Religion and the Use of the Birth Control Methods - Essay Example

ETHICS The current investigation looks at the views of the use of the birth control methods, based on religion. There are many contraceptive and birth control controversies with religion, but perhaps one of the major ones in the western world is that of Catholicism, which sees sex being about procreation, and therefore forbids any kind of birth control or contraception. Other Christian sects have more tolerance than the Catholic model, including the Jehovah Witness model. In this model, as opposed to the Catholic forbidding of birth control and contraception, it is allowed between man and woman, but conception is still considered by Jehovah’s Witnesses to be when life begins. This is a controversial issue today, because there is also the Plan B pill. The current investigation looks at the religious views of Catholicism and Christianity, specifically Jehovah Witness Christianity. Catholicism has very strict views on the use of birth control, whereas there is, as mentioned, a less restrictive view on the issue in other Christian sects. A big debate that has been in the news in the past few years has been hospitals dispensing of the Plan B pill. Most Catholic hospitals, such as St. Raphaels in New Haven,CT do not dispense the Plan B pill due to the Catholic beliefs; the pill, however, is still available in secular area clinics. Even today, birth control is a sensitive issue with Catholics, many of whom do not even advocate the use of condoms in the present day and age. Essentially, as the current report uses a source from the mid 20th century regarding Catholic position on birth control, since the position has not softened in any fundamental way since then, and in fact, since ever, as far as Catholic leaders are concerned. “Bishop Pike, chairman of the committee, said that one of its functions would be to help secure the incorporation of contraceptive counseling and prescription in maternal health services throughout the United States” (Protestant, 1959). The main reasons given in this article for the advocacy of birth control were not the hot button issues of today like STDs and handing out free condoms to teenagers, since this was a different day and age. The main reasons were the advocacy of responsible family planning and how to avoid a population explosion. “Bishop Pike said that between 100 million and 200 million adults in the childbearing years in the US are uninformed or misinformed about medically approved child spacing. Referring to the world population explosion, he asserted that overpopulation posed the same ethical questions” (Protestant, 1959). It is interesting that this perspective basically reports on this group and quotes the bishop a lot, saying that they are going to act as a national committee for the advocacy of birth control counseling, education, resources, and legislative reform. Essentially, the Catholic position on birth control has not changed since 1959. It is the same thing as women priests: it is simply not accepted whatsoever by the leadership, no matter how much society may change, and even in the face of the HIV/AIDS crisis. To Jehovah Witness Christians, the stance on birth control is much less hard line, and much more reflective of a religion that is not afraid to take ancient scripture to heart, but still change with modern times. There is nothing that Jehovah Witness followers outline in their basic religious indoctrination material on birth control being forbidden in the Bible, and since Jehovah Witness is a faith that puts a lot of weight on scripture, this means that as long as other Biblical rules are followed (couples are married, etc.), birth control can be practiced, since there is nothing in the Bible to forbid it. “A new life begins at conception, and the Mosaic Law indicates that a person could be called to account for injuring an unborn child. In fact, Exodus 21:22, 23 specifies that if a pregnant woman or her unborn child suffered a fatal accident as a result of a struggle between two men, the matter had to be brought before the appointed judges” (Is, 2009). Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that life begins at conception, so the Plan B pill is still essentially murder to them. But they can still accept other forms of birth control. “Those principles are relevant to contraception in that some methods of birth control appear to be abortive. These methods of contraception are not in harmony with the divine principle of respect for life. Most contraceptives, though, are not abortive.” (Is 2009). Non abortive contraceptives are accepted as viable and completely able to be trusted in Jehovah Witness faith. As the years have progressed, especially in terms of scientific and technological sophistication in the health field since the 1959 article about the Catholic Bishop was written, new methods of birth control have been increasingly effective and successful. But a large part of effective contraception remains awareness and education regarding how to safely and successfully apply these methods, just as it was in the time of the article and the religious advocacy mentioned. Effectiveness is an important factor to consider when choosing a method of contraception, but this effectiveness only goes as far as the individual making the choice is educated in terms of the successful and correct application of the method of contraception. With new contraceptive methods becoming available all the time, it is important to keep up with new advances and learn as much as possible about the most effective and efficient means of contraception. While the use of the male condom remains a popular and fairly effective choice for protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, recently there have been many new methods of contraception, including the new Ortho Evra patch and improved birth-control pills, which have emerged on the market. People also must be educated regarding emergency contraceptive methods that can be employed in the event of a failure in conventional methods (such as a condom breaking). The most popular of these options remains the morning-after pill. But ever since the mid 20th century, a major public health issue that has remained the same is to help people lead safer and more aware lives in terms of contraception. Birth control itself may have truly come a long way, but the original spirit of the Jewish and Protestant leaders to advocate birth control remains the same in many ways. It is more difficult for individuals to control blood transfusions. This preventive measure is more based on healthcare organizations and structures which are often out of religious control. This is an important issue to consider, because the use of condoms, by the above information, are forbidden by Catholics and allowed by Jehovah’s Witness authorities. Male condoms are one way of effectively preventing most STDs that can be spread through sexual contact. Birth control pills are likewise allowed under Jehovah Witness, but not under Catholicism. Birth control pills prevent pregnancy, but it must be remembered that they do not prevent STDs. For non married people, of course, both religions advocate mainly abstinence. Abstinence is an effective, perhaps the most effective, prevention, but it is problematic if a program teaches abstinence only without addressing the realities of sexual human beings. For the female, barrier methods can be helpful in preventing STDs, and these methods also increase ineffectiveness if they are used in conjunction with other methods such as the male condom; however, the condom is forbidden by Catholicism. Emergency contraception is the method usually used when other methods of contraception were misused, malfunctioned, or were not available. This method is most commonly found in the morning-after pill or Plan B pill, “which is a strong dose of synthetic hormones, similar to those used in the regular birth-control pill. The lining of your uterus will be changed to prevent implantation of the (possibly) fertilized egg” (Allen, 1996). One of the drawbacks of the Plan B pill is possible nausea or vomiting, but many women find this a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes from the contraceptive method, which is nearly 75% effective, and the doctor may prescribe anti- emetics if necessary. The abovementioned concerns are all intrinsically linked to practical application of the public health concern mentioned in the article. Because of advocacy like this people may choose the method of presentation that seems most suited to their individual style so as to effectively educate the client about effective contraception. Different individuals assimilate information in different ways, so a combination approach may be most effective. According to Jehovah Witness faith, “Nowhere does the Bible command Christians to procreate. God told the first human couple and Noah’s family… Hence, married couples may decide for themselves whether they will raise a family, how many children they will have, and when they will have them” (Is, 2009). The contraception of Plan B is not accepted by Jehovah Witness or Catholic faiths. But to Jehovah Witness followers, “The Scriptures, likewise, do not condemn birth control” (Is, 2009), from a Biblical point of view. REFERENCE Allen, Kim (2006). Emergency Contraception: The Morning-After Pill. http://www.io.com/~wwwomen/contraception/morningafter.html. Contraception Methods (2002). ChoiceUSA. http://www.choiceusa.org/facts/methods.php Planned Parenthood: A history of choice (2007). http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/abortion-access/choice-history-6164.htm Protestant and Jewish Clergy Organize Birth Control Group (1959). New York Times. Is contraception wrong? (2009). The Watchtower. Read More