Arts: Bad Religion

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The Book Club Bad Religion Why shouldn't a Christian embrace contraception? By William Saletan Posted Tuesday, Apr 17, 2012, at 03:49 PM ET Ross, I appreciate the complexity of your answer about capitalism. Greed requires restraint, but the restraint has to be sensible, tempered by an appreciation of human fallibility and unintended consequences. Why not treat lust the same way? If we can manage the profit motive so it's put to good use, can't we do the same with the libido? Why shouldn't a Christian embrace contraception? You and I have discussed this topic before, but only in the context of abortion. Let's talk straight up about the ethics of birth control. You depict the pill as a gateway to moral chaos. I'd like to convince you that it ain't necessarily so. Throughout the book, you include contraception in a litany of ills—illegitimacy, infidelity, divorce—that signify cultural erosion. I'm with you on the latter three. But is it really fair to cast contraception as part of that lot? Sure, birth control can facilitate promiscuity. But can't it also facilitate sexual intimacy within marriage, enabling couples to raise a manageable number of children? Isn't that an exercise of sexual and parental responsibility? Is openness to procreation—in every act—really essential to moral sex? Can an orthodox Christian, as opposed to a fundamentalist, reconsider that teaching? In the book, you don't explicitly rely on the strict openness-to-life argument. You present a more sophisticated case against the "shift from a child-centric to a romance-centric model for adult sexual relationships." You strongly implicate the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Spitzer: Romney's Idea of "Freedom" Is Perverse and Frightening Why the Government Calls Tax Forms "Schedules" Scientists Want To Know: Are Men More Attracted to Women With Redder Genitalia?	Advertisement
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