Absolutely was a typing error. It should have read “wouldnt”.
OK, here goes. The question was not what is a “norm” in society, it was about what is objectively moral.
But it is important in all ethics to be aware and familiar with the context you are concerned with… therefore we must always grapple with what the social norm is deemed to be.
Saying that we should provide contraception is the same as saying we should provide bulletproof vests: both are “protection” against immoral acts.
I never made any comment about actually “providing” contraception; my comment was that I do not believe contraception can be deemed as something damaging or evil in its own right.
For one you are protecting against the consequences of your own immoral behavior, I assume you mean “you” in a general, non-direct way, since I am celibate for the other you are defending against the immoral behavior of someone else. Either way, both protect against immorality.
I am not defending an immoral behaviour, but the individuals choice. Not everyone thinks pre-marital sex is immoral because sadly many people are starved from the concept of true love.
The legality of a thing does not matter.
Of course it does. After all, our morality must take into account both God’s laws and the laws of the land we live in.
There is an ocean of difference between freedom and license. We have the freedom to do anything under the sun, but we do not have the license. To advocate for such things as free contraception, condom handouts in schools, free ABC Pills, etc, is to advocate for a type of licentiousness which leads to the death of the soul.
I don’t advocate for the above, so please don’t confuse this. Please expand on your concept of the death of the soul as a result of this though - I do not believe that God would turn his back on any young person who used contraception. God has the power to renew and refashion our souls, and He does this graciously and continually. How else can a sinner come to God, if His or Her sins are not wiped clean and their souls were not given new life in abundance? God knows we all fail. He knows that immorality will ALWAYS be rife, but as Christians we also know that although it damages and corrupts our world it is never bigger than God Himself.
The argument of whether to contracept within marriage is a completely different issue, albeit still a morality issue.
How, out of interest?
The reason that so many people look to ABC as the cause for increased abortion, promiscuity, social evils and various other things is because the “sexual revolution” began with ABC (I know I know, not a primary cause, but that is the impression). That was not the root cause, IMHO, but it was a major contributing factor. Bishop Fulton Sheen said that one of the causes for todays social degradation was the increasingly mechanical view of individuals. We have become individuals, parts in a machine, instead of people, human beings belonging to God. When you view PEOPLE as merely parts in a machine (society, employees, neighborhoods, anything) you devalue them to the point where they are worth less than any of your own desires.
Sexual immorality has existed long into history. It is one of humanity’s vices. I do not say this to lessen its blow, but it is the truth. We can’t blame it purely on the use of contraception. Women have long been considered, in varying ways, as sex objects. The difference now is that BOTH men and women can have this view of potential partners. But moreover, we have a new generation where people view themselves as just mere parts of a machine. Look at suicide, self-harm and sexual-activity rates in young people. They are on the increase because these people do not see good-enough love in their lives. Rather than being so anti-contraceptives, it’s about time that Christianity on the whole shows these young people it is possible to be loved and feel loved without being harmed or hurt. This is possible in the amazing way of Christ, but also in the right people here on earth. Banning contraceptives does not solve the problem. Dealing with the issues of the worth of these young people makes a good step towards it.
The reason so many people have sex outside of wedlock today, again IMHO, is a selfish desire to fulfill their own wants in an incredibly hedonistic culture. The point is not to increase your loved one in Holiness, Joy, and Love any longer, but to “get off”.
Sadly this is probably largely true, but again I’d like to point towards a deeper sense of people needing to feel loved themselves in an otherwise unloving society.
Sex was created to be a unifying act requiring three people: The husband, wife, and God. Instead of that many people (especially men) make sex about one person, themselves. This is why they require contraception: They do no love their partner, they have put God out of the equation, and because of these two they need to “Protect” themselves…
I agree that sex is meant to require the three; I agree it is intended between the couple and God. But you must protect the vulnerable; even if they are being immorral. After all we are called to hate the sin but love the sinner.
Anyway, I gotta get to work.
Me too… CAF is very good at distracting me from my dissertations!
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