don’ t have to. They have an ample supply of other people’ s evil

don’ t have to. They have an ample supply of other people’ s evil thoughts to draw upon. This is the husband and his wife again. The ones who don’ t want to have a baby yet. Now the calendar says that the time is sterile. How convenient. Now they can make love without stopping. And without worrying. But they’ re good, consistent Catholics. And so they are worrying. Because they know that evil thoughts are evil. Their evil thought is to have intercourse but to avoid having a baby. They can’ t be sure they won’ t have a baby--that’ s why the rhythm system is moral--but the intention is there. Tomorrow they will go to confession. Postscript: | wrote the above piece in 1958 (before the Pill), and it turned out to be theologically correct in 1984, when Pope John Paul II warned that the rhythm method of birth control can be “an abuse if the couple is seeking in this way to avoid children for unworthy reasons.” HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015050