What does the ECC believe and teach with regard to birth control?
The ECC affirms the basic human right of freedom of self determination, particularly in matters of conscience. As a consequence, the ECC believes that all adults have the right and responsibility to follow their informed consciences in all matters, and thereby have the right and responsibility to: a) determine in conscience the size of their families, and, b) determine in conscience appropriate methods of family planning. Matters of contraception and artificial birth control as a way of responsibly limiting the size of one’s family are issues of conscience to be decided by couples. Contraception and artificial birth control, when used responsibly, can be positive goods as a means of increasing the frequency of the gift of sexual union, reducing the incidence of abortion for unwanted pregnancies and limiting the spread of sexually transmitted disease.
