Subject: BIOETHICS Topic: Birth Regulation Lecturer: Fr.

Danilo Tiong Date of Lecture: January 6, 2012 Transcriptionist: Gluttonoids Pages: 3

Fr. Danis Intro

Birth Regulation is involved in the controversial RH Bill which tackles about responsible parenthood, number of children, family planning, etc. When family planning is talked about, contraceptive (i.e. condoms) is the first thing comes into our mind. People should understand and relate birth regulation to the concept of marriage. Marriage is not just having children. Married people DOES NOT have the right to have children. o If marriage gives right for couple to have children, an infertile couple may resort to undergo IVF to have a child. It is ethically wrong because IVF is questionable and considered ethically wrong. Married people have the right towards the act in order for procreation. o A married couple will could talk about their fecundity and sexual life to respect each other and have a responsibility of parenthood. o But dont rush on marriage. Pano nabuntis nang di pa kasal? Marriage will never solve or savethe situation. (its correcting a mistake with another mistake). Marriage should be all about love. The exercise of birth regulation must only be within the context of marriage. Birth regulation or family planning is not only about numbers of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is about respect to each other, responsible parenthood, and about the quality of raising up children.

Some ETHICAL CRITERIA to take into account for the actual moral discernment regarding BIRTH REGULATION:

1. The exercise of responsible parenthood should be such as to respect human life. the fundemental bioethical principle is SANCTITY and INVIOLABILITY to life (Reverence or respect for human life) 2. The moral evaluation of the various methods contraception (Natural or Artificial) of should be made not from an excessively biological point of view of human sexuality, but from a complete vision of marriage and human love. (ito na ung intro ni father) (again) birth regulation is not just a matter of human number contraception is not just condom and contraceptive pills, it also includes the onanism, natural methods like onanism (withdrawal), billings ovulation method, Cervical Mucus method, etc. When we talk of birth regulation we just don't stop on contraceptives or in the biological aspects but we also we need to consider the complete vision of marriage and human love because marriage is not everything about sex. Marriage is foremost true human love based on sexual love Sexual love is an expression of human love, giving of oneself to the other We don't talk of birth regulation outside of marriage because it is not applicable simply because they're not married, they have no right. 3. From the technical point of view, none of the available methods of contraception 1

SY 2011-2012

satisfies all the criteria for an ideal method. There would be no ideal method One method would be effective for one couple but may not be as effective to other. Therefore, there should be openness between husband and wife

4.

The morally acceptable use of contraceptive methods should be the result of the free and responsible discernment of the spouses. not of the government and not even the church because the husband and wife should know their own condition natural and artificial methods are available but the husband and wife should talk about the method to be used and not be dictated by the government nor the church The church may be against contraception but there may be exemptions. The conscience of a person must tell him/her that using contraceptive methods is morally acceptable Usual exemption: medical conditions The spouses should keep in mind that their mutual self-giving and the resulting procreation should be an expression of AUTHENTIC and PERSONAL love

This should be the foundation of birth regulation Authentic entails fidelity and honesty Personal indicates how you accept your spouse In the context of marriage, there is mutual self giving The exercise of sexual intercourse is the expression of giving oneself to the other, resulting in procreation the result of that procreation is an expression of an authentic and personal love Children are, therefore, sign/indication of the love of their parents for each other
RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD

The right and duty of increasingly humanized population ethically entails the principle of responsible parenthood, with the corresponding need for family planning. Children should be the product of the mature and responsible love of married couples. It is not the contraceptive mentality that the people should have but the outlook should be the responsible parenthood. The term responsibility should echo the fundamental bioethical principle of STEWARDSHIP and ACCOUNTABILITY As parents, they are responsible towards themselves and towards their children. They have to give their children's basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter and education Parenthood includes nurturing, raising and educating their children to be good citizens of the country hindi magnanakaw ang bata kung responsable ang mga magulang We understand responsible parenthood as the right and duty of increasingly humanized population Humanized population means giving the people their basic rights and giving them proper character In responsible parenthood entails a corresponding needs for family planning Responsible parenthood is a guiding principle of family planning 2

 Responsible parenthood comes first before family planning Family planning is only a part of responsible parenthood. These concepts are not separated We only talk of numbers and spacing when responsible parenthood is given Children, therefore, is a product of a mature and responsible love of married couples
Society (specifically the government) has the obligation to create adequate conditions for the exercise of responsible parenthood by the spouses. RH Bill doesn't answer this very well The actions of the community should respect the dignity of the human person and the value of personal decisions. this includes both the dignity of the spouses and of the unborn

the product of human reproduction is not a potential person but a person with potentials Personal decisions are valuable which include the decisions of the spouses after proper discussion and are therefore respected
CONTRACEPTION

The deliberate prevention of conception. Can be artificial or natural The essential action of contraceptive methods is to prevent fertilization by precluding the meeting of ovum and spermatozoa. more applicable to contraceptive pills and condoms
The spouses have the obligation to make the ultimate ethical discernment regarding the exercise of their fecundity, taking into consideration: 1. The orientation of conjugal love toward fecundity, understand what marriage is all about

2. The various values which are involved/and family, religious, moral, human, personal values these values are taken into consideration when husband and wife talk
3. The circumstances of their situation.

don't plan on having 6 children if you can't provide them food adequately Why have only one child when you can raise 3? This plan may arise from personal selfish reasons spouses should consider monetary and social situation

If first we consider it in relation to the biological processes involved, responsible parenthood is to be understood as the knowledge and observance of their specific functions.. If we examine the innate drives and emotions of man, responsible parenthood expresses the domination which reason and will must exert over them. But if we then attend to relevant physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, those are considered to exercise responsible parenthood who prudently and generously decide to have a large family, or who, for serious reasons and with due respect to the moral law, choose to have no more children for the time being or even for a indeterminate period. Responsible parenthood.. Retrains a further and deeper significance of paramount importance which refers to the objective moral order instituted by God the order of which a right conscience is the true interpreter. ..the commitment to responsible parenthood requires that husband and wife, keeping a right order of priorities, recognize their own duties towards God, themselves, their families, and human society.

From this it follows that they are not free to do as they like in the service of transmitting life, on the supposition that it is lawful for them to decide independently of other considerations what is the right course to follow. On the contrary, they are bound to ensure that what they do corresponds to the will of God the Creator. (Pope Paul VI, Encyclical letter on the Regulation of Births, no. 10; July 25, 1968)

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