Transcript Document
Early Predictions of Pro-Contraception Side
• • • Control population Reduce the number of unwed pregnancies and abortions Improve marriages
Example of Dire Predictions by Pro-Choice/Pro-Abortion Side
• • • In 1968, a book by Paul Ehrlich entitled
The Population Bomb
was published. In the book, Ehrlich predicted there would be mass starvation brought on by overpopulation, and that it was too late to stop it from happening. Among other things, he wrote that we needed a federal law legalizing abortion. The book became a best seller, Ehrlich appeared on the Johnny Carson Show 25 times, and overpopulation became a prominent environmental issue.
Example of Dire Predictions by Pro-Choice/Pro-Abortion Side
• In the
Population Bomb
, Paul Ehrlich wrote that population was growing faster than food production, and that "massive famines will occur soon, possibly in the early 1970's, certainly by the early 1980's." • In developing countries (such as India and Uganda), between 1970 and 1996, the population grew by 69%. During the same time period, the percentage of people in these countries who were undernourished went from 37% to 18%.
Example of Dire Predictions by Pro-Choice/Pro-Abortion Side
The Sky is Falling!
The Sky is Falling!
• • Ehrlich’s best case scenario starts in 1974 with the United States announcing "it will no longer send food to India, Egypt, and some other countries which it considers beyond hope. A moderate food rationing program is instituted in the United States." Famine and food riots sweep Asia" and one-fifth of the world's population starves to death by 1985.
As of 1997, 78% of the starving young children (5 years of age or younger) in the world live in countries that have food
surpluses
and export them to other nations.
Connecting the Dots
• • In 1990, Paul Ehrlich and his wife published a book entitled
The Population Explosion.
The dust cover of the book has an endorsement from Senator Al Gore.
In 1970, Paul Ehrlich became one of the founders of Earth Day • • As of 2002, Paul Ehrlich sits on the U.S. Earth Day Council along with the president of Planned Parenthood.
Some global warming extremists are closely connected to these groups.
Here is the basic line of thought:
A.
Global warming cause = Emissions B.
C.
Cause of emissions = Humans/anthropogenic Solution to humans = Reduce humans D.
Solution to reducing humans = Contraception and abortion
Purported Promise of Contraception: Freedom for Women! No more ‘ball and chain’ (namely, children)
God Creates Every Human Soul
Contraceptive Seeks to Thwart God’s Life-Giving power
Pope Paul VI the Prophet Humanae Vitae’s Warnings
If contraception were practiced more readily there would be… 1.
2.
3.
4.
More infidelity in marriages (true) A loss of respect for women (has happened via pornography, certain types of music, etc.) Contraception would become a dangerous weapon in the hands of public authorities (China, some in this country).
It would lead to a false sense of freedom - ultimately leading to a greater slavery to sin (sexual addictions abound now in our country).
The Wisdom of Humanae Vitae
Sex today is often seen as a joke in our high schools and colleges.
The rate of rape has skyrocketed.
China has a mandatory one child limit - forcible abortion in many places.
Contraception has led to
more
abortions
What We Got Instead The Contraceptive Mentality
Higher divorce rates and single family homes Rise in out of wedlock births Higher infidelity (due to contraception) A rejection of motherhood and parenthood altogether Rise in pornography and the harm that comes with it Rise in child abuse rates Rise in physical effects due to contraception -- breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc., etc.
(Controversial point): Emasculation of men. Where have all the good men gone? “My wife doesn’t need me to take care of her”
Birth Control History
• • Every Christian Church was against contraception until
1930
(even Martin Luther and John Calvin, the 2 most important Reformation-era Protestant theologians were
vehemently
against it).
The Fathers of the Church (St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. John Chysostom, etc.) were ALL against it.
Contraception in Scripture
• Some scholars hold that the word ‘pharmakos’ and ‘pharmakeia’ in the NT (Galatians 5: 19-26, Rev. 9: 21, Rev. 21: 8) refer, either directly or indirectly, to chemical potions used for contraception. Examples: • • “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, Kingdom of God.” Gal. 5: 19-20
sorcery
, hatreds…those who do such things will not inherit the “Nor did they repent of their murders, their
magic potions/sorcery,
their unchastity…” Rev. 9: 21
Psalm 127: 3-5
•
“Behold children are a gift from the Lord; the fruits of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons and daughters of one’s youth. Happy the man whose quiver is filled with them…”
•
Psalm 128: 1-4
“Happy are those who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine…your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.”
