The Controversial Ad?

 When Methodist University refused to run Planned Parenthood’s birth control ad because it was “too controversial”, a few lyrics from my Camp Sumatanga days came to mind.  “I’ll shout it from the mountain top. I want the world to know.., I want to pass it on.”

I’ve always been proud of my Methodist camp affiliation in no small part because of the United Methodist’s strong, official position in support of reproductive freedom.

Trust in a woman’s moral authority mattered to me then and still does.

This is why I can’t believe Methodist would reject a birth control ad. Virtually every woman who has sex uses birth control at some point, (see Guttmacher study.) There are few experiences that cut more equally across class, race and religion than birth control use.

 In fact, if women didn’t have access to birth control, far fewer would seek higher learning, much less graduate from college. Just think back to your own mother’s experience. It hasn’t been that long since birth control was made legal.

The rate of females graduating from college has essentially doubled since the early 1970s when birth control became more widely available. Of course, other legal gains helped pave the way for women’s entry into college and professional life but we can’t ignore the role birth control played. Women’s access to birth control clearly expanded our horizons.

The United Methodist Church recognizes the role birth control plays in the lives of women and their families. On their website, they write eloquently about responsible choices—planning families in order to care responsibly for children. They even support a woman’s right to choose abortion regardless of her financial situation.

But we’re talking about birth control here. I’ll admit that abortion can be controversial but Methodist University rejected an ad for birth control—an ad that said “Planning is Power.” Isn’t that what getting a college degree is all about?

I can’t imagine what students who use birth control at Methodist would think. This is why I just want to shout it from a mountain top, I want the world to know.  Let me know your thoughts.

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