Unfortunately, with the inclusion of "birth control" into our society, sexual liberty seems to have taken over in the minds of many people. We may have to ask ourselves why this is the case. I want to say some of the blame falls upon us Catholics. After Paul VI released his encyclical Humanae Vitae, a group of Catholic theologians came out denouncing this prophetic message. Many Catholics came down on the side of the theologians, instead of the teachings of the Church. Priests hesitated to proclaim the official teachings of the Church boldly. Some even encouraged dissenting from the practice of NFP in favor of the pill. Sex in our society became more important than religion. We are all tempted at times to fall into this trap.
I commented on this topic the other day on the Billings Gazette webpage say that the purpose of sex is procreation, not fun. Someone replied back, but it is fun. I acknowledged that he was probably right, but that is not the purpose of sex. He want to argue that the purpose was for fun. This is the mindset we are fighting against.
What serious Catholics need to do is recognize the trap for what it is and rise above it. Catholics who are actively practicing the Church's teachings in matters of sexuality need to boldly proclaim the positive effects that it has in their lives. The testimony coming from a married couple means so much more than dogma preached by a celibate priest. We need both the preaching and the reinforcement of testimony to start changing minds and hearts.
If we want religious liberty, we need to get away from the idea that all we need is sexual liberty. We need to pray for our priests and bishops that they will uphold the truth with courage. We need to pray for all Catholics that they recognize the need for right priorities in life directed towards God and not self pleasure. (This is not to imply that sex within marriage is a bad thing.) We all need to pray for our young people that they will make wise decisions as they mature. We need to pray for our Catholic politicians that they will let good morals guide their decisions and not personal pleasure or the desire for power.
In addition to the prayer, we need to let our voices be heard -- that we will stand with the official Church in these matters. People need to know that we will hold our politicians responsible by our voting. Our courageous bishops and priests need to know that we support them because we tell them that in person, or by means of a letter or e-mail message.
Let us all fight for our religious liberty.
6 comments:
Freedom flows from the Lord in that He gave Man Free Will. To impose from outside, in an arbitrary and unjustly forceful manner, the limitation of Free Will choice is in my opinion, immoral and evil. I am not talking of God given authority as that of parent for child, or the rule of just law, but of such as is oppressive and unjust in the eyes of Authority derived from God as in the Church or natural law.
Or maybe it's a choice between religious liberty and sexual license.
So are you saying, since I am no longer at the age where I can give birth, that I should not have sex anymore because I am doing it for pleasure?
Anonymous, first, attempting to post the same comment 3 times in less than 24 hours could be considered spam. I don't always have easy access to my computer to approve comments.
Assuming that you are asking your question sincerely, and not trying to start an argument I offer the following.
One should always in their mind be open to the possibility of children, even in their old age. We hear stories from scriptures about such miracles.
While the first purpose of the marital act(sex) is for the procreation and education of children, the second purpose of the marital act is the unity of the couple. The fun element is what helps lead to this unity. One need only ask themselves the reason for engaging in the marital act, is it primarily for fun, or to fulfill the intentions -- openness to children and the unity of the married couple.
Unfortunately, many of those who use contraception are not married to one another and they use contraception to deny both children and the unity of marriage. They want to use contraception so they can have fun without the related obligations.
I hope this helps answer your question.
My apology for posting 3 times. I did not realize that you had to “approve” my comments before they would post. I promise not to hit “send” more than once this time.
For medical reasons I no longer have a uterus so there is no possibility of any more children. This happened at a relatively young age so for over half of my married life (40 yrs) I have engaged in the marital act purely for pleasure not procreation. I have never once thought of this as sinful or wrong.
In your original blog you do not mention the second reason for the marital act except that it is “not a bad thing”. I can accept you speaking and teaching about morals but I cannot accept judgment on sexuality in a marriage since you have no real experience in this matter.
Anonymous,
I still get a sense that your engaging in the marital act is to create unity with your husband. There are some who make it 100% about fun. Those who engage in one night stands have no intention to have children, nor do they plan on building a unity for life.
You might try reading John Paul II's APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO. I know it is a little long, but it might help you see more fully what the Church says about marriage and its role in the family. A blog post does not allow one to get into all of the aspects of the discussion.
As to my having no real experience, I hope you don't go to doctor only because he is suffering from the same illness that may be affecting you. In working with people over the years, even a priest can have an understanding of what happens in a marriage between a couple, both the good and the bad. When he was a priest, John Paul II spent a lot of time with young couples talking to them about such matters. This is what led to his development of what is now called the Theology of the Body. It, too, is worth a deeper study. There is a lot of wisdom that can be had if one takes the time to dig into these two documents.
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