Freedom is without doubt one of our most cherished core values. That is why the exercise of freedom carries such responsibility.
In the last odd 60 years, the Western world has seen an almost unfettered abuse of freedom, especially in the manner with which we use our sexuality.
This has been championed by a powerful feminist movement that exploited the widespread use of the contraceptive pill to empower women to achieve what they considered an equal footing with men.
For years now, feminists have prided themselves on being able to live the same lifestyle of irresponsible men as they were no longer handicapped by the consequences of unwanted pregnancy and the ties and commitments of motherhood.
This corrosive model of progress is now being seriously re-examined and the outcomes questioned by leading feminists themselves, including Louise Perry, author of The Case against Sexual Revolution. And she is not the only high-profile feminist to challenge this ultra-libertarian concept of freedom.
These women question whether widespread contraception has really led to the emancipation of women. They rightly recognise the obvious when they contend that men are by nature physically stronger.
Birth rates are plummeting, and the Western world, which boasts an unprecedented sense of security and well-being, is now dying
Women are more vulnerable and more subject to violence, and have to face the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and the issue of abortion, not to mention the burden of disrupting their physiological well-being thanks to the hormonal contraceptive drugs they feel compelled to take.
Perry is particularly disturbed by the exponential proliferation of pornography that has enslaved countless women and corrupted the most personal, intimate and sacred aspect of human relations. The results are beyond question and clearly visible.
Chivalry, romance and the beauty of long-term commitment have been sacrificed on the altar of the hedonistic culture of instant, short-term gratification.
Men no longer feel the need for self-restraint and courteous behaviour. Marriage rates are dropping alarmingly. In the US, six per cent of women were unmarried in the 1980s. This has now risen to 25 per cent and is rising.
Birth rates are plummeting, and the Western world, which boasts an unprecedented sense of security and well-being, is now dying. One looks back on our parents, when many lived very frugal lives, yet brought up and educated large families.
Even in countries such as China, where vigorous coercive policies restricted childbearing, the stark reality of an imploding population is of great concern.
Although it was relatively easy to discourage families and child-bearing, the opposite is not the case. Once the corrosive antinatalist culture is established, it is difficult to change the trend.
At last, people are beginning to realise that Pope Paul VI’s prophetic warnings in his landmark encyclical Humanae Vitae were justified and that we need to change tack.