Religion of Sunday, 9 August 2015

Source: tv3network.com

Stop using contraceptives - Catholic bishops warn

Catholic Bishops Catholic Bishops

The Catholic Bishops Conference has condemned the use of artificial contraceptives and cautioned the public to desist from using them.

They are rather advocating for the use of natural means or abstinence as the best mode of planning a family. Speaking at the opening of the 2015 edition of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Accra,

Most Rev. Anthony Adanuti, Bishop of Keta, Akatsi and Vice President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops conference expressed displeasure in the role of the media for promoting artificial family planning methods.

He said "In Ghana as elsewhere, heavy pressure is being brought upon our government by these external donor agencies, currently present and working in our country to back pro-choice and the agenda of the sexual revolution.

"In some hospitals, villages, towns and schools in Ghana, there is an increase campaign for the use of condoms and other contraceptives."

Reiterating the reasons why people should refrain from using contraceptives, the Archbishop Emeritus of the Cape Coast Arch Diocese, Cardinal Appiah Turkson said "Contraception is to stop pregnancy or conception either because the couple is not desiring a baby to be born or for economic reason... So what we recommend to people is, when you do not want a child, then avoid the fertilization period.

"When you avoid the fertilization period, you can have all the sex you want with your wife and there would be no pregnancy. This only requires a certain amount of discipline."

There has been a raging debate about the use of contraceptives which many think is the way to go if one wanted to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease especially the dreaded HIV & AIDS.

The bishops are of the view that staying away from these artificial contraceptives like condoms and anti pregnancy pills do not augur well for the health of individuals and also against the principles of the Christian tenets.