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Rick Santorum: Top 7 culture war moments

As a senator, Rick Santorum was one of the Republican Party's best-known culture warriors. Now, as a surging presidential contender, Mr. Santorum is still leading the charge, and facing questions about some of his old, and not so old, comments. Here is a sample.

3. On 'the dangers of contraception'

REUTERS/Brian Losness
Rick Santorum, addressing a large crowd at the Capital High School Auditorium in Boise, Idaho, on Feb. 14, 2012, reacts to President Obama's remarks on the contraception issue .

  • By Linda Feldmann Staff writer

In an Oct. 18, 2011, interview with the website CaffeinatedThoughts.com, Santorum shared his views on birth control, which are in keeping with the teachings of his Catholic faith.

“One of the things I will talk about that no president has talked about before is the dangers of contraception in this country, the whole sexual libertine idea,” said Santorum, who has seven children. “Many in the Christian faith have said, ‘Well, that’s okay. Contraception’s okay.’ It’s not okay because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.”

Sexual relationships “are supposed to be within marriage. They are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal and unitive but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen.

“We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that’s not for purposes of procreation, that’s not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can’t you take other parts of that out?

“And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it’s simply pleasure. And that’s certainly a part of it, and it’s an important part of it, don’t get me wrong, but there’s a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special.”

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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