Guest guest Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Father McCaffrey and Dr. Dom, Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us. I agree with Dom about the need for a Catholic exchange. F Kippley"Sex and the Marriage Covenant" (Ignatius, 2005)"Natural Family Planning: The Question-Answer Book" an ebook at www.NFPandmore.org the OB/GYN intern Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 21:05:05 +0000 Dear Father, Having read the written responses to your message to the incoming OB/GYN intern, I'm struck by several observations. First, there seems to be a persistent erroneous notion that to simply refuse to prescribe contraceptives means we are now in violation of the freedom and conscience of the patient. Interestingly this appears to be held even by some well-known for being Catholic and in the "NFP movement". Physicians need to be reminded that their role is to promote the health of the body and person, and not to give the patient whatever she says she wants (right 11 what Pope VI meant by "human advantage"). Often patients depend on physicians to have the wisdom and objectivity to refuse certain requests made at times of duress and suffering, or simply when they're acting in a misguided way. For this reason we don't give purgatives or laxatives to those who intend to induce vomiting in order to control weight. We know that such a practice directly antagonizes the health of the body, and even are willing to refuse an insistent patient if need be. As such physicians why they are so moralistic as to oppose a narcotics addict's wish to get a hit of morphine on demand. Isn't that an instance of forcing one's philosophy on a patient? Don't we all know that addicts for the most part can tolerate these injections, yet don't we refuse to give them on principle? Second, despite the objections of the physician who said that prescribing contraceptives does not directly lead to more induced abortion, you are 100% correct and all of the medical evidence is completely in agreement with you, and against what he is saying, i.e. to the fact that the abortion increase is an indirect result of a change in the culture that came from contraception. All of the data looking at OCP's and abortion show a positive correlation between OCP use, pregnancy unwantedness, and the choice to abort one's pregnancies. This is a plain scientific and medical fact and his analysis of the relation between contraception and abortion is deeply flawed. He appears to overlook even the simple fact that the relationship between contraception and abortion was always a positive and direct correlation even before the advent of the birth control pill, a thing very well documented in the medical and scientific literature. Moreover, he indica tes that you're using the connection between contraception and abortion to justify not prescribing contraception. You however are not doing that, but rather merely pointing out some additional correlations that can enlighten the mind. The justification is plainly and simply the fact that prescribing contraceptives directly and deliberately harms health -- i.e. it frustrates the body so that it cannot arrive at its normal and intended function. Third, how could anyone in his right mind think that handing over a prescription for contraceptives, that prescription having been written by someone else, is anything other than a direct and formal intended cooperation in physician-intended, iatrogenic (physician-caused by practices) induced infertility? The doctor himself is intending to treat the patient in such a way that the reproductive system will be deliberately interfered with and frustrated. This is bad enough, but it appears that such a position really realizes that much more than the mere biological reproductive effects will take place. In addition there will be the deeper psychosocial and spiritual, guilt, shame, etc. which all come from deliberately chosen acts contrary to our nature, which at some basic level should be understood by all physicians. Physicians after all have a role in helping their patients achieve happiness, do they not? Physicians have no right to abdicate their responsibility to help their patients' objectively choose the best and wisest course. It is ridiculous to suggest otherwise, and equally ridiculous that they owe their colleagues some kind of exchange for not doing the work of writing the prescriptions. What they owe their colleagues is charitable witness, loving understanding, and the forgiving of all the slights and injuries, with patient bearing of all the wrongs that inevitably will take place. Father we really need a Catholic NFP exchange server so that people who don't understand the natural moral law and the issues of cooperation can benefit from, but not control the exchange of ideas. What you think?Sincerely yours,DomDominic M. Pedulla MD, FACC, CNFPMC, ABVM, ACPhVaricoseveins1Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, OU Health Sciences CenterMedical Director, The Oklahoma Vein and Endovascular CenterPresident, The Edith Stein Foundation AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I have the utmost respect for Fr. McCaffrey and Dr. Pedulla, I just think