Familiaris Consorio

Male Contraceptives May Soon Become A Reality

This article, as well as others like it, and conversations that I have had with fellow students in the past two days have prompted me to post this.

Why is Natural Family Planning accepted by the Church while contraception is condemned? They both do the same thing--prevent pregnancy.

Because you don't judge the morality of actions by their effects or consequences. You judge their morality by what they essentially are. Using contraceptives such as condoms or diaphragms may accomplish the same end result as Natural Family Planning, but the ways they go about it are very different.

Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae defines contraception as "every action which, in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" (14). Such an action actively eliminates or withholds the procreative good of the marital act. This is sinful because "every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life" (11). Since one of the two ends of sexual intercourse is procreation (the other being unity of husband and wife, 12), engaging in sex while deliberately frustrating the procreative act is, as Pope John Paul II has repeatedly called it, "a lie in the language of the body."

If practicing contraception is to lie in the language of the body, to practice Natural Family Planning is to take the Fifth. Natural Family Planning (typically) involves restricting sexual relations to infertile periods in the woman's cycle. Although intercourse during these times is less likely to produce a conception, a couple always remains open to the possibility, having taken no action to render it impossible; therein lies the difference (see Humanae Vitae 16). During fertile periods abstinence is practiced, a sacrifice which shows respect for God's gift of sex and its proper ends. Conversely, practicing contraception during these times displays a lack of respect for this gift and a focus instead on selfish pleasure.

One further difference needs to be pointed out. Contraception is often a practice of convenience, while Natural Family Planning, to be licit, must be a practice of necessity, requiring "serious motives to space out births, which derive from the physical or psychological conditions of husband and wife, or from external conditions" (16). Thus it must not be used as "contraception Catholic style."

If you have any questions, corrections, problems or comments please feel free to comment and we'll get into it.

Apologetically yours,
D

Senatus Publiusque Romanus

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.
- John Adams

From a random comment to a friend about a John Adams quotation comes this post... After reading this quotation my friend asked me if it were from 1984. No, that's not a typo. I corrected him with 1776. We then began a discussion about 1984: A New Musical. Can you imagine having a song about; "Big Brother is Watching You! Watching everything you do... Dobee dobee doo."

What other books would make bizzarre musicals? We have Equilibrium which, for those who haven't seen it, is like some amazing mixture of 1984, meets The Matrix, meets Farenheit 451. But it's not a musical. How about Maxtrix The Musical or The DaVinci Code on Ice? This really got me thinking.

What are your thoughts? What books would you like to see put to music? What would be the tagline from the show?

Preternaturally yours,
Brandon

You are the chosen one Neo! The only one Neo! You are here to set us free0!

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Philadelphia Hic Alliud Sum

So I'm back here in Philadephia after my two week jaunt in Home Sweet Massachusetts. In my efforts to procrastinate some more and avoid the two projects that I have due tomorrow, I'll give you a few reflections on my vacation, and what you can expect sooner or later out of me.

I spent some time with my family. While I love them dearly, whenever we get together, it seems as if everyone is always trying to impress upon everyone else of their own self-worth. I can't really tell if people are being phony, or they just simply don't know how to act around their own family. Then again, by that same token, that could simply be me, misinterpreting things. I am admittedly uncomfortable around my own family. Though that does double back to the fact that I outright dislike a certain member, and feel the others are phony. But enough about that. I also got to see my friends and hang out with some people with whom I needed to reconnect.

I also bought a Blue Betta Fish. His name is Hattori Hanzo II. He sits in a tank on my desk at school, and is very active. I think he's happy. *grin*

And finally, what can you expect of me in the coming weeks and months? Well besides having two weeks of class and then a week of finals, you can expect me to write short blurbs, or long ramblings on why I think modesty in dress and speech is good. How prudence relates to the human experience. A critique of the modern episcopacy (though this might be a looong time coming). And the difference between sacraments and sacramentals. As well as a summary and reflection of my year here at St. Chucks.

So remember, I need ideas for entries on this, as I haven't quite got my focus down. So feel free to help out and throw ideas at me. Also, remember to click the ads at the top of the page, even one click gets me money, and you can close the window as soon as the page fully loads.

And now, without further adieu...

POSTY!

-Brandon
One kneels in the consciousness of one's nothingness, and rises a priest forever. - Cure d'Ars

Primus

I'm going to see if I can start writing a regular blog, maybe make it more intelligent than my now defunct Livejournal. Please, everytime you visit, click on the Google ads above, and if you ever need to do google searches, use the bar below. Doing so profits me, your poor seminarian, miniscule-y financially, but every penny counts!

Please leave me some coments on what you think I should write about. I have a feeling that how my day went, and that balonga sandwich I had for lunch just isn't going to keep you satisfied. So, tell me what you want to read, and I'll try and provide.