Reflection on August 22, 1984

https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb118.htm

When you have gone through so many reflections on SJPII’s Theology of the Body, it is so obvious that the arguments made in Humane Vitae fit. A couple of things I thought about in a different way when reading this though, was the idea that the conjugal act is a reflection of the relationship between the two. I was picturing what artificial separation between a couple would be like outside the conjugal act. If you are using artificial contraception and this is a reflection of your relationship, then there is a barrier between you two at all times. Imagine being married and your house is separated by a piece of glass. You can see each other and live together, but never really join. Obviously people don’t actually live this way, but when they come together in the conjugal act, they are saying that is how they want to live this part of their life, separated, not joined, and not fully invested.

I though the glass wall was a fairly exaggerated example. Then I thought about what we are considering marriages and relationships now. People get married, but often they both work, sometimes they barely see each other and basically live separate lives. Many have joint accounts. Many keep their own name. The whole idea of a prenuptial agreement is that your stuff that you brought into the relationship will continue to be your stuff. Many people cohabitate and do not get married because they don’t want to share their things. Most couples are trying to live their lives as a couple with a glass wall, not so much keeping the other person out as maintaining all they have. Is it a stretch that this mentality has spawned from the rise and acceptance of artificial contraception? The idea that the conjugal act is the “language” speaking about the rest of your relationship means that separating the conjugal act allows and encourages separation throughout all the other aspects of your life.

It really makes you wonder about the world and all its talk of unity and coming together and everyone is equal. Two ideologies that seem to both be promoted by the world, relativism and human equality, when you really come down to it, are not “cohabitant”. Relativism allows you to make up whatever rules you want and if you think it is right, it is right. Human equality means that we are all on equal footing as a human race and there are rules that cannot be set aside. Both seem to be championed by the world, but they cannot coexist.