Well gather round–”natural or rhythm ” indicates man’s ability to “bridle his passions”, hence not being enslaved to urges and desires. This would separate us from the animals who attack at will, whiz and dump at leisure, and mount anything, anyone,at anyplace if all fits. Artificial means permits us to join the lower animal kingdom without reproductive consequences.

While I appreciate someone finally trying to explain this, I don’t buy it. If delay f gratification was the point, then Catholics would still be encouraged to to have sex only when the woman is fertile for procreation. Rhythm method is still for people who can’t wait to get some and want it with less risk of a baby.

I don’t think anyone is saying that Catholics are the heavy, I personally am saying the Church is the heavy for failing to relinquish a method of sexual protection that is unsafe and unstable. Remember, if the Church decides to allow life-saving methods of contraception and protection, then all the Catholics will simply fall in line.

Also, the moral implications of this outdated method of birth control have to be considered: is the moral value of sexual restraint really that much more important than containing and preventing a deadly epidemic?

PS: Restraint is by far not the only thing that separates us from the “lower order” of animals and it would take more that just its loss to equate us with them.

Basically both (BC and Rhythm) are designed not to produce a baby.

That’s the question.

Tom, the attitude toward the church here and elsewhere is often hostile, but I think the good folks who read DL would welcome your input.

The church does approve the rhythm method — natural family planning — because the couple isn’t doing anything extraordinary to prevent pregnancy. The couple in that case is at least open to the possibility of procreation.

I am disappointed at times reading this and other blogs because I see how much good the Catholic Church does in so many areas. However, it has its faults and makes itself an easy target for critics. And there are definitely areas, such as birth control, where the church and I disagree.

The battleground is Vatican politics, from which the next pope will emerge…

Vatican politics, from which the next pope will emerge. The conservative factions have had the upper hand for decades.

There are liberal factions in the Vatican. Unfortunately, many of them are U.S. based, and the US Church has been weakened by the pedophile scandals, so their influence is lessened.