we are all on the same page when it comes right down to it. I always appreciate 's cautious approach. While I don't doubt in the least that in the big picture contraception leads to the abortion mentality, exactly how it gets there could be disputed. I'm not taking a position in this particular case but I have found Dr. Mikolajczyk to be very good at looking clearly at issues and pushing away the too earnest jumpings to conclusions. At any rate, I don't see a need for a Catholic NFP list but I think it would be good to have Catholics who are qualified, such as some of our Catholic theologians and philosophers, to weigh in on this issue of referring for contraceptive Rx's. And do so in a step by step moral analysis of what is occurring. While I have the greatest of respect for those who don't see a problem with this, my gut instinct tells me that this is problematic, that it is cooperation with evil. There may be a way to set up a non-NFP only office practice so that this cooperation does not ensue but what has so far been described does not seem to meet that standard to my understanding. For example, the doctor himself or herself should not have to participate in any way. Once you go to your collegue for the help, you have cooperated and I think it is probably formal cooperation, but again, I am no expert. I don't think you can cooperate in setting up the office policy either, you just need to make clear that whatever solution they come up with, you can't be involved in distributing or referring. I do agree with Dr. Pedulla's cautions about keeping in mind the fact that the noncontraceptiveRxing doctor is the true professional and ultimately best doctor in every sense of the word and the self-sense of this needs to be preserved. This is difficult since it is so countercultural, but it could be part of a morning prayer routine, to meditate on the fact that you are motivated by true love for your patient and pray for all those you meet that day, that you will mediate God's love for them in this way and that at the end of the world you and they will hear those words, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world " Mt 25:34 a Johannes, RN www.cclanchorage.com > > > > > > Dear List. > > > > Greetings. I shared my input regarding " prescribing contraception in > > residency " with Doctor Dominic Pedulla here in Oklahoma City. He sent > > me the following which I thought might be helpfull for information and > > further discussion. > > -- > > Natural Family Planning Outreach > > (New address) > > 2828 NW 57th Street, Suite 211 > > Oklahoma City, OK 73112-7070 > > > > Director: Rev. McCaffrey, STD > > Assistant Directors: > > Rev. Hogan, PhD > > Rev. Habiger, OSB, PhD > > > > > > > > nfpoutreach@... > > nfpoutreach@... > > www.nfpoutreach.org > > > > -------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- > > From: pedullad@... > > To: nfpoutreach@... > > Subject: the OB/GYN intern > > Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 21:05:05 +0000 > > > > Dear Father, > > > > Having read the written responses to your message to the incoming > > OB/GYN intern, I'm struck by several observations. > > > > *First*, there seems to be a persistent erroneous notion that to > > simply refuse to prescribe contraceptives means we are now in > > violation of the freedom and conscience of the patient. > > Interestingly this appears to be held even by some well-known for > > being Catholic and in the " NFP movement " . Physicians need to be > > reminded that their role is to promote the health of the body and > > person, and not to give the patient whatever she says she wants > > (right 11 what Pope VI meant by " human advantage " ). Often > > patients depend on physicians to have the wisdom and objectivity to > > refuse certain requests made at times of duress and suffering, or > > simply when they're acting in a misguided way. For this reason we > > don't give purgatives or laxatives to those who intend to induce > > vomiting in order to control weight. We know that such a practice > > directly antagonizes the health of the body, and even are willing to > > refuse an insistent pati! ent if need be. As such physicians why > > they are so moralistic as to oppose a narcotics addict's wish to get > > a hit of morphine on demand. Isn't that an instance of forcing > > one's philosophy on a patient? Don't we all know that addicts for > > the most part can tolerate these injections, yet don't we refuse to > > give them on principle? > > *Second*, despite the objections of the physician who said that > > prescribing contraceptives does not directly lead to more induced > > abortion, you are 100% correct and all of the medical evidence is > > completely in agreement with you, and against what he is saying, > > i.e. to the fact that the abortion increase is an indirect result of > > a change in the culture that came from contraception. All of the > > data looking at OCP's and abortion show a positive correlation > > between OCP use, pregnancy unwantedness, and the choice to abort > > one's pregnancies. This is a plain scientific and medical fact and > > his analysis of the relation between contraception and abortion is > > deeply