Speakers (from left) Damon Owens, Janet Smith, Lionel Tiger, Libby Macke, Allan Carlson
On Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23, the Pro-Life Action League hosted “Contraception Is Not the Answer,” a national pro-life conference dedicated to exposing the myth that artificial birth control is good for society and reduces abortion. Eight outstanding speakers addressed the topic of contraception from a variety of perspectives.
The conference began with opening remarks by League National Director Joe Scheidler on the absolute necessity of addressing the root issue of contraception if we are ever to have any hope of stopping abortion once and for all. Joe introduced League Communications Director and conference M.C. Eric Scheidler, and long-time contraception foe Fr. Joe Looney offered an opening prayer.
Reality and Reformation
Project Reality executive director Libby Gray Macke on topic of so-called “comprehensive,” or contraception-based, sex ed programs and their devastating impact on adolescents. Macke debunked the myths of the effectiveness of such programs and showed how only abstinence-based programs really help teens to make good choices.
League National Director Joe Scheidler explains the urgency of confronting contraception [Photo by John Jansen]
Macke was followed by Allan Carlson of the Howard Center on contraception and the Protestant denominations, which unanimously opposed contraception until the early 20th century. Carlson expressed hope that the increasing emphasis on family values among Protestants may lead to a rediscovery of their traditional abhorrence of contraception.
Contra-Life—Worldwide and at Home
Saturday’s program began with a talk by Human Life International President Fr. Tom Euteneuer on the spiritual blight caused by the use of contraception. Fr. Tom also explored how population control groups like Planned Parenthood International and Marie Stopes are working to dismantle family values in the Third World.
Ave Maria University Professor Janet Smith then gave a talk entitled “Hormones ‘R’ Us” on the impact that chemical contraceptives have on women’s bodies and minds. Not only do these pills, injections and patches endanger a woman’s health, they also cause chemical changes in the brain that influence sexual behavior and decision-making.
Damon Clarke Owens of New Jersey NFP addressed the conference luncheon on how contraception has undermined family life, not only by dramatically reducing family size, but also by diminishing the value of parenthood. Owens emphasized that the marital embrace is meant to be express the total gift of self upon which marriage is founded, but that contraception turns that expression into a lie.
The Sociological Surprises of Birth Control
The Saturday afternoon session began with a fascinating PowerPoint presentation by demography expert Andrew Pollard of the U.K., on the alarming depopulation of the Western World thanks to contraception and abortion. The impact of this growning phenomenon on the culture and economy of the world will be profound—unless we can reverse the trend.
Conference M.C. Eric Scheidler shares with the audience a prominent article in the Chicago Tribune on the conference [Photo by John Jansen]
The next presentation troubled some conference attendees. In a talk on how contraception has marginalized men, Rutgers University anthropology professor Lionel Tiger criticized the theory of Intelligent Design and the effort to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, Eric Scheidler pointed out to the audience how significant it is that someone like Tiger, who does not share the goals of the pro-life movement, agrees that contraception impacts society in ways that must not be overlooked.
The conference closed with a talk by Jennifer Roback Morse on the false promises of contraception for women. Morse called for a new model of feminism that honors women’s role as mothers while facilitating their participation in the workforce before and after their years raising children.
Press and Pro-Aborts Respond
A story on “Contraception Is Not the Answer” was prominently published on page three of the Sunday, September 24 issue of the Chicago Tribune, available in the early edition even before the conference closed. The Chicago archdiocesan paper, Catholic New World also wrote a piece on the conference.
“The pro-abort crowd is scared. They should be.”
—Eric Scheidler
Among those attending the event was a pro-abortion “spy”. Under the name Tyler LePard, she has produced a series of articles at the anti-family website RH Reality Check, criticizing each of the talks at the conference.
“The pro-abort crowd is scared,” Eric Scheidler commented. “They should be—they know as well as we do that the entire edifice of sexual license, perversion and abortion is erected upon the foundation of contraception.”
Conference Talks Available on CD
All eight talks from “Contraception Is Not the Answer” are available on individual CDs for $7 each or as a boxed set for $49 from LCE Media. Place your order online or call 800-693-3884, or mail or fax a CD Order Form [PDF].
