RELIGION

   There are three essential points of religion: Credo, Code and Cult (Liturgy) or Word, Work and Worship. To be a true believer of religion, one has to believe, lead a moral life and pray in worship. There are two ways to live: the way of Christ that leads "to life" or the contrary that leads to "chaos".

   Catholic morality chooses the way of Christ - the roadmap in our path through this world to heaven. God put us in this world to know, love and serve Him and in doing so, come to paradise (CCD 1721). This is the purpose of human life. Many do not actually accept this or may question this and other Catholic beliefs. This is where Apologetics comes in - it refers to the reasonable defense of the Christian faith. In essence, the Catholic faith is not opposed to reason; in fact reason rightly understood, supports Catholic faith.

MORALITY

   Two concepts are necessary to understand how any morally neutral acts can turn into either good or bad. The first concept is that of intention. All the good intentions in the world cannot make an intrinsically evil act less evil. On the other hand, bad intentions can change morally neutral acts from good into bad (CCC1752-1753). To illustrate: one can give peppermint to someone. Giving peppermint to someone is in itself, a neutral act, neither good nor bad. If one wants to make the recipient happy, then it is good. But if one knows that the recipient is allergic to it and one wants to harm the recipient, then the action is evil. Applying it to natural family planning (NFP) principles, the use of periodic abstinence to space or postpone pregnancies is a morally neutral act. However, if a couple is selfish in their reasons to limit their family, the use of NFP method would actually be a sin. It is possible that one of the partners has serious psychological or physical reasons to limit the family and is actually practicing responsible parenthood. The true intentions would be for God to decide.

   The second concept is that of imputability. The amount of sin for which a person is held responsible can be increased or decreased by the circumstance of the action, such as stress, ignorance, fear, etc. (CCC 1735). But once again, circumstance cannot make right an action that is in itself evil (CCC 1754). Applying this to NFP principles, i.e. a couple who had four children did not practice abstinence but they used contraceptives to limit their family. They were generous in their acceptance of many children. Their use of contraceptive might have been influenced by ignorance of the seriousness of the sin, ignorance of the complexity or effectiveness of the NFP methods, fear of the effects of abstinence on their marriage, pressure from one of the spouses, etc. All these things can lessen how much sin is imputed to an individual. But they could have been selfish in wanting to have sexual gratification or just plain lazy to learn about NFP. If so, they would be held more responsible for their use of sinful methods. Once again, only God can judge the imputability of a person's sins. Understanding how intentions and circumstances can and cannot affect the morality of human actions is spiritually enlightening. Our Catholic morality compels us to consider the following: "You are not your own. You were bought with a price. So glorify God in your bodies." (Cor 6:19) And "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom 12:1)

    The constant teaching of the church has been to prohibit contraception. This prohibition was in fact taught by all major Christian groups until 1930. Spacing children or limiting the number of children for serious reasons is permitted according to Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical Humana Vitae and by Catholic moral teaching. But this limitation must come about through natural rather than artificial means so that the integrity of the marital sexual act is preserved, i.e. that the act remains open to possibility of transmitting new life which is part of its natural purpose. However, there could be times when fasting from the act of marriage for prayerfully considered reasons could be helpful. Likewise, NFP was presented as a prescription for difficulty rather than as a daily supplement for disobedience.

   The Catholic Church is unique. Jesus spoke of the Church as a "city set on the mountain." (Mt 5:14) The Church is not invisible. It was intended for God to be reaily identifiable. When Jesus declared that the apostle Peter was the "rock" on which He would build His church, he made it possible to identify that church, to know where it could be found. Thus the church is in spiritual and organizational communion with the successors of St. Peter. The central role of the Church in historic Christianity can be seen in the unique and decisive function of upholding Christian orthodoxy (literally "correct doctrice") throughout the ages.

   The Church settled and settles its doctrinal dispute. As in the matter of circumcision as a requirement to be Christian following the Mosaic Law, after much debate among the apostles, Peter summed up the case against the continued observance of this particular requirement. This judgment was referred to not as a mere recommendation but rather as divinely authoritative, "a decision of the Holy Spirit and us." (Acts 156:28) Did each Christian study the scriptures individually and then came up with his own conclusion? Was each believer his own final interpreter and judge in the matter? No, that would have led to fragmentation of the community. Instead, the leaders and the learned met individual Catholics to decide this matter for themselves. This is the biblical way, the way Peter and other apostles handled disagreement. Christ Himself gave them and their successors - the popes and the bishops - the authority to speak for Him. "Whoever listens to you, listens to me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me." (Lk 190:16)

   Why follow rules? So there is order and not chaos. No matter how strong is the urge or temptation to go against the law, one would be cautious and mindful not to break it because of the imposed penalty. Since the use of contraception is held sinful by church law, would one still use it without exhausting other means? Just because God has given us free will and may not punish us manifestly when we transgress does not mean that we can asssume the right or presume we are righteous in doing what is unlawful in the eyes of God.

   Consider this: "If you love me you will keep my commandments." (Jn 14:15) We express our love for Him by obedience to the rules and regulations He has given us for living. In marriage for example, spouses express their love in part by obeying the commandments against adultery, lying and coveting another person's spouse. (Ex 20:14) The Gospel sums up the intent of God's commands in a brief statement, "Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself." (Lk 10:27) God has given us Sirach and many other biblical books with the rich insights into their particular guidelines and ordinances. The Catholic Church makes use of these in formulating her precepts. Certainly, Christian faith is much more than a collection of rules and regulations. A personal relationship with the Lord is essential. But the relationship does not dispense with rules. Rather the rules help define the relationship and our obedience to them is the clearest indicator of our love for the Lord.
   (To be continued)