Just the Facts {birth control & more politics}

I just can't help myself.  I have to talk about it.  And I hope I can pass along some important facts about this highly publicized topic of contraception and the HHS mandate.  But you'll need some time, because I am obviously not capable of succinct writing!  So grab something to drink and take a seat :)

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I swore I wouldn't watch it.  The DNC that is.  I knew it would only agitate me and it has.  It seems as though the Obama campaign is focusing on winning over women voters.  And to deflect women voters from focusing on their lackluster record and failed economic recovery, they are doing their level best to shift the attention to so-called women's issues such as abortion and contraception.  In fact, it seemed to me, that abortion and "women's bodies" seemed to be the dominant theme of the opening night of the DNC.  

I actually saw a story about a rally that took place in Charlotte last night during the DNC.  Attendees wore this shirt (in case you didn't notice, the "0" is a round "Pill" box):

And these condoms were passed out:

Yes, friends, yes.  That is actually a condom.

Talk about over the top scare tactics!  

So even though, from a political standpoint, the hot-button issue of contraception is really one that relates to religious freedom, it seems that supporters of the President and his HHS mandate are doing all that they can to persuade women voters to vote for their ticket in the name of protecting women's reproductive health.  As Nancy Pelosi stated tonight, "we reject the Republican assault on women's reproductive health."  

Assault?  There is so much about her statement and these tactics that make my head want to burst. But I won't go there.  

Instead, I'd like to talk a bit about the "hot topic" of birth control; or "women's reproductive health" as some like to call it.  Once again, the Church is taking heat for its stance on birth control, and because Paul Ryan is Catholic (and a good, practicing one), the Church will undoubtedly continue to be talked about for its so-called archaic and out of date position on contraception.  And it will follow that Ryan, and the Church, is anti-woman.  

Sandra Fluke alluded to this tonight when she described Romney's America as "an America in which access to birth control is controlled by people who will never use it."

Yet another statement that makes my head spin in frustration and disgust.

I am a woman.  I have 3 girls who will become women.  And I am a Catholic.

And guess what?  I'm grateful that the Church has not caved on this issue.  I'm grateful for the Church's wisdom and inerrant teaching on all matters of human sexuality.  And I intend to do my level best to teach this treasure of a teaching to my daughters as they become women.   

And so I'm going to talk about the unpopular, divisive, and high politicized issue of contraception.  

Not from a political standpoint though.  

I just want to talk about the facts... from a historical, scriptural, moral, and medical perspective.  

So here I go.  

Just the Facts {about birth control}:

{Birth Control is nothing new & is discussed in scripture}

Contrary to what most people think, birth control isn't something that has only been around for the past 50 years.  It’s actually been around since the beginning of time.  The methods of birth control have only become more sophisticated in the past 50 or so years.  The book of Genesis speaks to the gravity of using contraception in the story of Onan.  According to the Levirate law of Judaism, if the oldest brother in a family died, the next oldest, single brother would marry his widow to preserve the family line.  And so Onan was married to the widow of his older brother.  The Bible reads, "Onan, however, knew that the descendants would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother's widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended the Lord, and the Lord took his life." {Genesis 38:1}.  Onan used an early form of contraception... withdrawal.  And it was punishable by death.

Interestingly, the great leader of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, cited this scripture story as a basis for condemning any form of contraception.  Luther commented, "Onan...spilled his seed. That was a sin greater than adultery or incest, and it provoked God to such fierce wrath that He destroyed him immediately" (Commentary on Genesis).  It was well known that the punishment of the time for committing adultery was public humiliation.  But as Luther points out, God viewed act of contraception as being greater than adultery and dealt Onan a far more severe punishment.  In another work, Luther wrote, "For Onan goes in to her, that is, he lies with her and copulates, and when it comes to the point of insemination, spills the semen, lest the woman conceive. Surely at such a time the order of nature established by God in procreation should be followed" (Works).

Another of the great Protestant reformers, John Calvin, also commented on this scripture passage.  He stated, "The voluntary spilling of semen outside of intercourse between man and woman is a monstrous thing. Deliberately to withdraw from coitus in order that semen may fall on the ground is doubly monstrous. For this is to extinguish the hope of the race and to kill before he is born and hoped-for offspring" (Commentary on Genesis).

