Do any women actually believe the Catholic Church’s teaching on “reproductive health,” as contraception and abortion are euphemistically referred to? How could such things even be healthy? Teresa Tomeo, the author of Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture, shares some thoughts on these matters with National Review Online’s Kathryn Jean Lopez.

KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: How does a “former women’s libber and secular journalist” come to write a book against conformity to culture?

TERESA TOMEO: Through the grace of God, frankly. I had bought into most of the lies the culture was selling, and suffered greatly as a result of my bad choices. I had to hit rock bottom in my professional and personal life before being able to see that I couldn’t really do anything entirely on my own. My favorite Scripture verse is John 15:5, where Jesus tells us he is the vine, and we are the branches. If we break away from him we can’t do anything. I had totally accepted the tenets of radical feminism, putting myself first. I almost lost my marriage and, more importantly, my soul. I had to be fired from a prominent media position and be stripped of almost everything in order for me to take a good look at myself. It was the most painful time in my life but also one of the most fruitful.

LOPEZ: You seek “to tell as many people as [you] can — especially women — that [you were] wrong and that the Church was — and is — right!” When the White House is moving against the legality of practicing some of the stuff Catholicism teaches, why the heck would anyone be receptive to such a message?

TOMEO: Because, as Glenn Beck recently said, “We are all Catholics now.” In other words, the HHS-mandate issue is about religious liberty and the right of conscience, which affects everyone of any faith — not just Catholics. The government does not have the right to tell any religion what it can and cannot teach — and that is basically what this administration is trying to do. They are trying to define their version of “religion.”

LOPEZ: What does the new “free birth control for all” policy of the United States mean to you?

TOMEO: That according to those in the current administration, there is only one acceptable ideology in this country — pro-contraception and pro-abortion. It’s their way or the highway, as the old saying goes; and it is very eye-opening as the lines are becoming much clearer. I see this, though, as a great opportunity for all people of faith — particularly in the Church — to lead the way in the fight for our basic constitutional rights.

LOPEZ: What do you think when you hear Catholic conscience protests dismissed because so many Catholics don’t practice what priests don’t even preach?

TOMEO: Most people go at least ten miles over the speed limit; that doesn’t make their actions correct. There is a very high percentage of young people who engage in underage drinking. That doesn’t mean we should lower the legal age limit to 14 just because “everyone” is supposedly doing this or that. To me, this is such an immature response. Just as with particular laws we have established in society, the Church has also established her own set of teachings for our benefit. It seems that this type of argument is only brought up when we are dealing with issues below the belt. I also question some of the statistics that the anti-Catholic pundits are using when it comes to the number of Catholics using contraception.

LOPEZ: Why is the Catholic Church worth being a part of or defending? You have noticed that its leadership is male and you’re not, haven’t you?

TOMEO: The truth of Church teachings is proven right over and over again in the natural law. Theology of the Body expert Christopher West says, “The truth of Church teaching is proven in the pain of those who reject it.” All we need to do is look at the continual breakdown in society to know that the Church teachings are spot on. If what the world is selling is so wonderful, why is there so much misery attached to it? For example, if we were meant to jump from relationship to relationship, then why do we see so many problems attached to sexual promiscuity — namely, extremely high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and the emotional turmoil that comes from this type of existence? This is just one example of why the Church is worth being a part of and defending. What the Church teaches not only offers what’s best for Catholics but what is best for all of humanity.

In terms of the male hierarchy, we need to see it as the servanthood roles established by Christ as opposed to roles of power. We need to stop thinking of the Church as some sort of a company with a glass ceiling that needs to be broken. People need to stop thinking in terms of sound bites or catch phrases when it comes to the Catholic Church. If they took the time, as I finally did, to sit down and see what the Church has to say — particularly about women’s rights — they would be very pleasantly surprised. I would highly recommend a reading of Pope John Paul II’s 1995 Papal Letter to Women as well as his ground-breaking document Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women). I don’t have too much patience for people who throw stones at the Church when they haven’t given her reasoning, writings, and teachings the time of day.

LOPEZ: “God can use anyone, or any setting, to extend His invitation for conversion or reversion.” Why is that important to say? And what does that have to do with the Detroit Pistons?

TOMEO: God brings certain people into our lives and offers us a chance to respond to that grace. My eventual return to the Church began with my husband’s invitation to a men’s Bible study. That invitation was made to him at a Pistons basketball game by a former coworker of mine. Through that Bible study, my husband came back to Catholicism and led me back as well.

LOPEZ: “A weak and uneducated faith is no match for today’s mammoth media, which we let mold our way of thinking and eventually our way of living.” With the new media, you’re exaggerating here, aren’t you?

TOMEO: I think I have actually understated it. I don’t want readers to think that all media are bad and that we should throw out the TVs, laptops, and cell phones. But all you need to do is look at the numbers to know that this is true. The Kaiser Family Foundation, which does a great deal of research on media influence, tells us that young people consume 53 hours of media per week. Adults are around 38–40 hours. Given the prevalence of social media, I don’t see this at all as an exaggeration.

