Family planning and the dignity of human life

It took the world 47 years—from 1927 to 1974—to double its population from two to four billion; 25 years—from 1974 to 1999—to increase by another two billion; and 12 years—from 1999 to 2011—to increase by still another billion. Demographers are warning that unless the problem is addressed effectively enough, then we might add another billion before the decade ends. Eight may be a lucky number for many, but the luck might run out as stark reality sets in with a world population of eight billion.

For some parents of big families, the arrival of a new baby may not seem to be too complicated and would just mean another mouth to feed in a brood that has already learned to deal with grumbling stomachs and edematous bodies due to malnutrition. The community and the government have to make them aware that their parental responsibility extends beyond simply providing their children rice meals with instant noodle broth as their main viand. A modicum of a sense of responsibility would dictate they have to ensure their children’s health, education, housing, food, and that the family does not contribute to the devastation of the environment.

More difficult to solve

“The thing about rapid population growth is that it makes almost every other problem more difficult to solve,” stressed demographer Joel Cohen of the Rockefeller University during a CBS News interview. According to Cohen’s estimate, there’s a billion-and-a-half people around the world living in “desperate poverty,” and for sure, our country has contributed significantly to this number. “They have shorter life expectancy, they have higher disease rates. They don’t have enough water to drink and wash. They don’t have enough food,” described Cohen of this segment of the population. Needless to say, it is  imperative that measures are taken on a global scale to slow down the growth rate.

Family planning, responsible parenthood, raising a family with dignity, or whatever one may wish to call it is the logical solution. Married and other cohabiting couples should be properly informed of legitimate ways to limit the size of their family to the number that is well within their means. Abortion and abortifacients are never legitimate options and the medical community joins all who are strongly against these anti-life measures, which are tantamount to murder.

But other means of contraception, such as the use of thoroughly studied pills and other contraceptive interventions including use of condoms, do not kill the fertilized ovum, but prevent the process of fertilization.

When one is so emotionally agitated, and for a second desires to kill someone who has wronged him—but is prevented by cooler heads from doing so—he is saved from becoming a murderer and is not deemed guilty of such crime. Neither are those who prevented him from committing murder. This is not so appropriate a comparison but in a similar vein, a legitimate and scientifically tested contraceptive method only prevents the process of fertilization and it does not disrespect the sanctity and dignity of human life. And definitely, it does not kill life.

Valid arguments

It’s really just a matter of perspective, with both sides having valid arguments to back them up; but unless parties on either side respect each other’s divergent perspectives, then there can never be a meeting of minds.

The Catholic Church and all who believe in the Church’s teaching that artificial contraception using any method is immoral should be respected. And they should not be forced to believe and practice otherwise. But the Catholic Church should not impose their beliefs on others—Catholics or non-Catholics, Christians or non-Christians—who look at the issue of family planning from a different perspective, and believe that artificial contraception which does not involve killing the fertilized ovum or developing fetus should be allowed.

There can never be harmony in this world if we would always demand that other people think the same way we do.