By Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life National Director
There are two basic truths that each person has to admit in this life: 1. There is a God. 2. It isn’t me. To understand these lessons is to understand why abortion is wrong. Only God has absolute dominion over human life. "None of us lives as his own master and none of us dies as his own master" (Rom.14:7).
This is also the reason that contraception is wrong. We know that human life begins at conception. But God’s dominion over human life does not begin at conception. It begins in eternity.
"God chose us in Him before the world began" (Eph.1:4). "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" (Jer.1:5) We exist in time because God chose us from eternity. A human decision to prevent our conception is a trespass on God’s dominion over human life.
It is not, of course, the same type of trespass as abortion (unless the so-called "contraceptive" actually is abortifacient). Abortion destroys a human life. Contraception distorts the meaning of human sexuality. Both offend God because they fail to acknowledge Him as Lord of the entire process of human reproduction and life!
It is perfectly legitimate to acknowledge that there are circumstances in which a couple should not have a child. There can be medical, social, financial, psychological, or other reasons for this. To acknowledge God’s dominion does not mean to act imprudently. Methods of natural family planning are legitimate. In planning one’s family, however, one may never destroy the meaning of sexual union on one’s own initiative. In natural family planning, using the body’s cycles of infertile days, God closes the door to life. In contraception, we close the door. We have no authority to do so.
Scripture is clear that children are a blessing. "Happy the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows!" (Psalm 127:5). Scripture is also clear that in being generous with life, we must put all our doubts and fears in God’s hands. "Do not let your hearts be troubled," Christ says. "Trust in God and trust in me" (Jn.14:1). May we trust Him as we build our families in fruitful love!
Printed with permission from Priests for Life.