So birth control is nothing new.  And its purpose in frustrating God's natural law and purpose was viewed as sinful even by the great Protestant reformers.  It is a position that went unquestioned for over 1900 years!

{The Catholic’s weren’t always the lone ranger on birth control prohibition}

The Catholic church has the reputation for being archaic and out of touch when it comes its prohibition of artificial birth control.  But it hasn't always been that way.  Here is a fact that most Christians don't know:  Up until 1930, every single Protestant church/denomination stood in union with the Catholic church and declared artificial contraception to be sinful and in opposition to God’s natural and moral law.  Every single one!  No Christian church allowed for the use of artificial contraception.  Not one.  

Until the year 1930.

In 1930, the Anglican Church broke from this historical teaching that had gone unchallenged for over 1900 years.  It allowed for the use of artificial contraception, within marriage, in very limited circumstances.  In changing its position, it opened up Pandora’s box.  After the FDA approval of “The Pill” in the 1960’s, nearly every single Protestant church gave way to social pressure and followed the path led by the Anglican Church.  Today, the Catholic Church remains the sole Church committed to teaching the historical and scriptural truth about artificial contraception.  Even though it is extremely unpopular. 

It is interesting to note that there is much movement among Protestants to reconsider the moral implications of allowing for the use of artificial contraception.  More and more Protestants are beginning to find truth in the Catholic Church's teaching and are entrusting their family planning to the same God to whom they entrust all other matters of importance.

{The Pope knew what he was talking about in 1968}

In 1968, at a time when every other Christian denomination was caving to social pressure and buying into the “miracle drug” predictions about the Pill, Pope Paul VI wrote a prophetic encyclical entitled "Humane Vitae".  He wrote this prophetic document that reaffirmed the Church's teaching on matters of human sexuality at a time when supporters of the Pill made all kind of predictions about what a contraceptive society would look like.  Those were "sunny day" predictions promising

• happier marriages and lower divorce rates   

• fewer unplanned pregnancies 

• fewer babies born to single parents 

• fewer abortions

But Pope Paul VI, through the wisdom and protection granted the Church by the Holy Spirit, made his own predictions about what would happen if we allowed our society to become one with a “contraceptive mentality”.  His predictions were indeed prophetic and bore a stark contrast to the predictions made by Pill supporters.  He predicted:

1. Widespread use of contraception would lead to "conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality"
2. Man would lose respect  for woman and "no longer care for her physical and psychological equilibrium," to the point that he would consider her "as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment."
3. Widespread use of contraception would place a "dangerous weapon... in the hands of those pubic authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies."
4. Contraception would mislead human beings into thinking they had unlimited domain over their own bodies, relentlessly turning the human person into the object of his or her own intrusive power.

44 years after these predictions were made, it is clear that the Pope was  guided by the Holy Spirit in his writing.  Consider what our "contraceptive society" looks like today in light of Pope Paul's predictions:

1. Current divorce rates are higher than they have ever been with one of every two marriages ending in divorce.  Many divorces are the result of conjugal infidelity.  Nearly half of pregnancies among women are unintended and of these, 40% are terminated through abortion.   
   And all you need to do to is look around and listen to see that our country has had a frightening lowering of morality.  We live in a sex-crazed world.  TV shows, song lyrics, fashions, even commercials are filled with sexual references.  And to me, very fact that our political leaders feel that all women are entitled to (and need) FREE contraception is a statement on the sad state of moral decay our country is in.
2. Sex is no longer a powerful sign of love between a husband and wife.  Rather, it is the subject of talk shows, soap operas and sit-coms.  Sex is no longer regarded as a sanctifying union between a woman and man joined in marriage.  Instead, it has been reduced to a pleasure-filled past time.  And when it comes to objectifying women, all you have to do is look at one of the most booming industry's in the nation: the online pornography industry which is a $12 billion industry.  
3. The history of the family-planning programs in Third World countries is a sobering testimony to the reality of using contraception for coercive purposes.  The US government gives aid only to countries with active contraception programs.   Counties, such as China, have gone so far as to restrict the number of births a family can have enforcing a one-child limit through contraception and abortion programs.    
4. Sterilization is now the most widely used form of contraception in the U.S.; individuals are so convinced of their rights to control their own bodies that they do not hesitate to alter even their own physical make-up.  Further evidence of the misguided presumption that women have supreme domain over the bodies can be found in practices that allow women to freeze eggs so that they can sell them for any "fair market" price.  

