Boreal

Conception and Contraception

The condom brings momentary bliss without risking one's life, or the life of another. It is an act of charity and caring like no other. Only those who shun consensual sex cannot appreciate that it is mostly an act of giving, not of a taking; of wanting to make another happy and sharing in that happiness, which is very much part of Christ's message.

Église et contraception The Church and Birth Control, my translation) was broadcast by Radio-Canada as part of its Grands Reportages series. In this revealing and doleful documentary, Vatican officials and church leaders in poor AIDS ravaged communities in Africa and the Philippines preach that, not only is it a sin to use artificial birth control methods, but also that all condoms, including the latex variety, do not provide protection against the AIDS virus and should not be used.

Spreading falsehoods about condoms in conjunction with a doctrine that God created sex for procreation only, not for mutual gratification (which condoms make possible) to the most vulnerable, materially deprived and ill-informed is irresponsible and pitiless in the extreme. It dooms many of the recipients of these lies to a miserable interrupted life, and their children to a worst existence without parents and an equally brutish short lifespan.

The self-proclaimed Vicars of Christ (the Pope and his Bishops) prefer to allow countless men and women and their offspring to die of AIDS and/or hunger then allow the use of condoms, and thereby interfere with the Almighty's alleged desire that a sperm should not end its life in a latex enclosure, but in a vigorous fight to the death to create an unwanted pregnancy.

Islam and Contraception

Most Islamic Schools of Law reluctantly allow condoms within a marriage setting. All are against men having a vasectomy or women a tubal ligation for this would be interfering with Allah's right to schedule a pregnancy at some point in the future.

Most schools also permit the use of birth control pills if having children endangers the life of the wife. However, the husband must give his permission.

Like the use of condoms, coitus interruptus is neither halal nor haram, but makruh i.e. not recommended based on the Prophet's disapproval of the practice.

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: that while he was sitting with Allah's Apostle he said, "O Allah's Apostle! We get female captives as our share of booty, and we are interested in their prices, what is your opinion about coitus interruptus?"

The Prophet said, "Do you really do that? It is better for you not to do it. No soul that which Allah has destined to exist, but will surely come into existence."

Bukhari 34.432

Where Islam and the Church unabashedly part company is in their attitude toward sex for the fun of it. To paraphrase Allamah Rizvi author of Marriage and Morals in Islam, "taken to its logical conclusion [Catholic doctrine] would preclude sex with a pregnant wife or sex between a couple incapable of conceiving for physiological reasons."

Bernard Payeur