Father, I think it's irresponsible of you to be telling your students that the reason many American jobs are going to foreign people is because our population has decreased due to contraception and we no longer have enough American citizens to fill the jobs. We all know that there are Americans who can't get jobs because foreign labor is cheaper, and that there are many Americans who stand in unemployment lines every day.
It's one thing to fight for what you believe, but it's another thing to make up information to promote what you believe.
This makes me question a lot of what you have to say.
Certainly in this economy the unemployment lines are long, but in the 90's, at the height of the economic boom, there weren't long lines of unemployment at all. Is cost part of the reason - absolutely, but is it true that at our current rate of depopulation, much of our societal infrastructure will collapse in the foreseeable future - absolutely as well.
So what did you think of the rest of the class? Would you say the unemployment thing was the central thesis, or were you perhaps looking for something trivial in an entire 1.5 hour class that would permit you to reject the other undeniable and much more significant truths of the presentation? Perhaps you were looking to do what the Sadducees did to our Lord - look for one thing to discount the whole message?
I am a Catholic and have been part of many Catholic organizations. I currently teach in a Catholic school. I read Catholic blogs. I do these things because I believe in the Catholic faith and what it teaches. I am not commenting on your blog, nor do I read your blog, with the intention of finding information to discount your message. But I also believe that scare tactics are no way to promote your message. If you want to teach the Catholic Church's position on contraception, do so using documents from the Catholic Church. I have trouble with people using false information and presenting it as truth in order to scare people into believing your message. When I see that false information is presented as fact in order to support your central thesis, it makes me question what other information you have presented. How much of it is fact and how much of it is false?
Fr. Hollowell has made up "facts" for his lectures to his students in the past too. I am sure that he is convinced of their truth because they fit in so well with his deeply held convictions.
I feel like I have heard you say or read on your blog the effectiveness of contraception, but I can't seem to find that information again. Could you post a reminder?? Thanks!
You will usually see two statistics cited, although PP usually only cites one and fails to bring up the other.
One stat is the effectiveness of the condom or pill in an environment where everything is done exactly right - the Pill is taken at the right time every day, the condom is applied properly, etc.
The other stat is the ACTUAL effectiveness in the real world. I'll have to check on the Pill, but I know the only one that matters, the ACTUAL effectiveness, for the condom is 10-15% failure
So, contraception fails at a rate of 10-15%. NFP has a failure rate of 1%. You argue that the US population is decreasing because of contraception and we should all switch to NFP instead. If we all started using NFP, wouldn't the population decrease even more rapidly since it's more successful at preventing pregnancy?
Come on, is this serious? NFP has a failure rate of avoiding pregnancies WHEN the couple chooses to try to avoid pregnancies. The beauty of the plan is that it also fosters conversation between parents about WHY they are not having kids this month. Most families that practice NFP surely have multiple children. I can guarantee that if the whole world was using NFP the population would do nothing but INCREASE.
Father, I think it's irresponsible of you to be telling your students that the reason many American jobs are going to foreign people is because our population has decreased due to contraception and we no longer have enough American citizens to fill the jobs. We all know that there are Americans who can't get jobs because foreign labor is cheaper, and that there are many Americans who stand in unemployment lines every day.
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to fight for what you believe, but it's another thing to make up information to promote what you believe.
This makes me question a lot of what you have to say.
Certainly in this economy the unemployment lines are long, but in the 90's, at the height of the economic boom, there weren't long lines of unemployment at all. Is cost part of the reason - absolutely, but is it true that at our current rate of depopulation, much of our societal infrastructure will collapse in the foreseeable future - absolutely as well.
DeleteSo what did you think of the rest of the class? Would you say the unemployment thing was the central thesis, or were you perhaps looking for something trivial in an entire 1.5 hour class that would permit you to reject the other undeniable and much more significant truths of the presentation? Perhaps you were looking to do what the Sadducees did to our Lord - look for one thing to discount the whole message?
DeleteI am a Catholic and have been part of many Catholic organizations. I currently teach in a Catholic school. I read Catholic blogs. I do these things because I believe in the Catholic faith and what it teaches. I am not commenting on your blog, nor do I read your blog, with the intention of finding information to discount your message. But I also believe that scare tactics are no way to promote your message. If you want to teach the Catholic Church's position on contraception, do so using documents from the Catholic Church. I have trouble with people using false information and presenting it as truth in order to scare people into believing your message. When I see that false information is presented as fact in order to support your central thesis, it makes me question what other information you have presented. How much of it is fact and how much of it is false?
ReplyDeleteCan you post links to the research on contraceptives causing infertility?
ReplyDeleteFr. Hollowell has made up "facts" for his lectures to his students in the past too. I am sure that he is convinced of their truth because they fit in so well with his deeply held convictions.
ReplyDeleteah, which ones would those be?
DeleteI've placed an email with the National Catholic Center for Bioethics to ask them to send specific studies - I will report back when I hear from them.
DeleteI feel like I have heard you say or read on your blog the effectiveness of contraception, but I can't seem to find that information again. Could you post a reminder?? Thanks!
ReplyDeletethe effectiveness - not sure what you mean. Do you mean a percentage?
DeleteYeah, I think you've given the failure rate before. Or am I thinking of somewhere else I saw that?
ReplyDeleteYou will usually see two statistics cited, although PP usually only cites one and fails to bring up the other.
DeleteOne stat is the effectiveness of the condom or pill in an environment where everything is done exactly right - the Pill is taken at the right time every day, the condom is applied properly, etc.
The other stat is the ACTUAL effectiveness in the real world. I'll have to check on the Pill, but I know the only one that matters, the ACTUAL effectiveness, for the condom is 10-15% failure
So, contraception fails at a rate of 10-15%.
ReplyDeleteNFP has a failure rate of 1%.
You argue that the US population is decreasing because of contraception and we should all switch to NFP instead.
If we all started using NFP, wouldn't the population decrease even more rapidly since it's more successful at preventing pregnancy?
Come on, is this serious? NFP has a failure rate of avoiding pregnancies WHEN the couple chooses to try to avoid pregnancies. The beauty of the plan is that it also fosters conversation between parents about WHY they are not having kids this month. Most families that practice NFP surely have multiple children. I can guarantee that if the whole world was using NFP the population would do nothing but INCREASE.
DeleteI heard this saying yesterday Father, "A new level, a different devil." Keep fighting the Good Fight. I know you will! =)
ReplyDeleteThe four predictions about contraception...
ReplyDelete#1 - yep!
#2 - yep!
#3 - yep!
#4 - yep!