The Reproductive Health Bill is inching along in Congress and the Philippine Catholic Church has mobilized to oppose the passage of the bill. Does the church really need the government to enforce its dogma?
I don't understand the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial contraceptives. First of all, there's no biblical basis for what kind of contraception is acceptable or not. Even if there is, we don't have to follow everything in the bible. In the bible, women are treated as chattel. You don't hear the Catholic Church advocating a return to such outdated and barbaric practice. Even the church's practice of allowing only men into the priesthood is not based on the teachings of the bible.
Someone once told me that the rational for the prohibition on artificial contraception is that sexual intercourse, in the view of the church, is solely for procreation, not for other things such as pleasure. Thus, if married couples want to plan their family, they can only do so by abstinence or by the rhythm method. I used to joke that Catholics believe only two things: the rhythm method and bingo. When rhythm method does not work, BINGO!
But I digress.
Anyway, this view of rhythm method as an acceptable form of family planning flies into the face of the tenet that sexual intercourse should solely be for the purpose of procreation because couples who practice the rhythm method have sexual intercourse for some purpose other than procreation, most likely for pleasure. And when you really think about it, there's nothing natural about the rhythm method, more so with abstinence.
I have not read the Reproductive Health Bill but I am sure that nothing in it condones abortion which is still a crime.
Some congressmen have already backed away from supporting the bill probably because of fear of the backlash from going against the Catholic Church. This fear is misplaced. Think about it. The Catholic Church can not even convince its flock, UNDER PAIN OF ETERNAL DAMNATION, not to use artificial contraceptives. Do you really think that the church can convince its flock to vote for one candidate instead of the other? It's like the rooster thinking that the sun only rises because he ordered it to do so with his crowing.
I don't understand the Catholic Church's opposition to artificial contraceptives. First of all, there's no biblical basis for what kind of contraception is acceptable or not. Even if there is, we don't have to follow everything in the bible. In the bible, women are treated as chattel. You don't hear the Catholic Church advocating a return to such outdated and barbaric practice. Even the church's practice of allowing only men into the priesthood is not based on the teachings of the bible.
Someone once told me that the rational for the prohibition on artificial contraception is that sexual intercourse, in the view of the church, is solely for procreation, not for other things such as pleasure. Thus, if married couples want to plan their family, they can only do so by abstinence or by the rhythm method. I used to joke that Catholics believe only two things: the rhythm method and bingo. When rhythm method does not work, BINGO!
But I digress.
Anyway, this view of rhythm method as an acceptable form of family planning flies into the face of the tenet that sexual intercourse should solely be for the purpose of procreation because couples who practice the rhythm method have sexual intercourse for some purpose other than procreation, most likely for pleasure. And when you really think about it, there's nothing natural about the rhythm method, more so with abstinence.
I have not read the Reproductive Health Bill but I am sure that nothing in it condones abortion which is still a crime.
Some congressmen have already backed away from supporting the bill probably because of fear of the backlash from going against the Catholic Church. This fear is misplaced. Think about it. The Catholic Church can not even convince its flock, UNDER PAIN OF ETERNAL DAMNATION, not to use artificial contraceptives. Do you really think that the church can convince its flock to vote for one candidate instead of the other? It's like the rooster thinking that the sun only rises because he ordered it to do so with his crowing.
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