Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?
We are in a declining civilization: and yet most tend to view its norms as authoritative.
I am old enough to remember the promises of the pill: abortion would be rendered virtually non-existant (but it skyrocketed); marriages would be made happier (but divorce skyrocketed), and the lot of the poor would be made better (but there has never been more despair).
There is an underlying reason for these counter intuitive results: the very nature of the human person. Artificial birth control doesn’t work, because we don’t want it to–so folks “forget” to take the pill or use other devices. We are made for total self giving, and we don’t want barriers. We don’t want sterile, chemical, plastic, fake Public Health sex.
But something even more surprising happened: all societies that have widely adopted artificial birth control are disappearing off of the face of the earth–below replacement level.
As to abortion, a society that wages war on its own off spring will win the war, but loose its future: it doesn’t even make sense in atheistic evolutionary terms. Also, I’ve never had anybody explain to me why a man is responsible for his choices (child support for 18 years), but a woman is not responsible for her choices.
There are books and CD’s on these issues which I would urge you to read. Janet Smith is a popular author, but there are others. Leah Darrow has some things to say which you might find interesting too.
The basic premise of the Catholic Church is that there really is a God, who really did send His Son, who really did found a Church. And the Holy Spirit protects the Church against errors concerning teachings in faith and morals. So, to dissent on one point, is to reject the entire premise of the Church.
And if there is a God, why would he not make His will know to us in some reliable way? Why would the fads of the age–which history shows often turn out to be tragically wrong–take priory over God?
We are awash in sexually transmitted disease, and heart broken over a hook up culture. Divorce is rampant, as is single motherhood. Children are hurting and often missing fathers. Our nation is going bankrupt, as is Europe. We see rampant dishonesty in government and business which as very negative results. I could go on…
We long for a better way of life, and it could be ours! Even on a statistical level devout religious practice is associated with more of everything that is good, and less of everything that is bad. But, conformity often seems more important than happiness, and so we settle for scraps. And, from decay, we actually scorn that which works: virtue.
Christ transforms lives and families! Secularism does too: just in the wrong direction…