{The Pill is NOT good for your health}

Contrary to what many well intentioned doctors will tell you, artificial birth control is not good for your health.  All you have to do to understand this is watch a TV commercial for one of the many different forms of birth control.  At the end, a laundry list of serious side effects is listed.  Strokes.  Heart Attacks.  Blood Clots.  Serious "side effects".

But beyond the serious side effects of oral contraception, there is good scientific evidence to show that birth control pills represent a big risk factor for breast cancer.  One surgeon has referred to the birth control Pill as a "molotiv cocktail" for breast cancer. {Source}  Even The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on July 29, 2005 that "'artificial contraceptives’ are ‘carcinogenic,’ on par with cigarettes and asbestos.”  

Given the fact that the Pill is prescribed for something as simple as acne, consumers should at least be aware that this "class 1 carcinogen" has risks... far beyond the serious side effects.  

{The Link:  Birth Control & Abortions}

Oh boy.  I'm not sure where to even begin with this one.  

There is a reason Planned Parenthood, the nations largest provider of abortions, distributes free contraception in its clinics.  Put simply, it's good for business!  The hope that the Pill will somehow put an end to unwanted pregnancies and as a result, reduce the number of abortions has proved to be a dismal one.  Since the introduction of the Pill in the 1960's, the number of abortions in the U.S. has increased.  Not decreased as was expected.  According to The Guttmacher Institute, "at least half of American women will experience an unintended pregnancy by age 45, and, at current rates, one in 10 women will have an abortion by age 20, one in four by age 30 and three in 10 by age 45."  Furthermore, this same study showed that "54% of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant."  So to continue to purport that contraception is necessary to decrease the number of unintended pregnancies is preposterous by my estimation.  It simply isn't working.  When contraception fails, the backup plan is often abortion.  Here is a good and succinct article highlighting the link between birth control and abortion.

There is a further link between artificial contraception and abortion in that most all forms of artificial contraception are abortifacients.  Because nearly all forms of the Pill or similar contraceptives allow for "breakthrough ovulation", women who contracept still have the ability to become pregnant when "breakthrough ovulation" occurs.  When an egg is fertilized (i.e. a new life is created), the contraceptive nature of the Pill then alters the lining of the uterus (endometrium) making it impossible for that fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.  Consequently, the embryo (new life) is unable to be nourished and passes in the women's next menstrual cycle.  This is, in essence, a chemically induced abortion. 

If your healthcare provider denies the abortifacient nature of contraceptives, he/she has most likely redefined their definition of when life begins... purporting that life begins at the moment of implantation; not at the moment of fertilization.  It is convenient for health care providers to make this change in definition because in doing so, they are able to justify what they know to be true:  that contraceptives are abortifacient and render it impossible for fertilized eggs (human beings) to take the course nature intended and implant in the woman's uterus.  

It is estimated that 14 million chemical abortions occur in the United States every year from abortifacient contraceptives.  And that number is in addition to the 1.2 million surgical abortions that occur in the U.S. every year.  If you are a numbers person, it is estimated that 1 abortion occurs every 26 seconds in the U.S. alone.  Those facts don't bode well for the notion that the advancement and accessibility of contraception will somehow help the abortion epidemic in our country.  It hasn't yet.  And it won't.

{NFP v. Artificial Birth Control… there is a difference}

So in light of all of this teaching, you might think that the Catholic Church expects every family to be carefree and unreasonable when it comes to family planning.  But that's not what the Church expects.  One of the best kept secrets of the Church is natural family planning (“NFP”).  NFP, properly understood, is the moral, holistic, drug free, natural, healthy, modern and scientific means of cooperating with God’s plan to achieve or postpone pregnancy.

God gave all women a fertility cycle.  There are only approximately 5-7 days in any month that a women is biologically able to become pregnant.  And the Church encourages families to work in cooperation with that God given cycle to prayerfully postpone or achieve pregnancy.  If God didn't intend for families to have some control over their fertility, he would have made women fertile 100% of the time.  But he didn't.  And the Church recognizes that fact and encourages couples to use natural means to plan their family size.  

