The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-01-08


writers, the underlying tone
is the same. The world will
not cease trying to exact its
vengeance upon those who
refuse to conform to its
secularist standards. The ad.
vertising technique of the
loaded word and the con-
cealed lie is used to distort
the teaching of the Church
into a calloused ignoring Of
the human situation. The
Church's teaching on contin-
ence in married life is strict,
but it is only a paraphrase
of the words Of Christ;
"lF ANY MAN wishes to
come after Me, let him deny
himself, take up his cross and
follow Me-" But the Church,
like her Master, is also aware
of, and sympathetic to, hui
man problems and suffering,
as is evidenced by her teach
ing on rhythm and periodic
confluence, her expressed in
terest in fertility studies, her
urgent concern for advances
in agricultural techniques and
for changes in immigration
policies.
ALL THIS Is either ignor-
ed, or dismissed as an unreal,
hypocritical smoke reen;
and the Church continues to
be pictured by the world as
the enemy of human progress.
We have seen the issue of
contraception recklessly in
troduced into political life
and international relations,
and we are seeing cynical
political strategists blow it
up into a phony election is
sue.
THROUGH IT ALL runs the
tried-and-true advertising GIN
mick: NEARLY everyone is do
ing it; why be the last to get
in the swing Of things?" Just
as television advertising is
slanted to make parents feel
cruel and heartless If their
six-year-old is the only one
on the block without the new
est super-duper space ship,
so the attempt is made to
make parents who follow the
dictates of their conscience
feel somehow un-American,
and in some way personally
responsible for the plight of
ill-fed children in India.
THIS Is cLEvERLY organ
lied propaganda; and it is
aimed, not at changing the
teaching of the Church, but
at cruelty disturbing morale
and conscience of the Chris
tan parent. In the pattern
of all war propaganda, 1t at
tempts to divide, and to stir
up hostility to the teaching
authority of the Church. In
plain words it attempts to
separate the Christian family
from Christ. Such propaganda
can only be resisted when it
is clearly spotted for what it
is, the subversive tactics Of
a mortal enemy.
BUT THE RESOURCES of
the adversary do not end
there, we must recognize the
enemy within. We must make
the same sad admission as did
st. Paul: Il have told you
often, and now tell you again
weeping, that there are many
who walk who are enemies of
the Cross Of Christ"
THERE IS NOTHING TO be
gained from refusing to face
the fact that contraceptives
are used regularly by many
Catholic couples.
MOREOVER, AS LAY peo-
pie know quite well, there are
an increasing number Of
Catholic married people who
openly admit this practice,
and speak with contempt.
even before those who are not
Catholic, of the authority Of
ihe Church in this regard.
Doubtless the number of such
a fifth-eolumn is greatly
blown-up by the enemies of
the Church; but the aid and
comfort they give to the
enemy, and the harm and con-
fusion they cause other Catho-
lie families, can hardly be ex-
aggerated.
MORE AND MORE the con.
scientious c Catholic couple,
both in private conversation
and in public print, has
thrown up TO them the ex-
ample of their false brethren.
AS IN EVERY conflict,
there are many faint.hearted
people who waver and are
of little help. There are those.
for instance, who accept their
obligations before God in a
grudging, resentful manner,
and by their grumbling atti-
tude add to the wild secular
list earicature Of the Church
as a despotic hierarchy that
imposes crushing restrictions
on a suffering laity.
THEN THERE ARE people
who observe the prohibition
against birth control, but
whose observance is stepped
in pride and marked by a
complete apathy in regard to
the demands Of social justice
and social charity.
THEIR GOODNESS and lack