Catholicism, contraception, and Cherie Blair

A few eyebrows were raised by Mrs Blair's blithe admission that she only had Leo because she didn't pack her contraceptive equipment for Balmoral; not least because she is a Catholic, has had audiences with two Popes,  and Catholicism still absolutely bans contraception.  She reiterates in an interview that this is no problem to her - "'People seem to be quite shocked that perhaps a good Catholic girl even uses contraception but it is really an important thing for women because one of the things about the book is about how women's lives have changed,' 
     The Catholic church (rather cowardly, you might say) is refusing to comment on the issue.  But its approved websites do, firmly enough -  "Contraception is wrong because it’s a deliberate violation of the design God built into the human race...sexual pleasure within marriage becomes unnatural, and even harmful to the spouses, when it is used in a way that deliberately excludes the basic purpose of sex, which is procreation."
      They cite equal opposition by earlier Protestants, such as Luther, Calvin, and Wesley "Those sins that dishonor the body are very displeasing to God, and the evidence of vile affections."     There are Catholics who openly oppose the ruling - like this group - but you can't get away from it: they, and the tens of thousands who just ignore it, like Mrs Blair -  are in defiance of their Church.
         Still, if Mrs Blair's open and admitted contempt for the  Vatican ruling is noted more widely, and answered by Church officials, she will have done a favour to all those who have been alienated from their Church by being too honest to pretend it doesn't exist.

Comments

[Alistair]

The comment in Cherie's book is nothing new. In the week immediately preceeding Tony's conversion to Catholicism, she stated publicly that she was glad she lived in a society that recognised a woman's right to contraception, adding that religion "wasn't all about the Church."

[Jim]

'Contempt' is a good word to describe Mrs Blair's attitude to the Church.

Just for fun, why not look at the four predictions Pope Paul made about the way that society would develop if artificial/chemical contraception became widespread.
1 It would "lead to conjugal infidelity and the general lowering of morality."

Correct

2 Men will lose respect for women and no longer care for their physical or psychological health "to the point of considering her as a mere instrument of selfish enjoyment and no longer as his respected and beloved companion."

Correct

3 It would lead to abuses of power where governments can act as they please a "dangerous weapon... in the hands of those public authorities who take no heed of moral exigencies."

Correct

4 It would lead us to believe that we had ultimate dominion over our bodies and could act as we wish - he never imagined todays antics in Parliament

Correct

Have you read the document?
Or has Mrs Blair

[Rick Beekman]

The Catholic Church is the Only church I know of who Preaches against Birth Control.

The Bible teaches against Immorality having Relations with the opposite sex for single people (Fornication) and against Married People having multiple partners (Adultery). Nowhere does it talk about two Married people using Birth Control Or not using Birth Control.

The RCC Has ulterior motives for promoting no Birth Control.
(A) in all Third World countries such as The Philippines and Latin America and Africa They Will not allow those Governments To allow The citizens to have any Birth Control. This is of course against "Seperation of Church and state" which the RCC historically treats as a big joke with their pompous arrogant in-your-face attitude to all who oppose her.

(B) The RCC Is also a Buisness..In All third world Countries the RCC runs The orphanges. This gets them multiple contributions plus they charge fees to adoptive parents sometimes many thousand dollars. So there is "Gold" in preaching against Birth Control as you can see.

That is why most third World nations are totally corrupt and Poor..The RCC likes it that way..more contributions..more foreign aid..more ignorance. A vicious endless cycle.

[Fatpie42]

Jim, are you seriously claiming that infidelity never took place before the invention of the condom? Surely, the major difference that contraception causes in such cases is that the woman is not left with an child out of wedlock when such infidelities take place?

When we look back through history women were once seen as little more than property and were closely associated with death. You seem to be claiming that contraception encourages rape (which seems quite absurd). If sex with a condom is generally consensual and, most often, loving, how can it be seen as producing a lower opinion of women?

What abuses of power? And what has contraception to do with the recent 'antics' in parliament opening up new opportunities for medical research and life-saving treatments?

I think you might be being a tad over-dramatic.....

[norma]

Cherie blair's airy assertion of her right to flaunt one of the basic tenets of the Roman Catholic Church whilst maintaining she is a "good catholic" (and the uncharacteristic reticence of the catholic hierarchy to comment, far less condemn, this) is nothing other than the manifestation of the inherent cultural, class and educational dichotomy of the catholic world. The "masses" are bullied into following catholic doctrine to the letter, and anathematized if they do not: the well-informed middle classes unashamedly and openly pick and choose which parts are convenient whilst still remaining within the cozy comfort of the mother church, and couldn't care less about the effects such doctrine has (eg in aids torn Africa) on others.

