Against Ideological Colonization: The Teaching of Humanae Vitae and a Humanely Adequate Global Ethic

Abstract

This article attempts to trace the development of the United Nations commitment to contraception as a guarantor of world peace, an engine of economic development, a guardian of the natural environment, and an equalizer of men and women. Unfortunately, as UNESCO notes in their instruction regarding the connection between population and development, the UN analysis of the impact of population growth was mistaken and their policies misguided.The promotion of artificial contraception was integral to UN attempts to limit childbearing in developing nations, and any resistance led to loss of international assistance in a variety of areas. This article argues then argues that natural family planning provides many of the benefits the UN policy seeks, while avoiding unintended adverse effects that have been documented in many studies. By teaching couples to work with their fertility to achieve their personal goals - whether to avoid or increase their chances of child bearing - the virtues of mutual restraint, communication, commitment, and respect are instilled. These virtues are instrumental to achieve the very goals that advocates of contraception desire. World peace, economic development, protection of the environment, and authentic sexual equality requires each of these virtues, both individually and communally.

Keywords: family planning, natural family planning, contraception, gender equality, Humanae Vitae