Contraception and the Catholic Church Essay - 1684 Words

The issue of birth control remains one of the most controversial issues within the Catholic Church dividing members at all levels including the clergy. The Roman Catholic Church for the past 2000 years has been a major opponent of artificial birth control (BBC). Pope Paul VI made a clear declaration on the use of birth control when he wrote ‘the Encyclical Letter ‘Human Vitae’ on July 25, 1968 which banned Catholics from using contraceptives (Pope VI). These important declarations demonstrate the power of the Papacy to shape public policy on matters relating to human health and reproduction on a global level. The belief within the Catholic Church is that God have the sole power over the creation of life and humans have no role in this†¦show more content†¦Society would become regressive and people immoral. Men would chase sexual gratification, lose respect for women and view them as objects for sexual pleasure. Since the Catholic Church believed in the na tural laws and the promotion of natural sex between married couples for procreation, the conflict would be that sexual intercourse in the marriage bed would lose its ideal. This would also lead to less responsible parenting for children born outside of marriage. History teaches us that contraceptives have been around for a long time and were used by Catholic women and other Christians in the form of â€Å"folk remedies and homemade cervical caps† (PBS, BBC). The Catholic Church uses scientific evidence to establish the moral stance taken on contraceptives. The birth control pill is seen as harmful to a woman’s body because it makes her infertile by interfering with her reproductive system. The Catholic Church considers this to be unhealthy. It is also believed that the pill causes serious side effects, some of which can be life threatening. This includes cancer and strokes due to blood-clots. Some forms of birth control pills are considered to be chemical contraceptives which prevent implantation of a fertilized egg in the walls of the uterus. This causes a woman to self-abort sometimes without even knowing that she is pregnant. Examples of chemical contraceptives include ‘Norplant’ and ‘the Patch’Show MoreRelatedWhy Contraception And Not Only Natural Family Planning Should Be Allowed By The Catholic Church1974 Words   |  8 PagesThesis: I will discuss why contraception and not only Natural Family Planning should be allowed by the Catholic Church because it helps prevents sexually transmitted infecti ons and diseases and prevents millions of unwanted children from being born and then abandoned every year. Different forms of contraception have existed for hundreds of years, dating back to the Roman Empire. 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