Respond to the following blog post:
Morality of Birth Control
In her essay, “The Morality of Birth Control,” Margaret Sanger discusses how she called scientists, educators,
members of the medical profession and the theologians of all denominations to discuss the discrepancy behind
birth control. Sanger said that letters were “sent out to the most eminent men and women in the world,”
(Morality of Birth Control). including those that opposed birth control. The letters contained the following
questions:
- Is over-population a menace to the peace of the world?
- Would the legal dissemination of scientific Birth Control information through the medium of clinics by the
medical profession be the most logical method of checking the problem of over-population? - Would knowledge of Birth Control change the moral attitude of men and women toward the marriage bond or
lower the moral standards of the youth of the country? - Do you believe that knowledge which enables parents to limit the families will make for human happiness,
and raise the moral, social, and intellectual standards of population?
Sanger next addresses the church’s relationship with birth control and how Christian viewed women in general.
“If we cannot trust women with the knowledge of her own body, then I claim that two thousand years of
Christian teaching has proved to be a failure” (Morality of Birth Control). This statement encapsulates the strife
that the church and women have faced for hundreds of years. If a woman identifies as a Christian, there is a
huge chance she will not use birth control due to the guilt of the church and her own personal belief that she is,
in some way, sinning. At the end of her essay, Sanger describes her stance on birth control as such, “The more
people of this kind we have, the less immorality shall exist. For the more responsible people grow, the higher
they do, and shall they attain real morality (Morality of Birth Control).
I think Sanger makes some very interesting points throughout her essay, specifically about religion and birth
control, but also about society in general and the relationship with birth control and morality that we possess.
Sanger more or less argues that the population who engage in “reckless” acts that have no wherewithal to
realize the consequences their actions may have should ultimately not be allowed to procreate. She argues
that these are the people who are responsible for misery and poverty in the world, and that we do not believe in
providing the world with misery and poverty are moral, so why should these people still be allowed to
procreate. While I understand what Sanger is trying to say, I do think that is a harmful approach to birth control
and trying to control others, when it really boils down to educating the population on safe sex and how to
practice safe sex, but also the consequences for one’s actions. We as a society cannot ethically ban people
from procreating, however we do have the tools to educate the population and provide them with other
resources