BY: JORDAN OTERO
Franciscan University of Steubenville students called for troops Feb.9 to destroy the "root of the culture of death" — contraception — and to "change the world" in the process.
Contraception "is the sacred cow, and we're killing it" by taking action against it, said freshman Marc Barnes, co-founder of One Flesh Rebellion, a new Internet-based movement starting on campus aimed to educate men and women alike about the dangers of contraception usage.
"We're winning the abortion battle," said sophomore co-founder Andrew Ouelette. "So, why not get a head start on contraceptives?"
Barnes and Ouelette hope that by promoting the precepts of the Vatican II document, Humanae Vitae, their new project will be able to "really show the dignity and the awesomeness of sex," said Ouelette, and thereby educate the 83 percent of Catholics who use contraceptives in marriage.
Ouelette said that taking that particular stance on sex is "daring," but that the aim is to "show how sex is great, and ... we don't need any artificial methods for it."
A driving force behind the movement was the Department of Health and Human Services' mandate, which would require faith-based institutions, including Catholic charities, schools, universities and hospitals, but not the church itself, to provide insurance coverage to its employees for services including sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs and devices, and contraception.
Barnes said the reason behind the mandate is not because "they do not think we deserve religious freedom," said Barnes. "It's because our culture is ... addicted to artificial contraception."
Barnes and Ouelette's solution manifested in One Flesh Rebellion, a website created to repair the image of the anti-contraceptive movement.
"What we want to start to do is something we can be proud of linking to ... when we're arguing for the church's position on contraception," said Barnes.
The key, he said, is keeping the argument secular, through using scientific evidence and natural law. Barnes emphasized that the movement is not strictly motivated by a want to spread God's love for everyone. He said that since natural law is "basic church teaching" of why contraception is wrong, it is easy to keep the argument on a secular level to make a greater impact.
"The aim of this website is to meet the culture on its own terms and to win the culture war," he said.
Barnes and Ouelette expressed enthusiasm for the movement and the difference that can be made through it. Barnes said that if you can "cut the root of abortion, which is contraception, you can end abortion (and) you can change the world."
Ouelette added, "This is our movement."
Barnes and Ouelette called for writers, videographers, graphic designers and Web designers to make the website as effective as possible. People without any of those specific skills are encouraged to help out as well.
The movement website can be found at 1flesh.org.