Welcome!

By admin

February 22, 2012 8:19 pm

Welcome to the blog of Janet E. Smith, where you will find information, articles, commentary and resources to help you understand the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexuality and ethics.

Be sure to visit regularly to check for new content!

The Truth About Contraception and the HHS Mandate

By admin

 6:49 pm

Drew Mariani interviews Professor Smith on Relevant Radio about the HHS Mandate and truch about contraception.

Click Here to Listen

“Where can I find statistics about sexual behavior and unwed pregnancy?”

By admin

 6:34 pm

• Google “unwed pregnancy”
• “Sexual Behavior and Select Health Measures: Men and Women 15-44 Years of age, United State, 2002” by William D. Mosher, PhD., Anjani Chandra, Ph.D., and Jo Jones, Ph.D., Division of Vital Statistics.
• “Changing Patterns of Nonmarital Childbearing in the United States“ by Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A., Division of Vital Statistics.
• “Births: Preliminary Data for 2003” by Brady E.Hamilton, Ph.D.; Joyce A Martin, M.P.H.; and Paul D.Sutton, Ph.D., Division of Vital Statistics (November 2004).
• “Nonmarital Childbearing in the United States, 1940–99” by Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A., Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, and Christine A. Bachrach, Ph.D., National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (October 18, 2000).

“Where can I find good discussion about how contraception has harmed relationships and marriage?”

By admin

 6:31 pm

• I have a talk Hormones R’ US
• Dawn Eden, “The Thrill of the Chaste“
• Lionel Tiger, “The Decline of Males“
• Jennifer Roback Morse, “Smart Sex“
• Anonymous, “Unprotected“
• Francis Fukuyama, “The Great Disruption“
• Chris and Linda Padgett, “Not Ready for Marriage, Not Ready for Sex: One Couple’s Return to Chastity“
• Fletcher Doyle, “Natural Family Planning Blessed Our Marriage: 19 True Stories“
• S. Joseph Tham, “The Missing Cornerstone: Reasons Why Couples Choose Natural Family Planning“
• Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., Lauren R. Noyes, Shannan Martin, “Harmful Effects of Early Sexual Activity and Multiple Sexual Partners Among Women: A book of Charts”
• The Heritage Foundation has lots of good material. I recommend the work of Patrick Fagan.

“Where can I find statistics about marriage and divorce? “

By admin

 6:25 pm

• Google “government statistics”
• National Center for Health Statistics
• The Heritage Foundation
• Family Research Council
• The Marriage Project

The Pill Is Not Good for Women

By admin

February 21, 2012 5:47 pm

The feminist movement asked too little of men.

The recent Health and Human Services mandate and the ensuing debate appear to have pitted religious-liberty claims against women’s health. But because religious leaders (rightly) focused on the need for a religious exemption, it may appear to some observers that they are unable to articulate a reasoned and weighty response to the administration’s claim that contraceptives are essential to women’s health and well-being.

The Obama administration is wrong on this score as well, and the substantive case needs to be made: The contraceptive revolution has failed to be the unmitigated boon to women or to society that it was hyped up to be.

For the past 50 years, the Pill has demonstrably assisted women — especially college-educated, career-minded women — in the timing of pregnancies and the delay of marriage. But the Pill also ushered in an era of unprecedented (and, as things turned out, unwarranted) confidence that sex could be pursued without risk — most notably, outside of long-term committed relationships.

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