The Birth Control Debate: The Bible On Birth Control

I posted on Facebook this morning that I hoped that the priest at my church, St Josephs Catholic Community, would refrain from inserting himself, by way of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, into the debate as to whether women should have unfettered access to contraception. I had someone respond by asking why I went to church.

To this I say because I believe that my spirituality is between God and myself. The dictates of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops do not define my relationship with God, they are purely a politically motivated group who wish to control women and have no creditability with me, and I feel from talking to other Catholics, or many Catholics.

This question over birth control comes down to two separate issues for me. The first is what does the Bible say about contraception, the second is does what the Church decided was best for it's members, about 50 years ago, trump what the Bible says and Jesus taught.

What was said in 1968 by Pope Paul VI in the letter titled Humanae Vitae was, on its face, a flawed argument in that he put forth the proposition that the Bible says that contraception is wrong. The Bible actually says very little about it. There are several outside sources like Clement of Alexandria who spoke of “the seed is not to be vainly ejaculated” or John Calvin who said, "The voluntary spilling of semen outside of intercourse between man and woman is a monstrous thing.”, but they seem to be speaking about self gratification, not intercourse. What the Bible does say is found in the story of Onan who was commanded to have sex with his dead brothers wife and practiced coitus interrupts to not impregnate her. People try to say that this is proof of the Bible being against contraception as it says “What he did was wicked in the Lord's sight; so He put him to death also.” in Genesis 38:10, but it wasn't the act that was wrong, the having sexual relations for pleasure, it was his selfish motivation that had him put to death, that he refused to perform his duty under the law of Levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 and create an heir for his brother. Jesus never mentions anything about birth control and Jesus and Paul both said the holiness code in Leviticus does not pertain to Christian believers. See John 8:1--8:11

8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

There is much debate as to what was written in the dirt, I believe Jesus listed the sins that the crowd was guilty of and this is why they left, for fear of their own condemnation. Beyond that what is important is Jesus did not condemn her under Levitican Law.

The sole reason the church in 1968 put forth it's dictate about birth control was a politically motivated one, mainly to control the rising tide of women's independence from men. The patriarchal system of the Catholic Church, it's demand for an acceptance of the obligation of chastity by women, was in direct opposition to the feminist demand for "sexual equality", for the right "to have sex like men, on their own terms" which is made possible by the use of birth control. This is why the Church put forth it's edict, but it was too late, women wanted to be equals and nothing the monolithic government of the Church in Rome could say would stop it.

Why do I go to church; because I believe in the trinity and I believe in the miracle of the Virgin Mary, I believe in the Resurrection of Jesus and that he died for my sins, to forgive me so I could one day enter the gates of Heaven. What I don't believe in is a misguided interpretation of the Lord's word by a group of old white men who have never had sex, who cling to an outdated system, an outdated world view, that places men above women and demands a woman's subservience.