Natural Family Planning International

This is the second of several comments on an email dialogue with a gentleman who had, I think, the same orthodox Catholic education that I received at the Institute of Lay Theology in the early Sixties but who dissents from the teaching of Humanae Vitae.  In our conversation he would write statements such as these:  “You are dead wrong in your defense of rhythm and other sexist notions still held by a dwindling minority of the People of God” and “The People of God in large measure disagree with [Humanae Vitae].” 

The gist of this argument, that has been around since the beginning of the dissent in 1968, is that large numbers of Catholics can’t be wrong.  If you were to set it up as an argument, it would look like this.
       Major premise:  If a majority of Catholics believe something, such numbers prove  that their position is the work of the Holy Spirit and therefore true.
       Minor premise:  A majority of Catholics today believe that it is morally okay for them to use unnatural forms of birth control.
       Conclusion:  Therefore, the teaching of Humanae Vitae is not binding.

The only true part of that argument is the minor premise.  The major premise is false; it could never be proven, and it is diametrically opposed to the Biblical treatment of the People of God. 

The People of God were first organized by Moses.  Prior to that time, they were the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their tribal descendants.  Immediately after Moses delivered them from the slavery of Egypt and through the Red Sea, there was great rejoicing, but that soon turned to grumbling, rebellion, and the building of a golden calf to which they rendered homage.  According to the dissenters’ way of thinking, Moses must have been wrong.  The vast majority were against him.  Moses, however, had some more conversation with Almighty God.  He repeated the Commandments.  The conclusion is that God and one prophet make a majority.  It’s the same today.

St. Paul commented on this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5.  He reviewed the great events of the Exodus — they had all been led through the sea and had all eaten of the supernatural food and drink.  “Nevertheless with most of them God was not pleased.” 

In Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality, I review the dissenters’ position much more thoroughly and provide multiple examples from the contemporary People of God to illustrate the error of the dissenting position.  The more you look at the People of God with all of its weaknesses and self-interest, the more ridiculous the dissenters’ argument becomes.  Once again, God has used a reluctant prophet, the Pope, to tell the People what they really didn’t want to hear.  Once again, God and one prophet make a majority. 

Just about your last chance.  Let me remind you that Sex and the Marriage Covenant is normally priced at $17.95, and with 428 pages, that’s a buy today.  Ignatius Press is having a huge August sale, so it’s currently available for only $5.00.  Hurry.  This sale lasts only through August 31.  Sex and the Marriage Covenant costs less than a good hamburger, and it’s got meat that will last you for years.

Next week: Humanae Vitae dialogue on eco-breastfeeding

John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant

During the last half of July, I had an interesting dialogue with a gentleman who received the same orthodox Catholic education I did at the Institute of Lay Theology (ILT) in the early Sixties.  This was a one-year program to prepare parish lay evangelists.  The occasion of our dialogue was an invitation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of ILT in 1959. 

     The celebration day will have a two-hour panel of seven presentations, followed by another couple hours of discussion, etc.  The program is titled The Greening of the Good News and each presentation is titled “The Good News and such-and-such.”  Since there was nothing titled “The Good News and Humanae Vitae,” I wrote to call attention to this omission.  My correspondent replied that he regarded it as Bad News, and he noted a few other Catholic teachings from which he dissents.

     We went back and forth a half dozen times or so.  Early on he made gratuitous assertions such as “If I am not mistaken, you go to the Catholic Church to be saved. I, on the other hand, go to the Catholic Church to save it (especially the pope).”   A modest fellow is he. 

     Later he offered his arguments for dissenting from Humanae Vitae, and these were truly surprising.  It was déjà vu, the 1960s all over again.  These were the arguments that were making the rounds before and after Humanae Vitae.  These and a lot more were the arguments I answered in my first book, Covenant, Christ and Contraception published by Alba House in 1970.  I could scarcely believe that these arguments were still floating around.  This fact is a good selling point for reading that book in its updated and expanded version, Sex and the Marriage Covenant: A Basis for Morality now published by Ignatius. 

     I’m going to be addressing some of his arguments in the next few blogs, but first let me make an impassioned plea for you to buy the book on the cheap.  Sheila and I went to dinner Friday night at a little place we had seen a few days earlier.  We were a bit surprised by the prices and even more surprised by the poor quality of one of the entrees.  We put out $29.05 including tip for a dinner that was worth hardly half that much and I got thinking.  We dropped twenty-nine bucks for a lousy dinner that left us only a bad memory and a bunch of calories and some vitamins.  But when people look at a book for half that much, they seem to have a very hard time parting with cash for a book that will last a long time, and it’s something you might keep going back to repeatedly for answers to questions that arise from our social environment. 

     Right now you can get a book that addresses all the key questions in the birth control controversy at a real bargain.  Ignatius is having a big August sale.  Normally priced at $17.95, Sex and the Marriage Covenant is NOW ON SALE FOR ONLY $5.00.  You need to get it directly from Ignatius, either by phone or online.  THIS OFFER IS GOOD ONLY THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.  So hurry.  Buy two so you have one for lending. 

     Next week:  The “People of God” argument. How do you respond to those who say that the big numbers of Christians who use contraception reflects the work of the Holy Spirit?

John  F. Kippley

Sex and the Marriage Covenant