As I wind down this series of posts on the Church I probably have two more to go. In this post I want to concentrate on the Church's attitude toward sex and sexual activity.
The three BIG ones in the Church's thinking on sex can be sum up under three headings: Sexual activity, Contraception, and Abortion. I believe these three are really only ONE question or choice: Sex can be an end in itself OR Sex is only a means to an end. The latter of course is the Church's position.
Sexual activity. The official position of the church is that sex can only be a means to another end.
All sex much be open to procreation. Sex without at least this possibility is disordered behavior and sinful. Take masturbation for example. Disordered behavior and a sin, the Church says, despite its almost universal practice. And why is this a sin. Because it most usually does not lead to procreation. And the same with any male orgasm outside the vagina. Supposedly this is based on Natural Law. And what is natural law and where can we find its 'laws'. Well this highly amorphous concept is easy to find. Paul6 said the Church has the final authority as to what natural law requires. In this area of sex then natural law need not be sought---the Church will simply tell you where to find it (the Church) and what it requires( the Church will tell you). A bit circular---the Church tells us what Natural Law is and Natural Law is what the Church says. Certainly I do not recommend masturbation as the main interest of young men; but neither do I think spending hours in cold showers imagining worms crawling all over you is really helpful or wise advice to the 17 year old boy. Many Catholics seem to think that is good advice. The Church is more helpful on ejaculations outside the vagina. Catholic Answers recommends the use of benzacaine on the male sexual organ to prevent accidents, by deadening feeling.
On contraception, the Church is very opposed to what they call "The Contraceptive Mentality." All sexual activity must be oppen to procreation, as I noted. Any one who tries to prevent possible procreation by "artificial" means is violating the natural law and the church teaching based on the natural law. In place of "artificial" contraception the Church offers Natural Family Planning. NFP is quite simple, the Church says. Keep a calendar of fertile periods by keeping records of periods and temperatures, allow for a margin or error avoid intercourse during these fertile periods and you will not sin. This is expecially effective for a 20 year old just married couple on their wedding night. See, there is nothing "artificial," blocking true love, in NFP!!!
Now the real biggie____ABORTION. I oppose abortion in most cases, but have real trouble with the Church's position. The Church says as soon as the spem touches the egg a PERSON, just like all the persons we have known, is there. That one cell, with no body, no organs, no nerves, no brain cells is just the same as the Pope. Well, the Church says so. And what about the millions or billions of spontaneous abortions every year. Each of those is the death of a person just like your 3 year old. Certainly the Church MUST have an extensive program and be doing extensive research on preventing women's menstrual process to save the lives of these millions/billions of killed persons each year. When I think how many real persons my wife and I may have caused to be killed over against the two children we have-----well, maybe on balance the Church is right!!! You see, I think the Church's position may be well meaning but is not honest. The Church believes it is too complicated to explain when abortion IS bad, as almost all of us believe it is at some stage. So not to confuse anybody, the Church says abortion is bad from the time of intercourse. Very simple; easy to explain. The problem is, no one, or a very small minority (about 10 percent) believes the Church on this issue. Of course, the majority could be wrong is the reply I get, and such reply has the same merit as the majority could be right.
In sum, then, I think it is clear that the Church's age long hostility to sex is still here. Hidden by natural law, murdering children and the other thoughts. And, of course, it HAS to be noticed that this Church who lays down the rules on sex allows ONLY unmarried, celibate, males who have sworn never to have sexual activity, physical or mentally to have any say on 'sex rules.'
I suspect for reasons which I will delicately call "self-serving." But I have covered that before. Jack
The three BIG ones in the Church's thinking on sex can be sum up under three headings: Sexual activity, Contraception, and Abortion. I believe these three are really only ONE question or choice: Sex can be an end in itself OR Sex is only a means to an end. The latter of course is the Church's position.
Sexual activity. The official position of the church is that sex can only be a means to another end.
All sex much be open to procreation. Sex without at least this possibility is disordered behavior and sinful. Take masturbation for example. Disordered behavior and a sin, the Church says, despite its almost universal practice. And why is this a sin. Because it most usually does not lead to procreation. And the same with any male orgasm outside the vagina. Supposedly this is based on Natural Law. And what is natural law and where can we find its 'laws'. Well this highly amorphous concept is easy to find. Paul6 said the Church has the final authority as to what natural law requires. In this area of sex then natural law need not be sought---the Church will simply tell you where to find it (the Church) and what it requires( the Church will tell you). A bit circular---the Church tells us what Natural Law is and Natural Law is what the Church says. Certainly I do not recommend masturbation as the main interest of young men; but neither do I think spending hours in cold showers imagining worms crawling all over you is really helpful or wise advice to the 17 year old boy. Many Catholics seem to think that is good advice. The Church is more helpful on ejaculations outside the vagina. Catholic Answers recommends the use of benzacaine on the male sexual organ to prevent accidents, by deadening feeling.
On contraception, the Church is very opposed to what they call "The Contraceptive Mentality." All sexual activity must be oppen to procreation, as I noted. Any one who tries to prevent possible procreation by "artificial" means is violating the natural law and the church teaching based on the natural law. In place of "artificial" contraception the Church offers Natural Family Planning. NFP is quite simple, the Church says. Keep a calendar of fertile periods by keeping records of periods and temperatures, allow for a margin or error avoid intercourse during these fertile periods and you will not sin. This is expecially effective for a 20 year old just married couple on their wedding night. See, there is nothing "artificial," blocking true love, in NFP!!!
Now the real biggie____ABORTION. I oppose abortion in most cases, but have real trouble with the Church's position. The Church says as soon as the spem touches the egg a PERSON, just like all the persons we have known, is there. That one cell, with no body, no organs, no nerves, no brain cells is just the same as the Pope. Well, the Church says so. And what about the millions or billions of spontaneous abortions every year. Each of those is the death of a person just like your 3 year old. Certainly the Church MUST have an extensive program and be doing extensive research on preventing women's menstrual process to save the lives of these millions/billions of killed persons each year. When I think how many real persons my wife and I may have caused to be killed over against the two children we have-----well, maybe on balance the Church is right!!! You see, I think the Church's position may be well meaning but is not honest. The Church believes it is too complicated to explain when abortion IS bad, as almost all of us believe it is at some stage. So not to confuse anybody, the Church says abortion is bad from the time of intercourse. Very simple; easy to explain. The problem is, no one, or a very small minority (about 10 percent) believes the Church on this issue. Of course, the majority could be wrong is the reply I get, and such reply has the same merit as the majority could be right.
In sum, then, I think it is clear that the Church's age long hostility to sex is still here. Hidden by natural law, murdering children and the other thoughts. And, of course, it HAS to be noticed that this Church who lays down the rules on sex allows ONLY unmarried, celibate, males who have sworn never to have sexual activity, physical or mentally to have any say on 'sex rules.'
I suspect for reasons which I will delicately call "self-serving." But I have covered that before. Jack
Jack,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you or someone else could answer this: why is Natural Family Planning NOT considered a violation of church teaching?
The church teaches that all sexual relations be open to the creation of new life.
In Natural Family Planning, sexual relations are not open to the creation of new life. Sexual relations are scheduled, so as to minimize the possibility of new life being created.