Hungarian Church Press, 1968 (20. évfolyam, 2. szám)

1968-06-01 / 2. szám

HOP Vol XX Special Number - 88 — (07792)

1968 No 2

want to have children or do not want to haTe more children» Does Christian ethics permit the limitation of the number of children? Let us add that, in Hungary, the "shocking" results of birth control make this matter an acute and urgent problem» The detailed questions concern such matters as increased responsibility for the life of the mother, social changes, a higher level of education, claims on a higher standard of living, etOr, Ethical thinkers, as a rule, make a distinction, within the problem of birth control, between contraception and abortion»

The Roman Catholic Church has taken various decisions on this issue»^) The basic theological attitude cf the Roman Catholic Church is against birth control, but, in certain instances, the prevention of conception is permitted and even re commended« In our opinion, the real ethical problem does not concern the method ox* means cf contraception but rather the spirit in which married people resort to centraccption, There is a thaw nowadays in the uncompromising stand of the Roman Catholic Church, and the constitution The Church and Modern Society of the Second Vatican Council explicitly moat ions the possibility cf family planning» lot even tic sc newly phrasod declarations adhere to the traditional position that the primary end in marriage is the procreation of children and it is only in the second place that all those things which pertain to the realm cf personal fellowship are considered«

As to the essence to the matter, the position of the Evangelical churches is not opposed to the Roman Cathodic view, but this is interpreted in a different mattere As to the essence of the matter, all methods of contraception - whether natural or mechanical - may be called unnatural» The decisive factor in this matter is the voice of cine7s conscience? The decision on this matter will be the right one ~ err s Karl -th — if we make our decision "with good conscience, knowing that, with cnc’s special responsibility concerning this matter in the given circumstances* one must act in this way and not other - wise, and that it is for this reason that ono has acted in this way" (Kirchliche Dogmatik, Vol ILl/4, p, 309)»

Also in the matter of birth control, one has to seek God’s will,

Men’s dominion over the created things comprises his sexuality also» As 1 Peter 3?7 tells us, the husbands are to dwell with their wives "according to knowledge"» Contraception is only sinful if the wedded partners decide to have no children at all» But, in accord with God?s will, they may decide on contraception if 'there are really important reasons to do so, such as illness: social or economic difficulties? Yet in this case wc cannot grade the instruments used according to their ethacal vahe; none of them exceeds the others» Protestant theology tries to give simultaneous attention end regard to the two creation narratives» Equal enphasis is to be placed upon the command "Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth" and on the promise "I will make him a help meet for him" and "the twain shall be one flesh"«

Both divine declarations point to the Incarnation» In this context, family