Natural Family Planning International

Most Christians recognize that the end does not justify the means.  Many recall St. Paul’s allusions to this truth in Romans 3:6 and 6:1 and 15.  In the birth control controversy, Pope Paul VI teaches clearly in Humanae Vitae that “it is not licit, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil so that good may follow therefrom…” (n. 14).  Civilization would simply cease to exist if everyone accepted as a moral principle the idea that “To accomplish some good, I can do anything; whatever I do is justified by my good purpose.”  This is so easy to see that ordinary people of good will almost instinctively recognize that “the end does not justify the means.”

In talking about birth control, however, sexuality is involved, and sexual matters have a way of clouding reason because there is so much self-interest involved.  Thus some people say that if it is morally permissible for people to use natural methods of conception regulation, then it is also okay to use unnatural methods.  After all, they say, people who use either “method” have the same purpose, so what’s the difference?  In other words, a common purpose would make morally the same—homogenize—the various ways of carrying out that purpose.

In my experience, people who think this way about birth control do not think this way about anything else in life.  I ask such folks to consider two couples who would both like to live in a better house that they can’t afford right now.  One couple decides to cut back on spending, to work harder, and to save more.  The other couple decides to engage in the illicit drug trade.  Does having the common purpose of buying a better house make it morally the same to use either of these ways to accomplish that purpose?  I have never met anyone who says that wanting a better house makes drug dealing and working harder at an honest trade morally the same.  Once the subject is no longer sex and birth control, everyone recognizes the truth of the moral principle, “The end does not homogenize the means.”

Since this is such a common mistake, and since it would be easy for someone to “feel stupid” if he was publicly corrected, here’s a suggestion.  If you give a talk where someone might raise this question, pre-empt it and answer the question in your talk.  That way, you make the point, and nobody is embarrassed.

By John F. Kippley
Sex and the Marriage Covenant 

The month of November brought two affirmations of Humanae Vitae that are good reasons for giving thanks.

At the annual November meeting of the US Bishops, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York told his fellow bishops that the bishops need to “resuscitate” Humanae Vitae. Previously, he had made a public statement about the bishops having laryngitis concerning this important teaching of Pope Paul VI.

This statement rises from the level of “welcome” to the level “most welcome and greatly needed” in the face of rumors coming from Rome about efforts to water down Humanae Vitae’s teaching against all unnatural forms of birth control.

In her Thanksgiving weekend column in the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan—also from New York—noted that the sexual abuses that have recently come to light illustrate the wisdom of Humanae Vitae.  In section 17 of that encyclical, Pope Paul VI issued some dire warnings about what would happen if there was a widespread societal acceptance of marital contraception. Basically, he said that changes in sexual attitudes and behaviors won’t stop there.  He prophesied an easy road to infidelity, a general lowering of morality, loss of respect for women, and he accurately saw the danger of putting birth control into the hands of government.

There is no real question about it.  Marital contraception is at the heart of the Sexual Revolution, and the evils are there for all but the self-blinded to see.  This isn’t news.  In March 1971 a generally liberal theological journal published an article showing that the decision-making principles of the dissenters cannot say NO even to spouse swapping.  Mary Eberstsadt recently wrote a whole book—Adam and Eve after the Pill— about the sociological evils stemming from the acceptance of marital contraception.

I hope that our bishops have been adequately informed about the Peggy Noonan statement.  Bishops need to realize that the received teaching reaffirmed by Humanae Vitae is a great blessing.  In the face of the hurricane of the Sexual Revolution, Blessed Pope Paul VI did his job as Pope.  He has thus saved many, many believing Catholics and other Christians from many of the problems—both health-wise and culture-wise—of the Sexual Revolution.

Parents who love their children make rules to protect them from danger.  Humanae Vitae is a gift from the Lord who loves his people and thus protects us by teaching us to stay on the path of self-giving love.  As Professor Edward Sri likes to say, “Love demands laws.”

John F. Kippley, Dec 8, 2017