Let it be granted then that the theological differences in this area between Protestants and Roman Catholics appear to be irreconcilable. But people differ in their religious beliefs on scores of doctrines, without taking up arms against those who disagree with them. Why is it so different in regard to birth control? It is because each side has sought to implement its distinctive theological belief through legislation and thus indirectly force its belief, or at least the practical consequences thereof, upon others.

It is always a temptation for a religious organization, especially a powerful or dominant one, to impose through the clenched fist of the law its creedal viewpoint upon others. Both Roman Catholics and Protestants have succumbed to this temptation in the past.

Consider what happened during World War 1,, when the Protestant churches united to push the Prohibition law through Congress. Many of them sincerely believe that the use of liquor in any form or in any degree is intrinsically evil and sinful. With over four million American men away at war, Protestants forced their distinctive theological belief upon the general public. With the return of our soldiers, it soon became apparent that the belief was not shared by the great majority of citizens. The attempt to enforce that belief ushered in a reign of bootleggers, racketeers, hijackers and gangsters that led to a breakdown of law unparalleled in our history. The so-called ``noble experiment'' came to an inglorious end.