Sex Au Naturel (3 page)

A few words about words. First, the word “contraception” is the most accurate term for what we are dissecting in this book. Its Latin origins capture the idea of being “against the beginning” (e.g., the beginning of a new human person).

To reduce repetition, I also use “birth control” and “artificial birth control” synonymously, as you may have noticed, even though some people view natural family planning as being in some sense a form of controlling birth. Second, the word “artificial” is another misnomer. The Church does not condemn birth control on the basis of artificiality (i.e., the artificial hormones of the anovulant pill or the artificial material of the condom) as opposed to “natural” methods of natural family planning, or NFP. Obviously, even the thermometer used in some methods of NFP is “artificial.”

Catholic moral theology also uses technical language that can sometimes mislead. A good example is the word “evil,” which conjures up images of red grinning devils brandishing pitchforks. Evil also carries the connotation that the person doing evil actually is evil, without properly differentiating them. Further, to describe an act as evil may lead some readers to conclude I’m judging the persons involved; that is the last impression I wish to convey. Evil simply refers to anything in which a good should exist but does not. Evil refers to a lack of a due good. It’s not a blob of badness floating around somewhere. Even Satan is good insofar as he exists. So when you see the word “evil” in these pages, think “wrong” or “immoral,” which are adequate synonyms.

The main goal of this book is to shed light upon an issue notorious for its heat. The title
Sex au Naturel
conveys the essence of sexual communion in marriage that is free of chemical or mechanical encumbrances, “nakedly” open to its twofold meanings of unity and procreation. In other words, organic sex. One hundred percent all natural ingredients. Safe for the environment of the body. Green sex, you could say, as encapsulated by the natural family planning lifestyle.

No condoms, dams, jellies, IUD coils, foams, or pharmaceutical products: just sweetly unclothed sexual communion that’s utterly open to the beloved and to the (potential) adventure of parenthood.

In Chapter One, we will review the historical context that paved the way for the widespread rejection of
Humanae Vitae
and explore some reasons why it has yet to receive a fair hearing, and what can be done about it. Chapter Two describes the events that brought me gradually from disagreeing altogether with the teaching, to not hating it, all the way to passionate agreement with it. If this slow-learning skeptic can defeat his doubts, anyone can.

The debate over birth control has jumped the fence into a much bigger field. This debate is really over who gets to decide what the will of Christ is for sex and marriage, and why. Chapter Three takes up the question, “How does God reveal Himself and what role does the Church play in communicating His Revelation?”

Chapter Four catalogues the norms of
Humanae Vitae
in the Bible. Contrary to the popular assumption that the Bible has nothing to say about birth control, God’s Word consistently reverences fertility as a great gift, lauds children as blessings, and nowhere condones thwarting His gifts. Chapter Five looks at contraception in light of the Blessed Trinity and aims to show that the completely Other-directed love shared by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit presents an ideal to be imitated by Christian couples and contains an implicit rejection of contraception.

Chapter Six is an exploration of the concept of natural law and how it applies to contraception. This is the philosophical heart of the book, as the Church has traditionally invoked the natural law in her opposition to contraception. Chapter Seven reveals … the answers to the pop quiz above!

Chapter Eight tackles an issue that comes up in many discussions about birth control, and that is the so-called population explosion. The realities surrounding this idea verify that truth is stranger than fiction. Not only is there no population explosion, but the developed countries of the world (and many in the Third World) are now confronting a population implosion that has the real potential to cause disastrous scenarios for future generations.

Chapter Nine takes up the most popular form of contraception: sterilization. Whether it’s vasectomy (male) or tubal ligation (female), both versions of the procedure entail delicate medical and pastoral challenges. It is a sensitive topic, deserving separate treatment.

For those who find it inconsistent that the Church condemns artificial birth control (ABC) while she promotes natural family planning (NFP), Chapter Ten highlights the moral differences. The inability (unwillingness?) to grasp the differences between the two has proven to be a huge stumbling block for people who are trying to understand the teaching.

Chapter Eleven treats the flip side of
Humanae Vitae’s
message: why new reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization and donor insemination are also against God’s plan for the sexual union of man and woman. The “no sex without babies” principle is tied to its corollary, “no babies without sex.”

The Appendix is a list of resources for those interested in additional practical help, either in learning more about the foundations of
Humanae Vitae
and their relation to marriage, in finding a good NFP-only physician, or locating a Catholic-friendly organization that provides solid educational and pastoral information.

Most Catholics who choose contraception generally do so without much investigation beyond a visit to the family doctor. Often, a kindly priest has blessed the decision or guided them along a path that can, unfortunately, lead either to a dead end, or off a cliff. These couples deserve honest, loving dialogue, not finger-pointing. Liberals stress that God is love; conservatives, that God is truth. Both are half-right. The appearance of Our Lord Jesus Christ reveals that God is both love and truth ( Jn. 1:14).

Let contracepting couples, therefore, and those who would share with them the fullness of Christian teaching, remember that God is a just and merciful Father and that bashing with truth is as bad as excusing with love.

¹
^
Frank Sheed,
The Church and I
(Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1974), 238.

²
^
Leaving aside for the moment the tiny minority conceived through in vitro fertilization.