More Onan!

Decided to Google Onan some more this morning! (Don’t go there!)

Anyway I found this article that supports Father Harrison’s 5th point about modern sensibilities clouding our interpretation of Genesis 38: 9-10. This is from Simple Catholicism by Father Phil Bloom’s site.

The question of Onan’s sin has not been laid to rest. The modern interpretation might be a case of what Bernard Lonergan calls “group bias,” in this instance the deep rooted conviction that our own culture is not only the latest, but the most advanced and therefore the measure for all others. The Bible’s reverence for the “seed” seems outmoded to us, but could it be that we are missing something crucial? Maybe our blind spots need to be challenged by reading the Fathers. C.S. Lewis never tired of encouraging Christians to read ancient authors as an antidote to chronological narrowness.

The Church Fathers were certainly aware of the Levirate law, nevertheless they saw the issue as Onan’s willingness to enjoy sex, but not accept the consequences. Still, I hasten to add that the Patristic interpretation of Gen. 38:10 is not essential to upholding the Catholic teaching regarding birth control. Humanae Vitae and the Catechism present that teaching without mentioning Onan.

I highlight C.S. Lewis’s name because, as you may recall, he was the inspriration for the Intellectuelle group blog. I just found that amusing.

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