The Pope and Condoms: What Would Jesus Do?
By Joey Lauer
image courtesy of http://gal.darkervision.com
Pope Benedict XV recently approved the use of condoms in cases where their primary purpose is to decrease the risk of AIDS. This is an unusual relaxation of the absolute ban on contraceptives that the Catholic Church has had for decades. Perhaps the Pope is starting to realize that condoms can prove useful, if not necessarily for the right reasons. In the face of this theological dilemma it may be fruitful to ask: what would Jesus say about the matter?
The Pope’s decision is based on preventing partners from transmitting AIDS, most notably in places like Africa, where the disease is a prevalent problem. He also said that their use may be justified in specific cases, such as preventing infection from male prostitutes.i The Vatican has to be careful with the message they are sending with this new policy. In order to be consistent with their other prescriptions, they must continue to stress abstinence as the most important tool in combating issues of this nature. The pope even acknowledged this when he said that condoms are not a “real or moral solution” for combating AIDS.
From a biblical perspective, one prevailing stance is that contraceptives can be used as long as they are for the right reasons. Though it can be hard to answer “What would Jesus do?” for modern situations, a holistic approach to an issue can be based on the bible. There are no conclusive verses in the bible that specifically ban the use of contraceptives. That being said, a closer look reveals that humans are instructed in Genesis 1:28 to be “fruitful and multiply.” Also, Psalm 124:3-5 is one of many verses that speak of children as a blessing from God: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” These verses show how child bearing is something to be used to honor God.
Since there are no specific verses condemning the use of contraceptives, the aforementioned verses can be seen as a limiting factor on contraceptive use. People using contraceptives should always use them with the intent of honoring God, and his gift of children. People who feel they are not ready to take care of a family, or need to focus on other aspects of life may choose to use contraception. For situations like these, it would seem Jesus would deem it acceptable. However, when contraceptives are used in a selfish manner, such as avoiding the consequences of pregnancy in order to have promiscuous sex, it can be seen as an inappropriate usage. In other words, the bible offers no definitive answer on the subject of contraception, leaving room for interpretation.
Coming back to the Pope’s reasoning: he was correct in allowing contraceptive use for partners who are trying to stop the spread of diseases such as AIDS. It is an unselfish method of curbing the disease’s effects. Outside of marriage however, the Pope should stick to a stance of abstinence only, since that is the biblical teaching on premarital sex. The Pope’s actions seem like a first step for allowing some use of contraceptives but not all of the reasoning seems valid in light of what Jesus would do. In addition to that, rules on contraceptives from the Vatican still remain unnecessarily inflexible because there are people who do use them with good intentions.
Though it still remains hard to say exactly “what Jesus would do,” the Pope is making progress on contraceptive policy for stopping AIDS, as long as it places abstinence first. There are also strong social conservative arguments for positive uses of contraception that the Pope has yet to acknowledge. Regardless, the Pope is heading in the right direction– though he must be careful along the way.
References
i Wynne-Jones, Jonathan. “Pope approves use of condoms in fight against Aids.” The Telegraph, 20 November 2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Two major points:
1) It’s Pope Benedict XVI, not XV.
2)It is very unclear as to what is meant by people use condoms with “good intentions.” The Catholic Church has always held that sex should only take place among married couples and that married couples should not use condoms because sex is meant to be an expression of love of partner and of God that produces offspring. Thus, nobody should use condoms. Not anyone. Ever. This article totally neglects the Catholic Church’s reasoning behind not allowing contraceptive use. To say that these restrictions are unnecessarily strict shows a lack of understanding for basic Catholic theology. In fact many Catholics disagree with the pope’s decision to condone the use of condoms in these cases, because it suggests that there are cases in which not being monogamous is acceptable.
Also, this article makes the argument that married couples not ready to have children should use contraception. This again goes against basic Catholic thought. The purpose of marriage is to express love that produces offspring. To say you can be married and have sex just for fun without having an interest in reproduction goes against the fundamental Catholic concept of marriage.
The author of this article lacks any understanding of the church’s ideals. He probably shouldn’t be writing about them.
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