flawed. He appears to overlook even the simple fact that the > > relationship between contraception and abortion was always a > > positive and direct correlation even before the advent of the birth > > control pill, a thing very well documented in the medical and > > scientific literature. Moreover, he! indica tes that you're using > > the connection between contraception and abortion to justify not > > prescribing contraception. You however are not doing that, but > > rather merely pointing out some additional correlations that can > > enlighten the mind. The justification is plainly and simply the > > fact that prescribing contraceptives directly and deliberately harms > > health -- i.e. it frustrates the body so that it cannot arrive at > > its normal and intended function. > > *Third*, how could anyone in his right mind think that handing over > > a prescription for contraceptives, that prescription having been > > written by someone else, is anything other than a direct and formal > > intended cooperation in physician-intended, iatrogenic > > (physician-caused by practices) induced infertility? The doctor > > himself is intending to treat the patient in such a way that the > > reproductive system will be deliberately interfered with and > > frustrated. This is bad enough, but it appears that such a position > > really realizes that much more than the mere biological reproductive > > effects will take place. In addition there will be the deeper > > psychosocial and spiritual, guilt, shame, etc. which all come from > > deliberately chosen acts contrary to our nature, which at some basic > > level should be understood by all physicians. Physicians after all > > have a role in helping their patients achieve happiness, do they not? > > > > Physicians have no right to abdicate their responsibility to help > > their patients' objectively choose the best and wisest course. It > > is ridiculous to suggest otherwise, and equally ridiculous that they > > owe their colleagues some kind of exchange for not doing the work of > > writing the prescriptions. What they owe their colleagues is > > charitable witness, loving understanding, and the forgiving of all > > the slights and injuries, with patient bearing of all the wrongs > > that inevitably will take place. > > > > Father we really need a Catholic NFP exchange server so that people > > who don't understand the natural moral law and the issues of > > cooperation can benefit from, but not control the exchange of ideas. > > What you think? > > > > Sincerely yours, > > > > Dom > > > > > > Dominic M. Pedulla MD, FACC, CNFPMC, ABVM, ACPh > > Varicoseveins1@... > > Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, OU Health Sciences Center > > Medical Director, The Oklahoma Vein and Endovascular Center > > President, The Edith Stein Foundation > > -------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- > > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's > > free from AOL at *AOL.com* > > <http://www.aol.com/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437>. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Let me just add a postscipt that there are other ways of knowing that transcend the scientific approach. That's why I say we are on the same page. If I'm not mistaken, the Holy Father has said on more than one occasion and more than one Holy Father has said so, that the contraceptive mentality leads to abortion. If he is saying this as Christ's vicar on earth and is saying it because he is informed by the faith, this is a way of knowing that may transcend science but does not contradict it. And it is a true way of knowing, more perfect than anything that science can come up with, not to denigrate science in the least. This is what JPII spoke about in his encyclical " Faith and Reason " which everyone who " thinks " should read (ha, which means everyone!). KJ > > > > > > > > > Dear List. > > > > > > Greetings. I shared my input regarding " prescribing > contraception in > > > residency " with Doctor Dominic Pedulla here in Oklahoma City. He > sent > > > me the following which I thought might be helpfull for > information and > > > further discussion. > > > -- > > > Natural Family Planning Outreach > > > (New address) > > > 2828 NW 57th Street, Suite 211 > > > Oklahoma City, OK 73112-7070 > > > > > > Director: Rev. McCaffrey, STD > > > Assistant Directors: > > > Rev. Hogan, PhD > > > Rev. Habiger, OSB, PhD > > > > > > > > > > > > nfpoutreach@ > > > nfpoutreach@ > > > www.nfpoutreach.org > > > > > > -------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- > > > From: pedullad@ > > > To: nfpoutreach@ > > > Subject: the OB/GYN intern > > > Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 21:05:05 +0000 > > > > > > Dear Father, > > > > > > Having read the written responses to your message to the > incoming > > > OB/GYN intern, I'm struck by several observations. > > > > > > *First*, there seems to be a persistent erroneous notion that > to > > > simply refuse to prescribe contraceptives means we are now in > > > violation of the freedom and conscience of the patient. > > > Interestingly this appears to be held even by some well- known > for > > > being Catholic