RELIGION AND LIFE
3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
Contraception -
Christian attitudes -
1 - Catholic
- Responsible parenthood - deciding on how many children to have and when to have them
- Should achieve this through natural family planning instead of artificial methods of contraception
- Pope Pius XI -condemned all forms of artificial contraception
- Pope Pius XII - all Catholics should use natural methods of contraception
- Pope Paul VI - only allowable forms of contraception are natural - confirmed in the Catechism
- All sex should be unitive and creative
- Some contraceptives bring about a very early abortion (abortifacient)
- Artificial contraception leads to promiscuity, broken families, divorce and STD's
2 - Non-Catholic Christians
- All forms of contraception are permissible
- Christianity is about love and justice - contraception improves womens' health and raises standard of living
- Nothing in Bible that forbids use of contraceptives
- 1930, Lambeth Conference of the worldwide Anglican Communion (Church of England) - Christians could use contraception to limit family size
- Condoms are the best way to combat HIV/AIDS
Jewish attitudes -
1 - Ultra Orthodox
- Don't approve of any artificial contraception unless mother's health is at risk
- God's command that Jewish people should be fruitful - should have large families
- Torah - male sperm is sacred and not to be killed
- Rabbis teach that God created sex for having children
2 - Orthodox
- Allow women to use contraception after a couple has had 2 children
- Torah, Talmud and rabbis - health of the mother should come first
- Contraceptives for women don't kill the sperm
- Mitzvot to have a family
3 - Liberal/Reform Jews
- Couples should make own decisions about contraception
- God expects people to use intelligence and technology to prevent unwanted things from happening
- Torah needs updating - contraception should be available to men and women
- Better to use contraception than bring unwanted children into the world
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