40th Anniversary of Humane Vitae

This week the Catholic Church celebrated the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humane Vitae. Catholic or non-Catholic, love or hate the Church, everyone should read it for a full understanding of what the Church actually teaches and to help form your own conscience on contraception.

Here is one of the most prophetic sections of the encyclical:

Consequences of Artificial Methods
17. Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.

Remember, this was published in 1968. Does anyone doubt that these prophesies have come to pass.

Our state and nation promote the chemical sterilization of women through billions and billions of dollars given to Planned Parenthood and all the government agencies that push contraceptives on the American public. We also have massive overseas "family planning" programs under the auspices of the UN, USAID, World Bank and other governmental agencies that push contraceptives as tools to "fight poverty" and "promote security". Have we not given "into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife"?

Where are the libertarians, athiests, free-thinkers, demanding the government stay out of our personal lives?

This last week we were treated to news that "pro-choice" Commissioner for Public Lands, Doug Sutherland, was accused of, and admitted to, basically feeling-out a female subordinate and alluding to meeting up with her at her field office.

Yuck.

In his "pro-choice" contraceptive/abortion soaked mentality it seems as thought Mr. Sutherland has forgotten "the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduc[ing] her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires."

Where are the liberals, feminists, and pro-choice libertarians aghast at this clear violation of a woman's freedom and her body?