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The Catechism of the Catholic Church specifies that all sex acts must be both unitive and procreative. [8] In addition to condemning use of artificial birth control as intrinsically evil, [9] non-procreative sex acts such as mutual masturbation and anal sex are ruled out as ways to avoid pregnancy. [10]
Following the 1968 publication of Humanae Vitae, an encyclical by Pope Paul VI that expressly forbade abortion and most methods of birth control [9] and that sowed controversy within the church over its restatement of the prohibition on birth control, [10] Catholic bishops in the United States started to stress anti-abortion views as a central facet of Catholic identity and preached against ...
According to the National Catholic Reporter, some 58% of American Catholic women feel that they do not have to follow the abortion teaching of their bishop. [100] However, the results in the United States differ significantly when the polls distinguish between practicing and/or churchgoing Catholics and non-practicing Catholics.
[63] Catholics for a Free Choice claimed in 1998 that 96% of U.S. Catholic women had used contraceptives at some point in their lives and that 72% of U.S. Catholics believed that one could be a good Catholic without obeying the Church's teaching on birth control. [64]
Since early Islamic history, Muslim scholars approved of the use of birth control if the two spouses both agreed to it. [43] Coitus interruptus, a primitive form of birth control, was a known practice at the time of Muhammad, and his companions engaged in it. Muhammad knew about this but never advised or preached against it.
The existence of artificial methods of birth control predates Christianity; the Catholic Church as well as all Christian denominations condemned artificial methods of birth control throughout their respective histories. This began to change in the 20th century when the Church of England became the first to accept the practice in 1930. [73]
While the pope and the bishops have opposed birth control, the majority of American Catholics disagree with them, and believe the church should change its teaching on birth control. A Pew Research poll conducted in 2013 found that three-quarters of U.S. Catholics (76%) say the church should permit birth control. [49]
Contraception or birth control is prohibited. Instruction on "natural family planning" may be given to married couples only. [11] Contraception is only prescribed to treat health problems, not for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. [13] Euthanasia or assisted suicide are not allowed. A person has a moral obligation to keep on living, though ...