Last year’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was monumental. But throwing the abortion issue back to the states has not turned out to be the boon the pro-life movement hoped it would be. When the euphoria wore off, the difficulties of passing laws to defend unborn babies at the state level became increasingly apparent. 

These difficulties seemed to catch pro-lifers off-guard. In states like Kansas and Kentucky, both with pro-life majorities, pro-abortion activists were able to retain and even expand access to legal abortion. Next month, new ballot initiatives in Ohio and Maryland show the pro-abortion lobby is pressing its advantage.

Some of the pro-abortion ballot initiatives’ success can be attributed to clever media campaigns fueled with funds from national organizations that profit from legalized abortion like Planned Parenthood. These groups spun the overturning of Roe as a catastrophe for women’s health and autonomy. But the so-called catastrophe never happened. In fact, as a recent New York Times article noted, the number of abortions may have even increased. The pro-life movement is still struggling to pass laws to protect unborn life, even in socially conservative states.

Why?

One possibility is the often unrecognized and underappreciated connection between artificial contraception and abortion. The line between artificial contraception and abortion is obscured in practice. Some contraceptives can act as abortifacients, often unbeknownst to the users. But the connection between them is not just functionary. It has profound consequences for individuals and society both. One of these consequences is a gradually increasing toleration and acceptance of abortion.

In his encyclical, Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI pointed out the relationship between contraception and other moral issues. He explained that the widespread use of artificial contraception “could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards.” 

The gradual increase in the toleration and acceptance of abortion, particularly at the early stages of pregnancy, is one example of this. The mentality behind artificial contraception and abortion is one that assumes a separation of the sexual act from its natural intended consequences. The use of artificial contraception satisfies and perpetuates a desire for total autonomy and control. Inevitably, this mentality fosters a distorted view of children as a right and a product rather than a gift. 

Such a corrupted understanding of human rights is prevalent in our world. People claim to have a right to same-sex civil marriage, a right to choose their gender, a right to kill themselves. Likewise, they speak of having a right to have children in the number and at the time of their choosing. For those who have difficulty conceiving, or are in a same-sex relationship, or even single, IVF is available to procure the children to whom they feel they have a right. If they believe their right to total control over having children is inviolate, what do they do when contraception fails, as it often does? Abortion is the next logical step.

The gradual commodification of children is central to both artificial contraception and abortion. But it is not the only way in which artificial contraception affects the family. As Pope Paul VI pointed out:

“A man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires.” 

In doing so, the man elevates his own needs over his wife and children. It may further foster an attitude of self-gratification rather than one of self-sacrifice and love toward his family. This mindset can directly cause a couple to see an unexpected child as an intruder rather than an unexpected but welcome gift and a natural consequence of sexual union.

In a society that sees having children more as a well-planned acquisition rather than the intended fruit of married love, the widespread support for abortion access, especially early on in pregnancy, is not surprising.

Of course, being open to life is not always easy. Nothing in the Christian life is meant to be easy. Married couples are called, like everyone else, to a life of heroic love and virtue. This kind of life can be unpredictable, but in the end is truly fulfilling. As Pope Benedict XVI once said, “The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”

This does not mean everyone is obliged to have as many children as possible. Natural family planning respects both the couple’s natural fertility and the transformative power of the marital act. It allows couples to remain open to life yet make responsible decisions regarding children. 

The effectiveness of NFP is as good, if not better than many forms of artificial contraception. The only side effect is more dialogue and better communication between husband and wife as they decide together each month how best to use the gift of their fertility. Using NFP to postpone a pregnancy is a self-sacrificial act. It fosters a self-sacrificial mentality that welcomes children as gifts, not inconveniences.

Early in our marriage, NFP helped us discover and treat infertility, recover from miscarriages, promote healthy fertility cycles, and welcome six wonderful children. Looking back over our 26 years of marriage, we see how being open to life has helped us be more open to God’s will in other aspects of our life. 

In sum, a sacramental marriage achieves for the couple what God promises it will: a channel of sanctifying grace, a life lived in and revealing of God’s love at work in our hearts to overcome our sinfulness and woundedness so we can ultimately be together in heaven.

Of course, this is never achieved without sacrifice. We recognize the need for sacrifice when it comes to athletic, career, or artistic achievement, but often ignore or reject it when it comes to achieving greatness — or better said, holiness — in our marriages and families. But we are called to something greater. 

We are called to offer our entire lives, including our sexuality, for a higher purpose. As married couples, we are meant to offer ourselves for each other, for the sake of the children God has blessed us with, and for the greater society. We can reject this option and use marriage to “fulfill” our own individual ambitions and desires, but this ultimately leaves us empty. 

Our lives are meant to be a gift, one that is freely given, and in living this way we mysteriously enter into the life of Christ himself. This is the greatest gift we can offer, to lay down our lives, like Christ did, for the sake of the other.

The state-level battles over abortion are exposing what decades of a widespread contraceptive mentality has done to the spiritual state of our nation. 

Our collective conscience, even that of many socially conservative and religious people, has been dulled to the point of accepting abortion as a necessary evil. This situation should serve as a wake-up call to those who desire to protect the dignity of all human life. 

There is still much work to be done. For this work to be successful, it must involve witnessing to and sharing a comprehensive vision of human sexuality that is truly life-giving to couples and children alike.

 

Daniel Kuebler is a professor of biology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and co-host of the “Purposeful Lab” podcast. His wife, Nellie Kuebler, holds bachelor’s degrees in nursing and English literature, and has extensive experience working in the pro-life field. They have been married for 26 years and have six children.