A Personal Analysis
"Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou yield in judgment, to the opinion of the most part, to stray from the truth." Exodus 23:1 (Douay-Rheims Version)
Coat of Arms of Pope Paul VI
Points to consider as we reflect on Humanae Vitae
- In a world where the truth is despised, the respect for life is relegated to the convenience of humans, and to a self-centered understanding of human reproduction masquerading as human rights, what should be our response?
- What should be our response when unbelieving people challenge the right of the Church to propose teachings touching on faith and morals?
- Should we shelved our faith and religion in the closet in the midst of public criticism?
A world centered on Humans and not God - a world where Humans and God is seen as separate entities, and a world where religion is restricted into the private sphere will ultimately result in Men and Women beginning to decide how they can control their lives as if God is dead or as if God has abandoned humans and refuse to intervene in their affairs. There are passages in the Old Testament that poetically points to these state of affairs. A good illustration to this is the generation of Noah (Genesis 11:1-9). The people began to build the tower of Babel and presumed among themselves that they could determine their destiny by their own power, disregarding their maker. Does this story from Genesis sound similar to the one-united world advocated by some idealists in our world today? Does this sound similar to the ideology of globalization? And as the story goes, God decided to confound their languages. Today with the dominance of science, humans are able to surmount physical obstacles. The advance in communication and transportation has profound effect on Humans, both beneficial and also some are not beneficial. There is always a tendency for humans to be proud and to think that with their science they can do everything they want. They can chart their destiny and determine their literal prosperity. Some people now think that by controlling birth and tampering with natural laws is acceptable. Some people assumed that the encyclical of Pope Paul VI was a disaster for the world especially for the southern hemisphere. But these critics failed to realize that it is the oppressive and unjust global economy that are pushing the peoples of the south to poverty and not the population. The population of the southern hemisphere are victims of the unfair and unjust trade policies of the powerful. But indeed the famous encyclical of Pope Paul VI is prophecy in itself. Yes not everyone will accept this teaching and we certainly cannot force anyone to believe, for Christ said blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed. There will be critics from without and from within, but the Scriptures has admonished us "not to follow a multitude in committing sin." The Church can never declare an unlawful thing as lawful. Time and again the teachings of the church will remind us that we have to stand for the truth. That marriage is a sacrament and that the sexual act is an expression of love whose ultimate purpose is procreation and the natural means for the survival and propagation of the human race. Remove this basic principle in the sexual act, you also remove the main incentive for the survival, thats how the LAW OF NATURE dictates. Thus any attempt to regulate birth by means of artificial means which removes the responsibility for the sexual act will result in the deformation of values. Let us remember that Christ calls us to be different, "Be not conform to this world but be transformed in your minds...". So whatever is the criticism, no matter how bitter, let us stand our ground and faithfully obey the voice of God. We cannot relegate our religion in the closet but since religion is both personal and social so we are called to declare openly our faith in words and deeds. O, Mary Mother of the Church, guide and defend us your children. Amen.
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