John Rock's Error; What the Co-Inventor of the Pill Didn't Know

Question 1

John Rock

Answer 1

One of the inventors of the birth control pill. Wrote the book, “The Time Has Come: A Catholic Doctor’s Proposals to End the Battle Over Birth Control.” Believed that the Pill was a “natural” method of birth control

Question 2

Progesterone

Answer 2

One of a class of hormones known as progestin. Prepares the uterus for implantation and stops the ovaries from releasing new eggs.

Question 3

Rhythm Method

Answer 3

Limiting sex to the safe period that progestin creates. It is a type of birth control that helps women track their menstrual cycle, and thus predict their ovulation cycle –> women would know to not engage in sexual activity during their ovulation cycle.
This was seen as a natural birth control method that the Church approved of.

Question 4

GnRHAs

Answer 4

A class of drugs that disrupts the signals that the pituitary gland sends when it is attempting to order the manufacture of sex hormones. When given to women of childbearing age, it stops their ovaries from producing estrogen and progestin.

Question 5

Humanae Vitae

Answer 5

Encyclical in which the Pope broke his silence and declared that all “artificial” methods of contraception would be against the teachings of the Church

Question 6

Why was the Church so against the pill?

Answer 6

The thing about the pill that they found wrong was that it was deemed an artificial birth control method, in which women were taking in order to prolong their safe period the entire month –> the Church believed that by doing this, women would freely engage in sexual activity without any intention of having children (promiscuity was seen as a sin)

Question 7

What was John Rock’s Error?

Answer 7

Basically, it stemmed down to his belief that the Church would accept the pill as a natural form of birth control, that he could change the Vatican’s stance on it if he convinced people that the pill was part of life.
The mixing of science and religion.