The article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (March 5, 2010) on A2, second front page titled Noynoy Eases Up on RH Bill seems to show he misunderstands the Church’s position. He says: “If they have unwanted children that they cannot take care of, I think I will err in favor of the child that will not be attended to rather than the criticism I will get from the more conservative elements of my Church.” A direct question to Noynoy is: “Is that real love or concern for a child when you eliminate his chance to live just because you think his parents will not be able to take good care of him or her?”
It only goes to show the superficial perception he has of the point in question. The fact that you will find it hard to attend to or rear the life that you give birth to as the normal fruit of sexual love does not mean you have the right to terminate life or block the normal course of a life that will be conceived through sexual union. Whether actual or potential life, it is not moral to terminate life. If this mindset is allowed to escalate, life will tend towards extinction. You heard already the expression “the graying of Europe ”—i.e. where parts of Europe or other places for that matter, people disseminate the use of contraceptives and permit abortion, the growing number are the old people, the young generation disappearing. This contradicts the design God made at creation when he ordered: “God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it’” (Gen. 1:27-28). We are pro life. If people become permissive because of the money offers by the anti-life agencies that manufacture condoms and contraceptives and similar abortifacient devices that promote sex immoralities or marital infidelities, then God’s word is true indeed: “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim. 6:10). The final evil will be the destruction of the nation – because life is man’s first right. God alone is the Alpha and the Omega, the owner of life and death. Noynoy doesn’t seem to capture the nature of the Catholic Church when he refers to conservative elements in the Catholic Church. It’s not a matter of being conservative or progressive but what the official teaching of the Church is. The Church has held this unchanged position throughout centuries, in spite of dissenting views from within and without. If it’s wrong, why has it grown as the biggest religious denomination?
This is with regards to your stand against the use of artificial contraceptives. The church has always been against this idea and the reason stated is because of the verse in Gen. 1:27-28. Howcome in Gen 1:28 it says there that "God blessed them and said to them 'be fruitful and increase in number; fill the Earth and subdue it'". The last part of the verse stated that we should also subdue it and using artificial contraceptive is one way of subduing it, so why is the church against this idea?
ReplyDeleteThe church has always been insistent in abstaining instead of using contraceptives when in fact I find it ironic that even some priests find it difficult to abstain. According to AmericanCatholic.Org the Los Angeles Archdiocese July 15 announced the largest church settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits to date, agreeing to pay more than 500 alleged victims a total of $660 million. I find it hypocritical to insist on abstaining when some priests can't practice what they are preaching (abstinence).