MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL

MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL BIRTH CONTROL

It is obviously important to study and probe the implications of artificial birth control. Our concern here is to divulge how they hurt our spiritual self, even though I may not leave off the health implications thereof.

As a matter of fact, we have different types of artificial birth control but will be enlisted under four forms:

a. Interrupted intercourse (withdrawal or marital onanism).

b. Local-mechanical means (condom, the intra-uterine device [IUD], and vagina diaphragm) and Local chemical means (sprays, suppositories, cream, jellies and tablets).

c. Hormonal means or sterilizing drugs (pills).

d. Operative sterilization (tube ligation, tube section or electro coagulation, vasectomy).

TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

The artificial birth control may offer to science a certain practical realization of their fields, but by themselves alone, they do not yet offer any moral justification. The question of the lawfulness of these means of birth control had been taken up for a first time by Pope Pius XI in the encyclical CASTI CONNUBII in 1930. Humanae Vitae of Pope Paul VI confirmed it with other assertions in the new methods discovered by science. The Pope said in the encyclical that MARRIAGE MUST BE OPEN TO PROCREATION (life oriented). This teaching is seen as 'based on the inseparable connection, established by God, between the double meaning of the marital act, i.e its unitive and procreative significance. It is on this note that the encyclical derives the moral inadmissibility of any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation whether as an end or as a means. Therefore, any marital act that is not open to life using artificial means is intrinsically wrong. Only the method of natural family planning by the rhythm method is allowed.

The Church sees it lawful the therapeutic uses of the hormonal drugs, to the point of helping resolve the health of a woman, even if it poses any danger to procreation.

Also St. Pope John Paul in the apostolic exhortation "FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO of 1981, repeated in part the very words of his predecessor. BEYOND THE OBJECTION THAT CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS OFFWND AGAINST THE PROCREATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONJUGAL ACT AND ALSO THEY COMPROMISE THE VALUE OF A TOTAL SELF GIVING. It means that contraceptives create gap between husband and wife so that no mutual self-giving is established. This leads to falsification of inner truth of conjugal love.

Catholic maintains that artificial means of birth control could damage the sacramental and spiritual oneness and unity that existed between a couple. The protestant churches do not attribute a substantial importance to the question of the lawfulness of specific means of birth control. For protestants , it is left up to the marriage partners to choose responsibly the methods that correspond best to their personal situation and needs.