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Question Title Posted By Question Date
Natural Law and Morality Paul Friday, December 17, 2004

Question:

Someone asked me a question concerning what seems to be a big inconsistency in the Church's use of Natural Law as a guide to morality.

In the case of contraception, as I understand it, Humanae Vitae argues from both Natural Law and Scripture that, since the marital embrace is naturally ordered to the creation of life, blocking that end is a moral wrong.

Using exactly the same logic, why isn't the use of anesthesia in childbirth similarly wrong? In casting Eve from the Garden, God says that in pain she (and women since) shall bring forth their children. Natural physical law is that childbirth is a painful process. Thus, both Natural Law and Scripture would seem to point to childbirth being a painful process. So, why is defeating that NOT sinful in the same way, and for the same reason, that contraception is wrong?

Or, is the use of anesthesia in childbirth in fact sinful, but not taught for fear of unpopularity?



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM


Dear Paul:

The is no such thing as the Church not teaching something for fear of it being unpopular. Such a notion is utter nonsense.

The issue of the alleviation of pain is not an issue of natural law and it is not logical to extend the truth of natural law into the area of the alleviation of pain. If having pain was a natural law then the entire field of Medicine would have to be abandoned. Do we sin when we take an aspirin for a headache? The Sacrament of Anointing would have to be abandoned since it seeks alleviation of pain and suffering. Healing prayers would have to be abandoned for the same reason. Charity work to alleviate pain and suffering to the poor and sick would have to be abandoned. If pain is Natural Law we cannot seek to violate Natural Law for any reason or with any means.

Human pain and suffering, however, is not Natural Law, but the consequence of sin (see CCC 418, 1264). While pain is certainly a natural experience of our fallen world, it is not Natural Law. As such, we can attempt to alleviate pain and suffering. The Church teaches that the alleviation of pain and suffering is a moral good and in conformity with human dignity (see CCC 2279)

The Natural Law is as your stated that the, "marital embrace is naturally ordered to the creation of life, blocking that end is a moral wrong."

Childbirth is not naturally ordered to pain. God did not "create" pain in childbirth, pain was the "consequence" of sin (see CCC 1609).

Natural Law is the order of creation has God created it. All that God created was and is good. Those things in our world that do not reflect the good creation that God created are a result, the consequence, of original sin. The pain in childbirth the Bible describes is a "dis-order" of that creation. God is not a God of dis-order, but of order.  To quote from Father Hardon's Catholic Dictionary, "As coming from God, the natural law is what God has produced in the world of creation; as coming to human beings, it is what they know (or can know) of what God has created."

I hope this helps.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary
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