Contraception, once accepted as evil by almost all Christians, has been largely credited with the degradation in the respect for human life, the large divorce rate, as well as problems such as the shortage of priests. It is intrinsically evil, as it contradicts natural law, by engaging in actions contrary to the laws, and ways God created in which sexuality can take place. There are certain methods of minimizing pregnancy permitted by the church – The most famous is known as Natural Family planning. These generally prevent childbirth, but with the allowance for accepting a child should God give one.

 Catechism on Chastity

“2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.”

http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm

Church forbids Artificial Contraception

The church forbids artificial contraception such as the use of condoms expressively as intrinsically evil.

Onan

This is furthered by God striking down Onan for spilling his seed outside the proper place. Arguments that he was struck down for refusing to give the widow a baby, as the law required him to attempt, are debunked by the punishment of such being public shame, not death. God struck Onan down.

 Cutting off the manhood

Those who cut off their penis’s and forced themselves to not be able to reproduce in the old testament were excluded from Israel and considered dirty (Deuteronomy Chapter 23 verse 2).

Genesis and God’s chance to contracieve

In Genesis, God ignores the direct opportunity for preventing evil from being born into the world. He makes it’s birth unlikely by warning Adam and Eve, but still allows the probable chance (Genesis chapter 3). This results in the fallen state of man, and our current existence as the human family. Whether modern society would exist without this disobedience that was allowed and resulted in their later deaths, and immediate separation from God, or whether we would exist in a higher form, is not sure, but the argument that man should be able to plan his family is baseless, especially considering the cost God paid for allowing the chance for death to be born from his creation, and for his preferred choice to be rejected.

Contraception violates the covenant

This is furthered by Jesus’ statement- ”let no man separate what God has combined”, whereby God combines the husband and wife as one flesh via their marriage. Further, if Natural Law, and the purpose of God is that contraceptives are not to be used, with the exception of certain natural methods, then man should not presume that he is wiser than God (see I Corinthians 3 v 20). History has showed, that when contraception is allowed in different religions, it results in higher divorce rates. Also, the idea that a couple can control life, and gain great pleasure without possible sacrifice, prevents a great testimony as to God’s sacrifice on the cross, for a family that is broken- not of his fault, but due to Adam and Eve. Christian marriage is directly instituted by God, and as the soul forms uniquely at conception, such shown the direct act of God in creating a baby. Preventing a child from forming is preventing the direct action of God (Isaiah chapter 44 verse 2; Psalm 139 verse 13 to 14; Psalm 51 verse 5; Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5;Isaiah 49 verse 1 and 5;Galations 1 verse 15; Job chapter 41 verse 15- see EWTN).

Rejecting God’s will and a gift from him

The child is a gift from God, and planned by him. God controls fate, time and existence (Ephesians chapter 1 verses 11 to 15), thereby- to make it impossible to have a child, violates faith, rejects a gift from God, and demonstrates the state of self-centredness and self importance that separated man from God in the first place (Genesis 3) whereby man determined to create his own truth, and rule his own life.

(children shown as a gift- Genesis Chapter  15 Verse 5;Genesis Chapter  17 Verse 4;Genesis Chapter  17 Verses 15-16; Psalm 127 verse 3)

“3:20. And again: The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. ” I Corinthians 3 v 20

http://www.newadvent.org/bible/1co003.htm

“5:31. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother: and shall cleave to his wife. And they shall be two in one flesh. “Ephesians 5 v 31

http://www.newadvent.org/bible/eph005.htm

Eph. 5:21-33 New Jerusalem Bible

“²¹ Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives should be subject to their husbands as to the Lord,

²³ since, as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife;

²⁴ and as the Church is subject to Christ, so should wives be to their husbands, in everything.

²⁵ Husbands should love their wives, just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her

²⁶ to make her holy by washing her in cleansing water with a form of words,

²⁷ so that when he took the Church to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless.

²⁸ In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself.

²⁹ A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church,

³⁰ because we are parts of his Body.

³¹ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh.

³² This mystery has great significance, but I am applying it to Christ and the Church.

³³ To sum up: you also, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband. “

http://www.catholic.org/bible/book.php?id=49&bible_chapter=5

Church Teaching on this issue

The church interprets this verse in context. One must first note the reply in Acts – “One must obey God above men”, no husband has the right to force his wife to act against God.

” Let me read to you what Pope Pius XI taught in 1930 which is still very relevant.  He said (Casti connubii, 10  cf. The Navarre Bible — Captivity Epistles):

“The submission of the wife neither ignores nor suppresses the liberty to which her dignity as a human person and her noble functions as wife, mother, and companion give her the full right.

It does not oblige her to yield indiscriminately to all the desires of her husband; and his desires may be unreasonable or incompatible with her wifely dignity.

It does not mean that she is on a level with persons who in law are called minors.  And minors are ordinarily denied the unrestricted exercise of their rights because of their immature judgment and not having enough experience. ” http://www.ewtn.com/library/Marriage/wivesubmis.htm

Secondly, this must be taken in context of St. Paul’s general encouragement and appeal for holiness, and the imitation of God’s goodness. This appeals both to husband and wife, and should never violate the dignity of the person of the wife. Notice- the appeal to obedience is to the wife- addressed to her. It does not say “husbands control your wives”, but rather “ To sum up: you also, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself” yet to the wives- a lesser appeal – “let every wife respect her husband”.

The Husband’s authority is there in order to minister lovingly to the wife- to act in sacraficial love, and caring strength- making his wife holy, by loving her, and immitating Christ. “The married man thinks of the ways of the world, and how he can please his wife”. Notice- he aims to please his wife. the church furthers this teaching, as EWTN elabourates-

“

A husband is called to love his wife as Christ loves the Church!  He is called to love his wife as Christ loves the Church!  And how does Christ loves the Church?  He loves Her with a sacrificial love.  And this must be the husband’s love for his lovely wife.  It must be a sacrificial love!  He must love her as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for the Church.  It must never be a selfish love.  Christ loved the Church, not that the Church might do things for Him, but that He might do things for the Church.

 St. John Chrysostom wonderfully said to the husbands about this passage:

“Have you seen the measure of obedience?  Hear also the measure of love.  Would you have your wife obey you as the Church obeys Christ?  Then you care for your wife as Christ cares for the Church.  And if it is necessary that you should give your life for her or be cut to pieces a thousand times or endure anything whatever, do not refuse it.  He brought the Church to His feet by His great care, not by threats nor fear nor any such thing; so that’s how you must conduct yourself toward your wife!”“

http://www.ewtn.com/library/Marriage/wivesubmis.htm

This is furthered by Jesus treatment of women- not ignoring that they are different- and made from man’s bone- but at the same time- respecting them as creations made equal with man. Notice that it is the women who first see the tomb, and the Woman, who is called blessed by God, and sees the actual angel, as Joseph is given a dream.

Women are equally human and equally responsible and adult along with men. They must not compete in a marriage- but compliment one another. The man’s authority extends- only as far as he uses it for the upliftment of the family. He has no right to abuse his spouse- least he portray Christ- whom he represents to the world- as abusive. He should treat his wife with love- often this is hard to worldly men. The wife- should likewise compensate possible weakness- and actually respect her husband- especially should he love her. She should, first obey God, and then authority in order.