I find it painfully hypocritical that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) would suggest not giving communion to members of the church simply because of their stance on family planning. What about other members guilty of other “sins?” What about the politicos who steal from the people and still have the gall to show their faces at church every Sunday? That’s been going on for decades, and yet they pick this as a reason to kick somebody out? Why not also refuse to give communion to Gloria’s entourage who flew overseas just to watch Pacquiao’s bout, even as we were still reeling from Typhoon Frank’s aftermath?
Talk about double standards. While I don’t agree with Gabriela on many matters, I will side with their point that abortion happens simply because many women here have neither the financial nor the emotional means to care for their child. There are probably more reasons, but given our level of poverty, this is the most likely cause. If the church is so against abortion, then why don’t they care for the unwanted child? Or would they rather he or she grow in “a situation of sin,” where starvation and neglect will push them to resort to drastic actions just to stay alive?
I am angered especially because I am also a practicing Catholic. Since when did we end up with leaders with this backward thinking. Family planning does not equal anti-life. If anything, it ensures that the couple will have the means to properly care for their offspring.
As for the argument that sex education would lead to immoral acts, this flow of logic implies that reading about lock picking will also encourage us to commit thefts, or that reading about serial killers will turn us into murderers. Except that this doesn’t happen normally, unless the one reading is already mentally disturbed. This only reveals that the CBCP is selling their pulpit’s common sense and integrity short. We are smarter than that, and we certainly deserve better leaders than that.
-Antonio Yang III, Sta. Mesa, Metro Manila (via e-mail)
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July 18th, 2008 at 3:48 am
According to the Catholic Catechism (Listed Below) life begins at conception.
According to the definitions listed below, Abortion is to terminate a pregnancy which can only take place after conception has occurred.
Contraception or the use of a contraceptive is to prevent conception or impregnation, and as such no conception or pregnancy takes place. Contraception is not by definition considered aborting, or terminating a pregnancy before term.
“Natural Birth Control” is also by definition Contraception and or Contraceptive practice.
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From: Catholic Bishops-Catechism of the Catholic Church
Office for the Catechism
ARTICLE 5
THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT
ABORTION
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Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from “The Moment Of Conception”. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.(Cf. CDF, Donum vitae I, 1.)
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Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:
You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.
God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and
men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with
the utmost care from “The Moment Of Conception”: abortion and infanticide are
abominable crimes
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Since it must be treated “From Conception” as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.
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DEFINITIONS
Main: Abort
Etymology: Latin abortus miscarried (ptp. of aborīrī to disappear, miscarry)
Abortion: The termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.
A: spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation — miscarriage.
B: induced expulsion of a human fetus.
C: to terminate the pregnancy of before term.
(Hence to end the process already active.)
Main: contraception
Etymology: contra + conception
Contra: against; in opposition or contrast to.
Conception: 1. the act of conceiving; the state of being conceived.
2. Fertilization; inception of pregnancy.
3. Origination; beginning.
Contraception: The deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices; birth control.
Contraceptive: Tending or serving to prevent conception or impregnation.
(Hence to prevent the process from beginning.)
July 18th, 2008 at 2:09 am
You consider yourself a practicing Catholic and yet you conveniently brush aside an infallible teaching of the Church on artificial contraceptive use. I suggest you read more on the subject before ranting here.
http://www.tfp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=526
The Church does not frown on family planning so long as couples resort to natural methods. And yes, family planning is anti-life if one uses artificial contraceptives because they can also act as abortifacients.
And how compassionate of Gabriela! They are so caught up with the idea that the child won’t be taken care of adequately after birth they’d rather kill it!
The Church has every right to punish its erring members. The right to excommunicate is an immediate and necessary consequence of the fact
that the Church is a society. Every society has the right to exclude and deprive of their rights and social advantages its unworthy or grievously culpable members, either temporarily or permanently. This right is necessary to every society in order that it may be well be administered and survive. The
fundamental proof, therefore, of the Church’s right to excommunicate is based on her status as a spiritual society, whose members, governed by legitimate
authority, seek one and the same end through suitable means. Members who, by
their obstinate disobedience, reject the means of attaining this common end
deserve to be removed from such a society. This rational argument is confirmed by texts of the New Testament, the example of the Apostles, and the practice of the Church from the first ages down to the present.
July 17th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
You are very right. The Catholic Church here is not really interested to improve the life of people, because it is the poor people who fills the churches nd pray for divine help which never will happen. The rule is “sacrifice for a better heavenly life” after you died on your sacrifice.
However, what family planning and articicial birth control have to do with anti-life and immorality? By using contraceptives, people avoid creating new life, not killing it. And that there are many reasons why abortion could be needed is also nothing news.
But there are also many reports that the Church supports unwanted kids, esp. reports from some european and US countries. It just happens that these kids are kids of priests who cannot make public their fatherhood but also cannot convince the mothers to abort. Such reports are very open published, even not by the Church itself.
If catholic priests would be alowed to marry, like Lutheran Reformed priests f.i., they wuld not only not need the many published sexual affairs and abuses, they also would be able to understand and family problemsand guide their believers out of their own personal experience instead out of an antiquated religious manner and rule.
We should not forget that the senseless Celibate is not an ultimate rule since the creation of the Roman Catholic Church. Several popes changed this rule, several popes had families, mistresses and children, legal and illegal, honest and criminal like the Borgias.
Look which countries have highest standards of life, it’s really not those with the highest birth rate. The Church should not permanent meddle in matters where it cannot prevent people from the negative effects.
Maybe it would need politicians who do not be afraid of the “no communion” order for supporters of the family planning bill. They should know that this is not smething which has been practized by Jesus, so they could tell the bishops “just eat your hostia yourself”. They could be the same good or bad Catholics, with or without communion. Up to now, the Church also did not care if they are honest or corrupt.
July 17th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
I agree with you, but let me clarify the issue compare against the word of God. The word of God in (1 John 1:9) says “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, and so communion to the Catholic Priest is man made not God’s. You don’t need to go to a Priest to seek forgiveness, if you are a Renewed Christian or in (John 3:3) a Born again Christian. The problem is our beliefs in religion, tradition and the Pride of Life that hinders us to the truth.
The communion in Catholic is derived from the Old Testament during the dispensation of the law; of which a Priest represents the Israelites to God in the Tabernacles for forgiveness of sin. Now after Jesus Christ died on the cross and resurrected from the grave no need for a Priest to ask forgiveness. And if you believe and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we are already a Priest to Him look at the beautiful word in (1 Peter 2:9) that says; “But you are a chosen people, a royal Priesthood a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness unto marvelous light”
All of our problems in society derived from the deceived way of thinking that are not Biblical, that’s the reason why there is no revelation and conviction coming from God which is the true Wisdom, especially to our Religious Leaders they are deceived by human teaching. See the word of God in (1 Corinthians 2:19) “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness”. “We must be born again” (John 3:3) because all things derived from the Spiritual realm, we must settle our Spiritual Life in God, attend a church that study the whole concept of the Bible. We can’t be saved by mere Religion, Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life no one cometh unto the Father (GOD) except by me” (John 14:6). The only way we can be save, change and influence the society, and that will be a good & Godly leader!
July 17th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Population management is not anti-Christ. If you starve your children to death, that is a mortal sin.
May God Bless All of Us!