Unity and Procreation

In Humanae Vitae, paragraph 12 Pope Paul IV says man should not break, “The unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act.” This basically means man should abide by the significance of unity and procreation in a marriage because they are fundamental to the act of marriage. He further explains that unity is the closest form of intimacy and is the prerequisite to procreation. In addition, if a man and a woman adhere to this act, the significance of marriage will reach its full potential by the means of “mutual love” which enables the responsibility of parenthood. In this modern day era, premarital sex is becoming more prevalent and socially acceptable and sex is heavily advertised in the media in various forms. In addition, more women are having children out of wedlock. These two acts divert from what Pope Paul IV says about unity and procreation as the fundamental act of marriage.

I agree that unity and procreation are fundamental to the act of marriage, for those who follow the rules and regulations of the bible. In Christianity, sex is suppose to be for married couples, thus advocating abstinence. I do believe that it is the right thing to do, IF religion is an important factor in a person’s life because it unites a man and a woman together. As a result, this renders procreation. In reiteration, I’m not saying that unity and procreation as the fundamental act of marriage is applicable to everyone. It just depends on what an individual values in Christianity, if they identify themselves as Christians.

I don’t entirely agree that unity and procreation will result in reaching the FULL potential of “mutual love.” The union between a man and a woman can create a deeper connection and can emotional attachment, which can result in reaching their full potential of “mutual love.” However, I don’t think this is applicable to everyone because this can vary amongst different people, considering that they could reach their full potential before procreation. I do not fully agree that “mutual love” will result in the responsibility of parenthood. I do believe that this can influence the responsibility of parenthood, but single parents can fulfill this duty as well. Just because they did not fully adhere to the principle of unity and procreation, does not mean that they will be less capable of being a responsible parent.