It is not a coincidence that Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding (Cana) God loves marriage and loves life.
Contraception, Cohabitation and Separation
Couples now live together before marriage and split up after marriage!
Couples who co-habit together before marriage (and usually use contraception) have a MUCH higher rate of divorce than couples who do not live together before marriage.
Divorce Rates
25 20 15 10 5 0 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991
Single Parent Families
30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991
Out of Wedlock Births
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
1960
White Black All Births
1975 1990 1995 1997 Source: William J. Bennett,
The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators
• Brad Wilcox, assistant professor of sociology at UVA (Ph.D., Princeton University), cites research by six scholars which show contraception to be responsible for a significant rise in divorce and illegitimacy, both of which lead to other social ills like heightened rates of criminal behavior and increased high school drop out rates. Wilcox also argues that the poor are especially susceptible to the harms caused by the contraceptive culture. Wilcox notes that the research is not partisan. "The leading scholars who have tackled these topics are not Christians, and most of them are not political or social conservatives” • Robert Michael, of the University of Chicago (Distinguished Professor in the Harris School of Public Policy) believes that sudden widespread use of artificial contraception and the availability of abortion is responsible for "about half of the increase in divorce from 1965 to 1976."
• George Akerlof, a Nobel prize-winning economist: “…traditional women who wanted to either abstain from sex or at least receive a promise from their boyfriend that he would marry her in the case of pregnancy could no longer compete with ‘modern’ women who embraced contraception. This created an environment in which premarital sex became the norm and women felt free or obligated to have sex." "Thus, many traditional women ended up having sex and having children out of wedlock, while many of the permissive women ended up having sex and contraception or aborting so as to avoid childbearing. This explains in large part why the contraceptive revolution was associated with an increase in both abortion and illegitimacy.”
Sam: For men, learning to follow and accept the female fertility cycle is an essential part of loving our wives. This is something my dad taught me when I was in high school--he explained how the cycle can effect a woman's moods, and why a husband should make an extra effort to help out when his wife needs to relax. But when you don't know exactly where your wife is at in her cycle, this is mostly guesswork. Bethany and I learned the basics of NFP while we were engaged, and Bethany started tracking her cycle on her own. That was a great help. For example, there were times when she'd be upset over something minor, but then we'd realize that her hormones were blowing it out of proportion and have a good laugh. It definitely prevented a few arguments. I've read a good deal about the side-effects of contraception--especially hormonal varieties such as the Pill. As a husband, I can't imagine inflicting that upon my wife. (And this is not even to mention the greatest problem with the Pill--that it can act an abortifacient.) The great struggle of being a Christian husband is working to love our wives as Christ loves the Church. We all fail at that, but contraception seems to me to be very destructive of love. Sex should be the very picture of self-giving love. At this time of greatest intimacy, contraception puts a barrier in-between husband and wife--a literal barrier, in the case of condoms and diaphragms.
Husbands need to be leaders in this area. In our society, contraception is viewed as such a great necessity because too few men take responsibility for their sexuality. Men want sex, but they put all the "consequences"--such as raising children--onto women. If more men were loving leaders of their homes, self-sacrificing, and eager to practice NFP to space their children, there would be no public outcry for contraception.
Bethany (his wife): Contraception can be harmful both to a newly conceived baby and to a woman's body. It does not foster communication or self-knowledge or love of either spouse's body, something NFP does. It also can treat children as a sickness or a disease and often fosters a selfish, anti-child attitude.
