He Is Not Here
(Contraception is a Sin)

Mr. David James passed away in an unfortunate car accident at the age of 35 and was immediately whisked by angels before St. Peter and the gates of heaven.

Mr. James: Where am I?

St. Peter: You are standing before the gates of heaven.

Mr. James: Who are you?

St. Peter: I am Peter, the humble servant of God.

Mr. James: You mean St. Peter the first pope?

St. Peter: Yes.

Mr. James: Wow ! I made it to heaven!

St. Peter: Hold on, we have to see if your name is written in The Book of Life. What is your name?

Mr. James: Mr. David James.

St. Peter: Lets take a look.

(St. Peter opened a great book and began to look in it.)

Mr. James: I wonder what heaven is like?

St. Peter: I don’t see your name.

Mr. James: What? Look again!

St. Peter: I am sorry. Your name is not here.

Mr. James: There has to be some kind of mistake! Please check with some one else.

St. Peter: I will call for your complete record.

(An angel appeared and handed a scroll to St. Peter.)

Mr. James: Quick, read it!

(St. Peter unrolled the scroll.)

St. Peter: Lets see. You where a member of St. Anthony's parish and contributed amble time and financial support. You were married and had two children. Looks pretty good so far.

Mr. James: Do see any problems?

St. Peter: Here it is.

Mr. James: What?

St. Peter: You were unrepentant.

Mr. James: What do you mean I was unrepentant?

St. Peter: It says here, that you were unrepentant for the sins of using contraception, being sterilized, and receiving Holy Communion in the state of mortal sin.

Mr. James: You have to be kidding!

St. Peter: No, I am not kidding. You knew it was sinful to do such things. Why didn’t you confess your sins to a priest? Jesus would have forgiven you.

Mr. James: I didn't have the time, besides everybody uses artificial birth control. What is the big deal ?

St. Peter: Christians do not conform themselves to the world but are transformed. Intentional sterility is an affront before the Lord. God despises any sexual act that deliberately departs from the possibility of new life in its design. The big deal is these mortal sins you perpetrated extinguished God’s grace dwelling within your soul. Every time you accepted our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament you committed a sacrilege. The Bible clearly states in First Corinthians 11:27, "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord." What in the world were you thinking?

Mr. James: I didn’t sin! The Church just made up those rules about artificial birth control so everyone would have large families. Besides, the Bible never denounces the use of contraception or having a vasectomy!

St. Peter: You are wrong. The Church didn’t make this up or said one had to have a large family. Just about every imaginable sexual activity is mentioned in the Bible, and the only form that is pleasing to God is uncorrupted conjugal love. As for your vasectomy, Deuteronomy 23:1 says, "No one who is emasculated, or has his male organ cut off, shall enter the assembly of the Lord." Contraception is condemned in Genesis 38:8-10 where God took the the life of Onan because he spilled his seamen rather than produce children.

Mr. James: That is the Old Testament. All that archaic morality was done away with when Christ came. Everybody knows that.

St. Peter: This is a trick used by Lucifer to dupe the foolish into believing that these condemnations are obsolete. Christ did abolish the ceremonial laws, but He never dispensed with the moral law. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." The New Testament also condemns contraception in Romans 1:25-26. Do you want me to quote this verse?

Mr. James: No. Can’t you make an exception for me?

St. Peter: I am very sorry. It is time for you to go.

(All at once, two hideous demons with chains in their hands appeared on either side of Mr. James.)

Mr. James: This has to be a mistake! Hey, wait a minute! What about Father Charles Turren? Yea, that's right! He said it was ok to use contraception and to get a vasectomy if ones conscience dictated. He said Vatican II changed all those outdated beliefs of the Church. Father passed away a couple years ago. Go ask him! Yea, he will make everything ok! Look in your book, quick!

St. Peter: Ok, Ok! I will check.

(St. Peter opened The Book of Life and began to turn the pages. After a while St. Peter looked up slowly at Mr. James.)

St. Peter: He is not here.