![]() This isn't surprising, because while Gandhi was very practical in his work to improve conditions for the poor and outcast, he wasn't practical in the sense of worldly. He refused to reduce man to his lowest common denominatorto his animal passionsbut instead sought to recognize his inherent dignity, and ultimately to uplift and ennoble him in service to God.īecause many modern arguments for reproductive rights, or access to contraception and abortion, are based on the claim that these services are needed to alleviate human suffering, its instructive to examine them in light of Gandhi's searing critique of artificial contraception, since the Mahatma was certainly not indifferent to human suffering.įor a short period early in his public life Gandhi accepted the use of artificial birth control, but he soon changed his position dramatically when he realized what the consequences of birth control would be. But in the years between his return to India from South Africa in 1914 and his death at the hands of a radical Hindu in 1948, he wrote numerous articles and letters, many of which addressed a wide range of social and moral issues confronting India in the 20th century, including issues of human sexuality. Gandhi is best known today for his non-violent struggle against the British rule of India, and for his efforts to assist the oppressed and destitute. ![]() Gandhi feared that men and women would become 'mental and moral wrecks' if they embraced contraception. What's worsefrom a secular liberal perspectivenothing more clearly reveals Gandhis deeply conservative understanding of human sexuality and the relationship between a man and a womanand only a man and a womanthan does his stance on artificial contraception. Thats because Gandhis positions on sex and marriage are not what you would expect from a hero of the Left. ![]() Its no surprise thenwhen you consider the sway that secular liberals have over the ideas generated by the media and the academythat of the thousands of articles and websites you can find on the internet about Gandhis life and his pacifist teaching, few say anything at all about his views on issues of human sexuality. To millions around the world, Mahatma Gandhi is one of the 20th century's greatest exemplars of human wisdom and compassion. In a century most notable for its villains, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma is an honorific title) is seen as a heroic figureand justifiably so.īut one social group in particularsecular liberalsholds Gandhi in especially high regard, no doubt for many legitimate reasons, but also in part because of the perceived political correctness of his non-Western, non-Christian religious tradition, his pacifist teachings, and his 21-year struggle against apartheid in South Africa. ![]()
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