SMART SEXUA LITY RISKY SEXUA LITY
Chaste Lifesty le No risk of STD's Health Postponing sexua l activity until marr iage; husband and wife remain mutually faithful Dangerous Lifestyle Having mo re than one sexual partner; no long-term commitme nt to monogamy 1 in 4 get STD's Risk of AI DS, PID, cervical cancer Supportive partne r while pregnant Alone while pregnan t Children hav e two parent family Single parenthood Retain sel f-respect; respected by others Disrespected by opposite sex Fond memories of past relationships Painful memories of past relationships Clean conscience Enjoy adoles cence Guilt, sh ame, and secrecy Forced to grow up too soon
Contraception and Abortion Fruits of the Same Tree
“In some critical respects abortion is of the same character as the decision to use contraception.... For two decades of economic and social developments, people have organized intimate relationships and made choices that define their views of themselves and their places in society, in reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.” United State Supreme Court Decision, 1992 Planned Parenthood vs. Casey
• • • Only 8% of women having an abortion say they have
never
a contraceptive. used 54% of women having an abortion said they used some form of contraceptive during the month they became pregnant.
From the Alan Guttmacher Institute (a pro-choice web site): • 46% percent of women had not used a contraceptive method in the month they conceived, mainly because of perceived low risk of pregnancy and concerns about contraception. The male condom was the most commonly reported method among all women (28%), followed by the pill (14%). Inconsistent method use was the main cause of pregnancy for 49% of condom users and 76% of pill users; 42% of condom users cited condom breakage or slippage as a reason for pregnancy.
John Paul II The Gospel of Life
•
“It is frequently asserted that contraception, if made safe and available to all, is the most effective remedy against abortion. The Catholic Church is then accused of actually promoting abortion, because she continues to teach the moral unlawfulness of contraception. When looked at carefully, this objection is clearly unfounded. It may be that many people use contraception with a view to excluding the subsequent temptation of abortion. But the negative values inherent in the "contraceptive mentality” are such that they in fact strengthen this temptation when an unwanted life is conceived. Indeed, the pro- abortion culture is especially strong precisely where the Church's teaching on contraception is rejected"
(n. 13).
Contraception and Abortion ~~Bedfellows~~
• • •
They are linked sociologically.
• Every culture and subculture which has opened the doors to contraception has likewise experienced an increased practice of abortion.
They are linked in law and jurisprudence.
• In 1973, the Supreme Court's
Roe vs.Wade
decision legalizing abortion clearly built upon the recognized privacy right behind contraception.
They are sometimes linked by being identical.
• Some "contraceptives" have a backup mechanism whereby a newly developing life may be destroyed in its microscopic stages. These drugs and devices are
abortifacients,
John Paul II The Gospel of Life
•
[On contraception]: "Such practices are rooted in a hedonistic mentality unwilling to accept responsibility in matters of sexuality, and they imply a self-centered concept of freedom, which regards procreation as an
obstacle to personal fulfillment" (n.
13).
Contraceptives as Abortifacients
The contraceptive pill works in three ways: •Prevents ovulation •Prevents sperm from meeting egg •As an abortifacient — prevents fertilized ovum from implanting in uterine wall.
Test tube babies & designer genes
•
Pope Paul VI predicted that the use of
contraception
would lead us to want
complete control
and that we would begin to over reproduction
treat our bodies like machines
.
Contraception violates Physical Health of Women
Common Side-Effects of Birth Control Pills, etc.
• • • • increased irritability increased propensity to depression weight gain reduced sex drive
An Insult to Women
Impediment to Total Self-Giving
Babies Bond Us
Large Families Tend to Stay Together (and are fun!)
• •
Question: What’s one of the greatest gifts you can give a child?
Answer: A sibling
Large Families Tend to Stay Together (and are fun!)
“I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly!” ~~ John 10: 10
Responsible Parenting
The NFP (Natural Family Planning) approach always views children, if and when they come, as a gift from God (never a mistake).
Natural Family Planning
Signs of fertility • • • fertile mucus rise in temperature change in cervix
Effectiveness of NFP
“…pregnancy rates [of couples using NFP] have depended on the motivation of couples. Increasingly studies show that rates equivalent to those with other contraceptive methods are readily achieved in the developed and developing worlds. Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero. Natural family planning is cheap, efficient, without side effects, and may be particularly acceptable to and efficacious among people in areas of poverty.” Dr. R. E. J. Ryder British Medical Journal , Sept. 18, 1993
Benefits of NFP
No bad physical side-effects Requires mutual sacrifice Enhances communication between spouses and strengthens marriages Strengthens couple’s relationship with God No harm to society Women, particularly, love it
52,000 STDS per day -- 1/2 among ages 15-24 = 26,000 a day among young people ages 15-24!