This is different than using artificial birth control.  The bottom line is that NFP makes room for God to reveal His plan regarding family size because there is nothing being done to purposefully thwart the life giving possibility in the marital act.  Artificial contraception, on the other hand, completely blocks that life giving possibility and renders God useless.  That is the difference. One method involves God and the other doesn't. 

The interesting thing about NFP is that it works on the heart of the user too.  Once you become open to life, even if you are using NFP to postpone pregnancy, you begin to see babies as the blessings; not burdens.  And consequently, you begin to desire more of those blessings!

It is a misconception that NFP doesn't work.  When used correctly, it is 99% effective.  People often consider it unreliable because families who practice NFP often have lots of babies.  But guess what?  Couples who practice NFP want all those babies!  As preposterous as many people might view this notion, it's true.  While I don't have 10 kids, I've personally felt this "heart change" after I began practicing NFP.

{The Catholic Church is NOT anti-sex}

In light of the historical teaching on the sinful nature of birth control, it is often said that the Church is anti-sex.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Pope John Paul II said in his Theology of the Body that the "one flesh" union of our bodies is the key to discovering "the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life".  This intimate, sexual union of man & woman (becoming "one flesh") is a reflection, a visible sign, of the invisible mystery of God: the deep union and endless self-giving love within the Trinity.  So the Church teaches that sex actually allows us to experience Trinitarian love and understand the very meaning of our existence.  That's pretty high praise for sex, in my opinion!

The Church also teaches that nature has endowed sex with two purposes.  First and foremost, it is designed to deepen the love and bond between spouses.  Secondly, it is designed for procreation.  It is often said that sex is for babies and bonding!  Both purposes must be respected and not thwarted.  

In contrast, it seems to me that contraception promotes a more negative connotation of sex.  Because contraception has the capacity to thwart both purposes of sex, contraceptive sex is often reduced to nothing more than mere pleasure.  And the message of contraception is that the natural result of sex (babies) is to be avoided.  

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So those are some of the facts about birth control.  

Catholic teaching on contraception and human sexuality is rich and deep and complicated.  I have only skimmed the surface and can't begin to do justice to it. 

What's important to take from this {long winded} post, is that the Church doesn't prohibit contraception because it wants to fill the world with more Catholics.  It doesn't prohibit contraception because it is uneducated, unenlightened, or unprogressive.  And it certainly doesn't prohibit contraception because it is anti-woman or anti-sex!

It prohibits contraception because it interferes with God's natural law and His design for marital love.  

And as a woman, a Catholic woman, I feel respected and protected by this teaching.  Not attacked, threatened, or assaulted.  

The current politicization of the birth control issue is confusing and unnecessary.  If the HHS mandate is overturned, it won't end access to birth control in our nation.  That's what Sandra Fluke and the other women DNC speakers want you to think though.  It won't end access to birth control; it will just allow private institutions to practice their God given right to religious freedom by not paying for FREE contraception for their employees if doing so is in opposition to their religious beliefs.  

Woman don't need to protect themselves from Romney and Ryan as the bright pink condemn says.  If the HHS mandate is overturned, contraception will still be readily available.  Sandra Fluke and any other woman who wants contraception will just have to  go to their doctor, get a prescription, and then get their billfold out and pay for it.  Just like they pay for any other medication.

Access to birth control won't be stifled if the HHS mandate is overturned.  

But if it is upheld, no progress will be made by giving everyone access to  free contraception.

Because the facts show that contraception doesn't end, or even reduce, unplanned and unintended pregnancies.  It doesn't decrease the number of babies born to unwed mothers.  It doesn't decrease the number of abortions.  It doesn't provide for happier and more successful marriages.   And it certainly doesn't help stop the continuing decline in the moral character of our country.

From my vantage point, there isn't an assault on women.  But there is an assault on morality.

I'm a woman.  I have 3 girls who will become women.  

And those are the facts that concern me!

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Please do not misunderstand this post to be a judgement on other Christians faiths who don't agree with the Catholic position on birth control.  As I said in my previous post, some of the best Christians I know do not agree with this position.  And that's okay.  I just get tired of the misinformation and the misguided presumptions made by people about the Church and its teaching.  And since it is now being talked about so much, I thought it was as good a time as any to do my best to explain this particular church teaching :)