Gift of Life Conference

Havilah Benton, 16-year-old, with the Hankinson Teens for Life, shares her reflections after attending the Gift of Life Conference in Hankinson, ND …

Havilah writes:

Yesterday, my sister, Lydia (one of the administrators for this group), and I were blessed to volunteer for, as well as attend, the two thousand and ten annual, Donum Vitae ~ Gift of Life ~ Conference in Hankinson, ND.

This year’s hosted speaker was a wonderful lady by the name of Janet E. Smith. Dr. Smith has held the Father Michal J. McGiveny Chair of Life Ethics at Sacred Heart major Seminary in Detroit since 2001. Her teaching career began in 1975. A world traveler, speaker, and author - she has published several pamphlets, an audio series on Sexual Common Sense, and co-edited Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader; she has co-authored with Christopher Kaczor, Life Issues, Medical Choices, Questions and Answers for Catholics, and had her own book, Right to Privacy, published by Ignasius Press in 2008, as well as having published numerous articles on ethical and bioethical issues.

Professor Smith's scheduled program entitled, Recovering Common Sense in an Over-Sexualized Culture, consisted of three main parts: 1) The Right to Privacy: How Judicial Decisions Prove the Thesis of Pope John Paul II's Encyclical, The Gospel of Life, 2) Hormones "R" Us: The Mystery of Hormonal Attraction, and 3) The Family: A Path to Holiness.

Although the entire conference was brilliantly organized; much gratitude to the Hankinson convent nuns, Right to Life groups, local advertisers, promoters, etc. Prof. Smith truly shone, as she is articulate, educated, humorous and captivating in every way. She presented a compelling message as taught by the Church, backed scientifically, and most of all, in line with a loving Creator -- a viewpoint on the positive aspects of applying Natural Family Planning vs. (unnatural) Contraception to ones' life.

In the first segment of yesterday's event, Dr. Smith made important connections between contraception being legalized in 1965, to Roe vs. Wade and abortion (on demand) being legalized just eight short years later, in 1973. Contraceptives are most often used for what; to have the ability to engage in sexual intercourse, consequence free and without hindrance of the possibility of becoming impregnated. It is common knowledge that contraceptives fail; In fact, 50% of women going to abortion clinics were using a contraceptive when they got pregnant. A failed contraceptive means, not so much that something went 'wrong' -- dehumanizing language -- but rather, that something went right, (i.e. a conceived child). If consumers of contraceptives are given the means to reduce their chances of becoming pregnant during sexual intercourse, and said contraceptive fails, this does not mean that the consumer's desire to not be pregnant decreases, but rather, increases; hence abortion on demand. Dr. Smith adds to this, stating, "Once you allow abortion it is hard not to allow anything else."

We live in a society where we demand our 'rights', without knowing what it even means to have rights. We are working against ourselves when we support having human rights -- contraceptives, abortion -- while in our very words and actions we are removing the rights, or even the possibility, of another human being.

Objective rights exist independently of our private opinion. Throughout the decades, crimes (abortion, pornography, contraception) have changed from being Recognized Crimes, into Legal Rights, into Fundamental Human Rights, and currently, into Obligations. If we allow society to delegate basic human rights, we are also allowing it take them away. We are deceiving ourselves into accepting a false, distorted view of freedom: doing whatever I want, whenever I want, when actually, real freedom is having the freedom to do what is good. "We have forgotten that is is far more important to do God's will rather than our own will", said Dr. Smith, wrapping up the first segment of yesterday's event.

Dr. Smith continued in the next segment to explain the scientifically backed, widely polled pros of Natural Family Planning vs. the cons of Contraception. Chemical contraceptives and IUD's are abortifaicients, as they break down the lining of the woman's uterus, causing virtually no place for the human embryo to attach, thus the fertilized egg dies within twenty-four hours, killing a baby in the very first stages of his life. Along with that high risk are many others, attacking a woman's health; involving ingestion of synthetic hormones, and severe side effects: Cysts, migraines, strokes, irritability, increased propensity to depression, weight gain, and reduced sexual desire to name a few. There is also greater incidence to sexually transmitted diseases (because of greater sexual activity outside of marriage) and are unreliable for preventing pregnancy. Contraceptives have also been proven to cause psychological stress as well. The woman can feel as though she is being treated as a sexual object. Spiritually speaking, the use of contraceptives isn't health; it is suggesting the attitude of man's ultimate authority, shutting God out His creative arena, and acting as if fertility is a defect and a burden. On the contrary, the Church in their promotion of Natural Family Planning is purporting being cooperators and co-creators with God, while respecting the truth of sexuality and the language of the body.

In a response to an accusation that the Church teaching that Natural Family Planning was the only way to morally (within marriage) engage in sexual acts, Dr. Janet Smith states, "For, after all, the Catholic Church does not teach that couples must have as many children as they can. The Church teaches responsible parenthood . . . Natural methods of family planning do not dump large doses of harmful synthetic hormones into the delicate female reproductive system or as, vasectomies do, threaten male health. Natural methods, which do require loving communication between the spouses and mutual responsibility, nearly always result in happier, more stable marriages. . . The Church knows that there is an enormous difference between saying "I want to have sex with you" and "I am willing to have children with you.” First, (the meaning of contraceptive sex) diminishes the true and deep meaning of the sexual act and turns what is profound and meaningful into something trivialized and casual. The second bespeaks of a lifetime committed to another with all the lovely entanglements that children bring."

In closing, I'd like to say that one need not be Roman Catholic to take upon oneself this loving, Christian, healthy perspective. I believe this applies to all people/Christians, Roman Catholic and Protestant alike. Dr. Smith was a joy to be around and a wellspring of knowledge. I would recommend, to anyone, attending a conference of hers and further exploring the facts surrounding Contraception and how being educated on it, and holding an opinion of Why or Why Not is important.

In Him,
Havilah Benton