The other night, I attended a meeting at my child's school where some of the faculty were going to preview the school's new sex education curriculum for any parents who were interested. I arrived and looked at some of the material prior to the start of the meeting. After looking and looking, it quickly became obvious that the mention of abstinence was not part of this curriculum. After the meeting started, I raised my hand and asked why abstinence was not a part of the curriculum. I was immediately met with much hostility and condescension from the other parents who were there. I was caught totally off guard by this, and I didn't say anything in response to their vitriol. The meeting continued as I sat there totally cowed by what had just occurred. After the staff introduced themselves to us, they invited the parents to take a break and go to the back of the room where there were nametags set up. The staff instructed the parents to take that time to apply their nametags, introduce themselves to one another, shake hands, do a little meet and greet. As the rest of the parents did so, I remained in my chair, still very embarrassed about what had happened earlier. One of the instructors came up to me and invited me to go back there and join the others. I told the instructor that I probably wasn't the most popular person in the room right now, so I would rather stay put. The instructor left it at that and walked off.
I sat there praying about what I should do. All I wanted to do was leave this uncomfortable situation, but I had too much pride to just walk out. I prayed and prayed, and finally, this little voice in my head told me to stay put and do nothing. A couple of minutes later, the other parents were ushered back to their seats. Once they were seated, one of the instructors said, "Now, what we are going to do is teach a sample class to you in the exact same way we would teach your children. Everyone take off your nametags and turn them over. One of you has a flower drawn on the back of it. This flower represents an STD. Whoever has that nametag, please identify yourself."A man raised his hand and identified himself as the flower nametag. The instructor then asked the man whose hands he shook during the meet and greet. He identified them, then the instructor asked them whose hands they shook, and so on and so on.... The instructor then said, "So as you can see, from this one person, all of you caught an STD." It was then that something in my brain clicked. I stood up and said, "Excuse me, I want to apologize for any disruption I caused earlier with my questions, and I am going to leave now. But there is one thing I want to point out before I leave. Not quite everyone in here has an STD. You see, while you were all shaking hands, I abstained. Goodnight."
Birth Control/Condom Stats and Facts
• For male condoms the FDA says the rate is 14 percent. In other words, over a span of a year, for every 100 typical couples using condoms,
14
will become pregnant.
This rate is based on birth prevention, not disease prevention.
• A July 20, 2001 report from the National Institutes of Health, Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, concluded that scientific evidence does not support condom use as a means to
prevent
infections of genital herpes (HSV), human papillomavirus, chlamydia, syphilis, chanchroid, and trichomonas (pages 20, 26, 17, 23, 21, 18 respectively). Yes, lowers chances, but does not ‘prevent’ -- see www.cdc.gov
for more information.
CDC Web site on HPV (most common STD)
CDC Web site on HPV (most common STD)
CDC Web site on Chlamydia
CDC on Chlamydia
Note, NOT prevent
Herpes -- From CDC
• •
CDC Fact Sheet on HIV/AIDS
“The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse, or to be in a long term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and you know is uninfected. For persons whose sexual behaviors place them at risk for STDs, correct and consistent use of the male latex condom can reduce the risk of STD transmission. However, no protective method is 100 percent effective, and condom use cannot guarantee absolute protection against any STD. Furthermore, condoms lubricated with spermicides are no more effective than other lubricated condoms in protecting against the transmission of HIV and other STDs. In order to achieve the protective effect of condoms, they must be used correctly and consistently. Incorrect use can lead to condom slippage or breakage, thus diminishing their protective effect. Inconsistent use, e.g., failure to use condoms with every act of can lead to STD transmission because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse. While condom use has been associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer, the use of condoms should not be a substitute for routine screening with Pap smears to detect and prevent cervical cancer.” Source: CDC’s National Prevention Information Network Fact Sheet for Public Health Personnel
Birth Control Stats and Facts
• • Among sexually active teenage girls aged 12 to 18, 30% contracted an STD over a six month period, including condom users.
149(9):967-72, Sept 1995.
Source: LM Dinerman et al, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Med,
Only 7 percent of HIV positive persons voluntarily notify their sexual partners.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, Jan 9, 1992.
