First off, I must admit that I did not wade through all of these variously interesting and adroit posts, which I presume follow what might have been the logic of the Pharisees, to wit: if one is able to couch one’s behavior within legalistic parameters, then one behaves legally; if not, be damned!
But is it not true that Jesus, who noted that the Pharisees had hearts of stone, saw behaviors in a different light? What! heal on the Sabbath? But would you not go out [and labor] to find your lost sheep on the Sabbath? It seems that, for Jesus, one’s motivations were often viewed as the end, often regardless of the means or the end; and Jesus, seemingly, viewed the heart of one’s behavior as often transcending one’s legalistic, albeit reasoned, behavior. Consider the poor old woman who gave her last two mites. Her means and end were, to Jesus, not noteworthy. Jesus saw only a loving and selfless heart.
Aquinas teaches us that, if we follow our conscience, and our conscience is wrong, we commit the venial sin of ignorance. If we disobey our conscience, even if our our choice was “right,” (and our conscience was wrong) we commit the mortal sin of hypocracy.
Now let’s put all of this together. Lovers in marriage, having been schooled by Pharisees, are awash in legalese; good grief, just read some of these posts. At some point, these same lovers decide that seven children are sufficient evidence that they have fulfilled their mandate to procreate. Nevertheless, they wish to continue to express their love without its personification. Alas, they undertake to thwart conception - their end - but by what means? Their choices are legion.
But wait a minute: in so far as thwarting conception is ALWAYS a calculated and, therefore, an unnatural act, how can any means which thwarts conception ever be considered good?
“Hold on,” you say. “NFP is just that, natural.” Is it really? Only in a mechanical sense! And, I could argue, NFP is akin to lust in mind: you desired sexual intercourse, you reveled in the thought of its passion but “ARRRG!,” you were foiled - by the inopportune presence of an egg. You just sinned, mate!
You see, in a behavioral sense, NFP is unnatural, i.e., it unnaturally curtails natural behaviors that, per se, are not evil. And please spare me rejoinders about the flesh. Here I am celebrating the natural loving relationship between married couples, the personification of whose love is deleterious - for whatever reason.
When I view lovers in marriage, I do not see mechanics apart from behaviors, in turn apart from legalese. I see expressions of love between two committed souls, if I may, who are responding to the moment. To me it’s like the shepherd: “What, my ewe is missing? Round up the men and let’s go find her.” Sadly, I hear many posters castigating the shepherd because he violated “the law.”
All of this leads me to a conundrum. Based on my conscience - which declares that ALL means (behaviorally or mechanically) that are expressly designed to thwart contraception are unnatural, how can any means be considered other than evil?
I urge people to rely on their conscience (presumed to be “informed”) and follow the timeless teaching of Aquinas. Before making any choice in life, pray and discern what is “right” for you, at that moment, based on your situation and, prompted by the Holy Spirit, just be and do, and commit an act of love, like the poor old woman.
May God Bless,
Monk
Great post!!!