Catholic Churchs View on Contraception
The issue of contraception has been an extremely controversial and debated one in the Catholic Church. The Catholic religion declares that the three requirements for healthy sexual expression include a mutual physical drive for pleasure, intimacy and committed love between the couple, and the openness to procreation and parenting children. This last aspect is the subject of much disagreement between people both inside and outside the church community. The authoritative voice of the church, the Magisterium, holds that artificial contraception is a sin and only accepts the form of contraception called Natural Family Planning. This method involves avoiding sexual intercourse during certain times of the month and will be explained in more detail shortly. There are situations which are argued should be exceptions, such as rape, a family who already has children and can afford no more, and the overall health of the couple involved in the sexual relationship. The viewpoint of the Church is an old one, but the Magisterium claims that it will not change anytime soon. There are many different types of contraception available. Type one classified contraception includes barrier methods such as condoms, diaphragms, the cervical cap . . .
Why You Can Disagree and Remain a Faithful Catholic. Pope Paul VI relied on natural law and the teaching that sexuality must always be open to new life. His opinion is reinforced by Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls who stated, “A permissive attitude to sexuality ruins the family, weakens the responsibility of parents, goes against the good of children, and has a highly destabilizing effect on society as a whole. He stated “…any use of marriage whatever, in the exercise of which the act is deprived of its natural power of procreating life, violates the law of God and nature, and those who commit anything of this kind are marked with the stain of grave sin. The Renaissance was quickly approaching and literature and art were beginning to stress procreation in relationships. This says a lot for how insignificant many people feel is the difference between NFP and artificial contraception. Rahner, as well, states that “The Church is making authentic pronouncements which are promulgated by the Magisterium, which are, for their arguments, dependent on justifications and proofs taken from the secular sciences and universal human reason. One nun has even made headlines by resigning her sisterhood and devotion to God because of her disagreement with the way Church has dealt with these issues. This decision has been the root of constant disagreement, a loss of respect for teachings in the Church today, and the loss of many faithful supporters. NFP is a method that involves careful regulation of a woman’s menstrual cycle to determine when her fertile period falls begins. Pope Gregory the Great served from 590-604 and stated that all sexual desire in any form was wrong. “Vatican Sets the Record Straight: Its Views on Sex Are Unchanged.
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