and in the " NFP movement " . Physicians need to > be > > > reminded that their role is to promote the health of the body > and > > > person, and not to give the patient whatever she says she > wants > > > (right 11 what Pope VI meant by " human advantage " ). > Often > > > patients depend on physicians to have the wisdom and > objectivity to > > > refuse certain requests made at times of duress and > suffering, or > > > simply when they're acting in a misguided way. For this > reason we > > > don't give purgatives or laxatives to those who intend to > induce > > > vomiting in order to control weight. We know that such a > practice > > > directly antagonizes the health of the body, and even are > willing to > > > refuse an insistent pati! ent if need be. As such physicians > why > > > they are so moralistic as to oppose a narcotics addict's wish > to get > > > a hit of morphine on demand. Isn't that an instance of > forcing > > > one's philosophy on a patient? Don't we all know that > addicts for > > > the most part can tolerate these injections, yet don't we > refuse to > > > give them on principle? > > > *Second*, despite the objections of the physician who said > that > > > prescribing contraceptives does not directly lead to more > induced > > > abortion, you are 100% correct and all of the medical > evidence is > > > completely in agreement with you, and against what he is > saying, > > > i.e. to the fact that the abortion increase is an indirect > result of > > > a change in the culture that came from contraception. All of > the > > > data looking at OCP's and abortion show a positive correlation > > > between OCP use, pregnancy unwantedness, and the choice to > abort > > > one's pregnancies. This is a plain scientific and medical > fact and > > > his analysis of the relation between contraception and > abortion is > > > deeply flawed. He appears to overlook even the simple fact > that the > > > relationship between contraception and abortion was always a > > > positive and direct correlation even before the advent of the > birth > > > control pill, a thing very well documented in the medical and > > > scientific literature. Moreover, he! indica tes that you're > using > > > the connection between contraception and abortion to justify > not > > > prescribing contraception. You however are not doing that, > but > > > rather merely pointing out some additional correlations that > can > > > enlighten the mind. The justification is plainly and simply > the > > > fact that prescribing contraceptives directly and > deliberately harms > > > health -- i.e. it frustrates the body so that it cannot > arrive at > > > its normal and intended function. > > > *Third*, how could anyone in his right mind think that > handing over > > > a prescription for contraceptives, that prescription having > been > > > written by someone else, is anything other than a direct and > formal > > > intended cooperation in physician-intended, iatrogenic > > > (physician-caused by practices) induced infertility? The > doctor > > > himself is intending to treat the patient in such a way that > the > > > reproductive system will be deliberately interfered with and > > > frustrated. This is bad enough, but it appears that such a > position > > > really realizes that much more than the mere biological > reproductive > > > effects will take place. In addition there will be the deeper > > > psychosocial and spiritual, guilt, shame, etc. which all come > from > > > deliberately chosen acts contrary to our nature, which at > some basic > > > level should be understood by all physicians. Physicians > after all > > > have a role in helping their patients achieve happiness, do > they not? > > > > > > Physicians have no right to abdicate their responsibility to > help > > > their patients' objectively choose the best and wisest > course. It > > > is ridiculous to suggest otherwise, and equally ridiculous > that they > > > owe their colleagues some kind of exchange for not doing the > work of > > > writing the prescriptions. What they owe their colleagues is > > > charitable witness, loving understanding, and the forgiving > of all > > > the slights and injuries, with patient bearing of all the > wrongs > > > that inevitably will take place. > > > > > > Father we really need a Catholic NFP exchange server so that > people > > > who don't understand the natural moral law and the issues of > > > cooperation can benefit from, but not control the exchange of > ideas. > > > What you think? > > > > > > Sincerely yours, > > > > > > Dom > > > > > > > > > Dominic M. Pedulla MD, FACC, CNFPMC, ABVM, ACPh > > > Varicoseveins1@ > > > Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, OU Health Sciences > Center > > > Medical Director, The Oklahoma Vein and Endovascular Center > > > President, The Edith Stein Foundation > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ -- > ---------- > > > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about > what's > > > free from AOL at *AOL.com* > > > <http://www.aol.com/?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437>. > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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