Cherie you also maintain you still have socialist principles: you really have come a long way, baby ...

[Jess]

"Those sins that dishonor the body are very displeasing to God, and the evidence of vile affections."

"sexual pleasure within marriage becomes unnatural, and even harmful to the spouses, when it is used in a way that deliberately excludes the basic purpose of sex, which is procreation."

I'm probably not alone when I say I have a few issues with those statements. How is having sex for pleasure, within a marriage, harmful to the couple?? I don't know about the Church, but from I have gathered, a lot of marriages break up because they DON'T have sex, and therefore don't feel close, desired or loved in the way a man and woman should love eachother, and secondly, in what way is sexual pleasure dishonouring the body? It is a natural reaction to sex, and as far as I'm concerned that is the opposite of dishonouring it.

I have a few words of advice for the Catholic Church.

a) Not everything involving personal gratification is a sin.

b) Just because you say it DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE.

[gwana]

It is hard to take the RC church seriously on the issue of sex. The stance on contraception is in fact not illogical (though I personally disagree with it) but they frequently get attacked on it. The real problem, however, is the stance on celibacy for priests which is neither biblical nor, as the rumbling sex scandal makes clear, helpful.

[Copernicus]

"They, and the tens of thousands who just ignore it, are in defiance of their Church."

No, I think this is the wrong way to read the situation. It comes down to the meaning of "Church", and it's a skewed vision (admittedly clung to steadfastly in Rome, above all in the last 150 years) to equate the term with "Vatican officials".

The late bishop Christopher Butler put it persuasively: Rome's farcical handling of the Humanae Vitae affair led to a more mature and less docile role for lay Catholics, in which conscience rightly overrules the 'magisterium' when it's in error.

This isn't defiance or contempt; it's ordinary Christians assuming the responsibility that comes with baptism: their priesthood.

[BRIAN GREGORY]

The Catholic Church has always - from the time of the first Pope - St. Peter condemned contraception and abortion.

God blessed the first man and woman and instructed them to procreate (Gen:1.26-28). Our divine Lord Jesus Christ upheld this (St. Mk:10.6-9).

Onan was struck dead forpractising contraception (Gen:38.9-10)which was referred to as 'practising magic' in the NT and in 'The Didache' (AD70) where it is prohibited together with abortion and infanticide.

Abortion was punished by death and nation were punished with war and natural disaster which practised it (Ex:21.22-24 Amos:1.13). Before the Chinaquake they boasted of their 'One Child Policy' which involved abortion and infanticide.

Contraception gives the false impression sex is not for procreation so abortion and sodomy raise their vile heads. Sodom was destroyed for its homosexual perversion (Gen:19.4-5 Lev:18.22
1 Cor:6.9-10).

God not man is the Creator of life - those who support abortion, contraception and homosexuality risk eternal damnation if they do repent.

The Church was built upon St. Peter - the first Pope and the lay people are to obey the clergy (Heb:13.7,17) who must obey the bishops (1 St. Pet:5.1,5)who must obey the Pope. The Pope has the authority to bind or loose - forgive or retain sins (St. Mtt:16.18-19
St. Mtt:18.18-20 St. Jn:20.21-23).

Cherie Blair is not a Catholic - by her own actions she has excommunicated herself so should be denied Communion until she truly repents of her sins.

Brian Gregory

[Rick Beekman]

Brian Gregory;
With all sincere due Respect to your viewpoint.

(1) in your First Paragraph you stated that Apostle Peter was the first Pope and that Peter was against contraception and Abortion.
First Brian; Peter was never the Pope. Jesus did give him the "Keys" in Matthew 16 v 17 to 19. Those Smybolic Keys were For Jesus' Church not Peter's Church Brian.

Peter was Married. Jesus healed his Mother-In-Law (Matthew 8 v 14 & 15)
Peter tells us (1Peter 5 v 1 & 5) that he was only a Church Elder And that The Apostles were not to be "Lords over God's Heritage" that tells us he could never be an exalted Person such as The Pope.
Jesus told The Apostles (Matthew 20 v 26 & 27) "But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you let him be your MINISTER. And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant".
You are correct regarding Abortion. As far as you quoting Gen 38 v 9 & 10 about Onan practicing Contraception. That's not the case Brian. The Jews were given a law by God in the OT that if a man was married and died before he and his wife had a child..then the Man's Brother had to give the Widow a child to keep his dead Brother's Heirs in line. Onan decided he did'nt like this idea so he let his seed go on the ground. The Lord killed him because of his disobedience not for practicing contraception....