Hare Krishna Cultural Journal Update: Contraception and Protestant

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna Cultural Journal Update: Contraception and Protestant

Christianity

 

March 20, 2005

 

 

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http://siddhanta.com/archives/culture/000234.html

 

 

 

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Some Christian denominations endorse the "responsible" use of

contraception. Notice in the title I qualified by by "Protestant". By

protestant, I am particularly referring to mainline protestant

denominations such as the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian, Methodist,

Lutheran, etc. The other polar end of western Christendom is the Roman

Catholic Church, and for the most part they still pretty much uphold

historical Christianity's prohibitions against contraception.

 

So why am I mentioning this at all? I'm not lashing out at mainline

Protestant Christian denominations. Rather, I mention this because of

the principle of association. Whether we like it or not, the denizens

of western Christendom are our neighbors, and we theirs. As social

beings and because of living in close proximity to them, what affects

them can also affect us, and vice versa. So if our neighbor's house is

on fire, it is not none of our business, since the fire can spread to

our own house as well. This is a round about way of introducing a

parallel, or common, moral issue we share between us--that of illicit

sexual conduct and the possibility of sanctioning sanctioning it.

 

The 1930 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops passed this resolution

sanctioning contraception:

 

Where there is clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid

parenthood, the method must be decided on Christian principles. The

primary and obvious method is complete abstinence from intercourse

(as far as may be necessary) in a life of discipline and

self-control lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless in

those cases where there is such a clearly felt moral obligation to

limit or avoid parenthood, and where there is a morally sound

reason for avoiding complete abstinence, the Conference agrees that

other methods may be used, provided that this is done in the light

of the same Christian principles. The Conference records its strong

condemnation of the use of any methods of conception control from

motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience.

 

(1930 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops. Resolution 15."The

Life and Witness of the Christian Community - Marriage and Sex"

site: [1]http://www.anglicancommunion.org page:

[2]http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/archive/1930/1930-15.htm)

 

Notice how the language of of morality has subsumed the immorality of

contraceptive use? The act itself becomes at best secondary to

evaluating its actual worth. What has happened is that those who

adopted the resolution implicity accepted a hermaneutic of "good

intentions" over directly stated prohibitions. Essentially this is a

shift from the objective to the subjective.

 

Since this is an historical precedent, thre is a likelyhood that

future attempts to introduce immorality into ISKCON will employ a

similar hermaneutic. It is something to watch out for.

 

References

1. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/

2. http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/archive/1930/1930-15.htm

 

 

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