Basic Christian rules of conduct are smart and few: the Ten Commandments, eight Beatitudes (i.e. “blessed are they” who think beyond themselves), seven capital sins (pride, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, sloth and covetousness), and four cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) that prevent anarchy from uncontrolled vice. Overzealous Christians were guilty of injustices to correct other’s injustice.
Christianity reminds us of the moral ideal. Such is their caution about contraception. The Catholic Church cautions that sexuality is firstly for reproduction, the creation of an eternally living human soul. To sabotage the natural purpose of sexuality is not to be done flippantly, though grave circumstances do justify decisions to use contraception. (Likewise, it’s evil to steal, yet salvaging apples from the neighbor’s yard without permission, to prevent starvation, is no sin). Americans’ inability to discriminate between right and wrong by denying the purpose and dignity of human life, rightly causes fear and dread in honest, rational men.
John Cannon
Vancouver
