Sex in the Cloisters

The fact that the Catholic church is opposed to the use of contraceptives has always struck me as a bit wierd. Why would they be so vehemently opposed to it? Is contraception outlawed in the bible? I can't find any specific passage which deals with this but "... be fruitful, and increase in number and fill the earth ..." deals with filling the earth with progeny which contraception could definitely prevent or at least limit. If one accepts the logic that "... be fruitful, and increase in number and fill the earth ..." speaks against contraception, surely it would speak against all forms of contraception including abstinence.

Another topic which the church tends to rail against with more or less ferocity is that of the M word. M is for Masturbation and the church is pretty quiet about it while at the same time letting you know that it is a definately not to be indulged in. Since this, once again, doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere in the bible I don't know why the church would be against it but I think I have finally figured it out. Maybe!

If one was to condone the use of contraception, one would in effect be condoning the fact that sex is indulged in purely for the pleasure of it because it clearly isn't for procreation. Since sex would now be for one's and one's partners mutual pleasure, it is only a small jump to describe sex as being a form of mutual masturbation. And then it is only a small jump to self masturbation while fantasising about one's partner and voila, you have just justified masturbation all within the confines of church doctrine. This can't be allowed to happen, there would be far too many people having far too much pleasure and not enough guilt with which to work.

QED