LOPEZ: How is the statement that “truth can be denied but not suppressed forever” relevant to anyone who does not have an interest in your Catholic apologetics?

TOMEO: Again, just take a look around at all the problems in our world. Much of the misery is brought on by a society that is only interested in instant and self-gratification. Pride, selfishness, greed, and treating other human beings as a means to a particular end in their life. As you may have noticed. I used mostly secular sources in my book to back Church teaching. This goes back to the natural law. I love to quote Scripture and Church documents, but that is not going to reach someone unchurched. Studies from secular think tanks and professional organizations help us make our point.

LOPEZ: Is it possible you’re a little too down on the media because of personal experience?

TOMEO: It’s because of my experience that I am able to call for the industry to be used wisely and well. That’s a positive approach and one to which any concerned citizen can relate.

LOPEZ: What’s your advice to young women interested in being in the secular media like you were?

TOMEO: Go for it. If that is where they are being drawn, then it’s most likely that God put that desire in their heart and that they can be used in very mighty ways. But they need a very strong faith. The news business is very tough in general; and then when you throw all the media bias in the mix, it can be very challenging. They need to be able to answer questions about Christianity among their newsroom colleagues and managers, and they need to be able to encourage balance when it comes to stories dealing with the faith.

I was just having a conversation this weekend with a close friend who is a Christian and an anchorman at one of the major network affiliates in my hometown. He is really struggling with his bosses. He is merely asking for accuracy and fairness in terms of the recent Komen and HHS stories, and his concerns are falling on deaf ears. I could see the stress on his face. It can be really rough but if that’s what you are called to do, you should pursue it.

LOPEZ: What are the “problems with contraception” you want NARAL and Planned Parenthood to “be honest about”?

TOMEO: Well for starters, how about they fess up and give women accurate information regarding the connection between the birth-control pill and an increased risk of breast cancer? The World Health Organization released a great deal of information about this seven years ago, and very little has been said about this issue. We heard so much in the news concerning the problems with menopausal women and estrogen combinations due to similar cancer concerns; but when it comes to the pill and, again, below-the-belt issues, the NARALs, Planned Parenthoods, and much of the media are silent about this. If they “trust women” as many of their slogans and signs proclaim, why don’t they trust them with accurate and complete information and offer them real “choice” so they can make well-informed decisions?

LOPEZ: Aha! So this debate about “religious liberty” is really about birth control and putting your rosaries on my ovaries!?

TOMEO: I think a much more accurate view is that NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and the Obama administration are putting their ideology into my Church where it doesn’t belong. I stand by all the Church teachings; but it is important to note that contraception is widely available everywhere, and the Church, or any religious entity, shouldn’t have to be forced by the government to go against core beliefs.

LOPEZ: Isn’t your position so clearly behind the times?

TOMEO: Actually, given all of the health concerns connected with a contraceptive lifestyle, the Church teachings are more relevant than ever.

LOPEZ: You write, “Shouldn’t organizations such as the NAACP be concerned about how many of their children are being eliminated through abortion and how their race is being targeted by the abortion industry?” Who are you to lecture civil-rights leaders?

TOMEO: I am a concerned Christian woman who has the same freedom-of-speech rights as others taking to the airwaves and the public platforms to put their concerns and issues forward. Why is it okay for those who support abortion and contraception to have the lion’s share of the media landscape and to try to silence those of us who dare to challenge and disagree with them?

LOPEZ: Next year is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. How should we be approaching that?

TOMEO: First, by prayer and fasting. Second, through continued efforts to promote the truth about the devastating impact of abortion and the actual Supreme Court case. Very few people know that the Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade never had an abortion, or that Norma McCorvey converted to Christianity and eventually joined the Catholic Church and has been a pro-life activist for years. Her voice has been silenced by radical feminists.

LOPEZ: What did you think about the recent Komen incident?

TOMEO: I think it was definitely another opportunity to educate the public on Planned Parenthood’s connections and its dirty little secrets. I am relieved that it has now been revealed that Planned Parenthood has never provided mammograms and is simply acting as an expensive middleman, only offering women referrals. Another silver lining was the media’s exposing their blatant bias. The majority of the stories regarding the Komen debacle were extremely unbalanced. I think Komen still has a lot of questions to answer. Why in the world were they donating to Planned Parenthood in the first place? And why is Komen keeping quiet about the connections between abortion and breast cancer, and the pill and breast cancer? How can they truly help women fight this disease if they aren’t warning them about these risks?

LOPEZ: What are you hearing about the HHS mandate from Catholic women?

TOMEO: My radio listeners/Internet followers are fed up with being boxed into the radical-feminist description of who women are and what they want. They are also sick and tired of being lied to regarding their health. I have many listeners who are post-abortive women who feel they have been ignored as well as silenced. Other than the Internet and shows similar to mine, they feel no one wants to hear their side of the abortion story.

LOPEZ: How will you remember Whitney Houston?

TOMEO: St. Augustine said to sing is to pray twice. I admired her talent. She was very gifted. And my prayers go out to her family.

— Kathryn Jean Lopez is editor-at-large of National Review Online.