Religion & Law

Some questions and comments regarding Steve's post linking Ellen Goodman's column on fertility rate, access to contraceptive information, and the environment.

Steve says:  "Of course, Church leaders will think these considerations [protecting the environment] do not bear on the moral issue [contraceptives]."  Why do you think this Steve?  I suspect at a deep level, Church leaders would disagree with the factual claim that greater access to contraceptives will lead to greater environmental protection.

Goodman asserts that societies that have access to A (access to contraceptives) also have B (fewer children).  She then concludes that C (environmental protection) will follow.  But, does she (or others) make a case for a causal link between A and B and AB and C?

Does Goodman address (or maybe she doesn't care) about the less than replacement fertility rate in much of Europe?

Finally, it seems an odd argument to me that the earth's environment should be cleaned up by polluting (in the case of some contraceptive options) the bodily environment of women.