn’t previously. Today if one doesn’t use contraceptives they potentially expose themselves to death or extreme sickness due to sexually transmitted diseases. Also, now days because of the invention of efficient abortion, women with unwanted pregnancies will sometimes resort to abortion which, in my opinion, is worst than using contraceptives.

Deal with the Pope: Promotion of Chastity

In point number twenty-two, the Pope talks about the promotion of chastity. He mentions that it’s to regards to teachers and leaders in authority to make a atmosphere that promotes chastity. He says that in this way liberty will prevail and the norms of the “moral law” will be safe. It also says that things in social communications that arouses men and encourages low moral standards such as music, words written, and film should be rid of in order to protect a clean mind.

Many people read this and disagree with the Pope. No way would I give up music, movies with sex scenes, trash talk...ect. It’s normal now Pope, get with it, everyone is having sex, no way will I be chastised.
It’s interesting because he is not exactly addressing people to be condemned of their sins of sexual promiscuity but instead is addressing the leaders and telling them to get their act together. The leaders are the people making the hegemony of how this should be. How the girl you have sex with should look like, how love will make you feel, that your man should have a 6-pack...ect. I feel like the Pope is asking the question, what if we created a world around us that recognized chastity and withholding sexual desires for that right person, instead of freely sharing it to anyone.
I agree with this idea and what he’s saying. Sex, lust, and promiscuity is so easy to come by in our culture. Almost every movie is bound to have a sex scene now-a-days. Music talks about making love and sexy someone looks. You can find just about anything you want on the internet by typing in one word. He says that this social communications needs to limit it for men but why not women? Women, just as easy as men, can fall into the same behaviors and actions. Even chick flicks can leave girls longing for that same type of love as the main characters in the movie. Girls will flirt, wear reveling clothes, and search for attention in order to find this love. It’s obvious that everyone needs and wants to be loved but is there something wrong with the way our society makes it it to be like?

I don’t have science or history to back this up, it’s only my reading and interpretations of the Popes words. My last point is this: Sex is all around us, but if we choose to do what the Pope says, we will limit what we see, hear, and say and put our focus on other things. No condemnation, no conversions, just an idea to let flow in our mind that it may move to our actions.