• 78% of teen pregnancies are unintended. • Teen pregnancies account for about 1/4 of all accidental pregnancies annually.
Source: "Teen Sex and Pregnancy," Facts in Brief, AGI, 1999
• The Naval Academy Department of Chemistry stated the following: "The defining feature of viruses is their diminutive size. For example, the AIDS virus (----->) is only 0.15 microns, and the hepatitis B virus is even smaller. Given the presence in rubber of intrinsic defects two orders of magnitude larger in size, the ability of a condom or surgical glove to prevent transmission of viral particles is problematic." 4
Recent headlines have noted that the rate of AIDS is much higher (as high as 50%) than what was previously thought. -- Washington Post, Fall 2007
Birth Control Side Effects & Heath Hazards
• • • The Pill (Combined): Health risks include abnormal blood clotting and heart attacks, cancer, and gallbladder disease. Side effects include headaches, acne, weight gain, vaginal infections, and depression. Mini-pill (Progestin Only): Health risks and side effects include ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, weight gain, and menstrual cycle disturbances. Norplant: Common side effects include headaches, acne, weight gain, nausea, nervousness, hair loss, mood swings, ovarian cysts, scarring upon removal.
Source: Contraceptive Technology, RA Hatcher et al, 7th ed, 1998
Birth Control Side Effects & Heath Hazards
• • • Injectables (Depo-Provera): Side effects include increasing amenorrhea, headaches, dizziness, weight gain, loss in bone density, allergy, depression, and ovarian cysts. (And possibly cervical cancer, breast cancer, hemorrhaging, fetal defect.) IUD: Health risks include pelvic-inflammatory disease, permanent infertility, ectopic pregnancy, septic abortion, and even death. Condoms & Spermicides: Irritation, allergy, urinary tract infection.
Source: Contraceptive Technology, RA Hatcher et al, 7th ed, 1998
NFP Stats and Facts
• • • • Natural Family Planning (NFP) is 99% effective in knowing when a woman is fertile/pregnancy may occur.
Among married couples who practice NFP, divorce is rare. Josef Rötzer, M. D., author of the sympto-thermal method, reports not a single divorce or abortion among 1,400 married couples who used NFP. John Kippley, founder of the Couple to Couple League, reports a divorce rate among married couples who teach NFP at 1.3%.
The side effects of NFP include stronger marriages, more respect for women and other ‘
terrible’
things.
Women LOVE NFP -- it makes them feel respected and cherished by their husbands.
Reasons to reject contraception
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) It is a violation of the good of a woman’s physical and psychological health It is an impediment to the total self-giving of spousal love It is a rejection of God as the Creator of new life Contraception often leads to abortion as a ‘back up’ plan.
Some contraceptives are ‘abortifacient’ in nature -- meaning, that the fertilized egg is unable to implant because of the effects of the pill (thus, aborting the new nascent child).
Reasons to reject contraception
6) Contraceptives do not ‘protect’ in the way they are often believed to in terms of STD’s (CDC information).
7) 8) 9) 10) 11) Contraceptives can never protect the heart from the bonding that takes place through sexual activity. Thus, the ‘safest’ sex is in a loving, faithful, monogamous marriage.
Large families are good for marriages -- children bond couples, keep us from being selfish, and keep us from being lonely in old age (among other reasons).
Contraception has made pornography more available.
Contraception has ultimately led to
more
divorce and greater instability in marriage -- the basic cell of society.
Those who follow the Church’s teaching on Natural Family Planning (NFP) have a divorce rate of anywhere from 1-3%. NFP is good for marriages, communication, etc.
Purity is a very important virtue to this 23-year-old singer. Rebecca St. James is a virgin and she says she’ll remain one until she gets married. On her right ring finger, she wears a gold band. During a concert in Colorado Springs, she told her audience: “I’d like to tell you about this ring I’m wearing. It is a promise ring, and when my parents gave it to me, they said it was to symbolize my commitment to wait until marriage to have sex. I can tell you right now, I will be waiting for that special person God has planned for me.” Rebecca St. James speaks and sings before hundreds of thousands of teens each year -- she’s from Australia
Miss America 2002 Chastity Spokesperson