A
anp1215
Guest
Me too. I turned my back on contraception forever when I was welcomed into the Church. Now, I know I can’t predict the future as far as my own sins, but I am firmly resolved to never use it again.
2011 study shows that 98% of Catholics use artificial birth control
- Status
J
jmcrae
Guest
How about this:
A. Leave the judging to God.
B. Don’t believe everything you read, especially on the Internet.
B
Bookcat
Guest
What is always needed…
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God…”
"Paul makes this process of “recasting” even clearer by saying that we become new if we transform our way of thinking. What has been introduced here with “way of thinking” is the Greek term “nous”. It is a complex word. It may be translated as “spirit”, “sentiments”, “reason”, and precisely, also by “way of thinking”. Thus our reason must become new. This surprises us. We might have expected instead that this would have concerned some attitude: what we should change in our behaviour. But no: renewal must go to the very core. Our way of looking at the world, of understanding reality all our thought must change from its foundations. The reasoning of the former person, the common way of thinking is usually directed to possession, well-being, influence, success, fame and so forth. Yet in this way its scope is too limited. Thus, in the final analysis, one’s “self” remains the centre of the world. We must learn to think more profoundly. St Paul tells us what this means in the second part of the sentence: it is necessary to learn to understand God’s will, so that it may shape our own will. This is in order that we ourselves may desire what God desires, because we recognize that what God wants is the beautiful and the good. It is therefore a question of a turning point in our fundamental spiritual orientation. God must enter into the horizon of our thought: what he wants and the way in which he conceived of the world and of me. We must learn to share in the thinking and the will of Jesus Christ. It is then that we will be new people in whom a new world emerges.
Paul illustrates the same idea of a necessary renewal of our way of being human in two passages of his Letter to the Ephesians; let us therefore reflect on them briefly. In the Letter’s fourth chapter, the Apostle tells us that with Christ we must attain adulthood, a mature faith. We can no longer be “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…” (4: 14). Paul wants Christians to have a “responsible” and “adult faith”. The words “adult faith” in recent decades have formed a widespread slogan. It is often meant in the sense of the attitude of those who no longer listen to the Church and her Pastors but autonomously choose what they want to believe and not to believe hence a do-it-yourself faith. And it is presented as a “courageous” form of self-expression against the Magisterium of the Church. In fact, however, no courage is needed for this because one may always be certain of public applause. Rather, courage is needed to adhere to the Church’s faith, even if this contradicts the “logic” of the contemporary world. This is the non-conformism of faith which Paul calls an “adult faith”. It is the faith that he desires. On the other hand, he describes chasing the winds and trends of the time as infantile. Thus, being committed to the inviolability of human life from its first instant, thereby radically opposing the principle of violence also precisely in the defence of the most defenceless human creatures is part of an adult faith. It is part of an adult faith to recognize marriage between a man and a woman for the whole of life as the Creator’s ordering, newly re-established by Christ. Adult faith does not let itself be carried about here and there by any trend. It opposes the winds of fashion. It knows that these winds are not the breath of the Holy Spirit; it knows that the Spirit of God is expressed and manifested in communion with Jesus Christ. However, here too Paul does not stop at saying “no”, but rather leads us to the great “yes”. He describes the mature, truly adult faith positively with the words: “speaking the truth in love” (cf. Eph 4: 15). The new way of thinking, given to us by faith, is first and foremost a turning towards the truth. The power of evil is falsehood. The power of faith, the power of God, is the truth. The truth about the world and about ourselves becomes visible when we look to God. And God makes himself visible to us in the Face of Jesus Christ. In looking at Christ, we recognize something else: truth and love are inseparable. In God both are inseparably one; it is precisely this that is the essence of God. For Christians, therefore, truth and love go together. Love is the test of truth. We should always measure ourselves anew against this criterion, so that truth may become love and love may make us truthful."
Pope Benedict XVI
vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20090628_chius-anno-paolino_en.html
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God…”
"Paul makes this process of “recasting” even clearer by saying that we become new if we transform our way of thinking. What has been introduced here with “way of thinking” is the Greek term “nous”. It is a complex word. It may be translated as “spirit”, “sentiments”, “reason”, and precisely, also by “way of thinking”. Thus our reason must become new. This surprises us. We might have expected instead that this would have concerned some attitude: what we should change in our behaviour. But no: renewal must go to the very core. Our way of looking at the world, of understanding reality all our thought must change from its foundations. The reasoning of the former person, the common way of thinking is usually directed to possession, well-being, influence, success, fame and so forth. Yet in this way its scope is too limited. Thus, in the final analysis, one’s “self” remains the centre of the world. We must learn to think more profoundly. St Paul tells us what this means in the second part of the sentence: it is necessary to learn to understand God’s will, so that it may shape our own will. This is in order that we ourselves may desire what God desires, because we recognize that what God wants is the beautiful and the good. It is therefore a question of a turning point in our fundamental spiritual orientation. God must enter into the horizon of our thought: what he wants and the way in which he conceived of the world and of me. We must learn to share in the thinking and the will of Jesus Christ. It is then that we will be new people in whom a new world emerges.
Paul illustrates the same idea of a necessary renewal of our way of being human in two passages of his Letter to the Ephesians; let us therefore reflect on them briefly. In the Letter’s fourth chapter, the Apostle tells us that with Christ we must attain adulthood, a mature faith. We can no longer be “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine…” (4: 14). Paul wants Christians to have a “responsible” and “adult faith”. The words “adult faith” in recent decades have formed a widespread slogan. It is often meant in the sense of the attitude of those who no longer listen to the Church and her Pastors but autonomously choose what they want to believe and not to believe hence a do-it-yourself faith. And it is presented as a “courageous” form of self-expression against the Magisterium of the Church. In fact, however, no courage is needed for this because one may always be certain of public applause. Rather, courage is needed to adhere to the Church’s faith, even if this contradicts the “logic” of the contemporary world. This is the non-conformism of faith which Paul calls an “adult faith”. It is the faith that he desires. On the other hand, he describes chasing the winds and trends of the time as infantile. Thus, being committed to the inviolability of human life from its first instant, thereby radically opposing the principle of violence also precisely in the defence of the most defenceless human creatures is part of an adult faith. It is part of an adult faith to recognize marriage between a man and a woman for the whole of life as the Creator’s ordering, newly re-established by Christ. Adult faith does not let itself be carried about here and there by any trend. It opposes the winds of fashion. It knows that these winds are not the breath of the Holy Spirit; it knows that the Spirit of God is expressed and manifested in communion with Jesus Christ. However, here too Paul does not stop at saying “no”, but rather leads us to the great “yes”. He describes the mature, truly adult faith positively with the words: “speaking the truth in love” (cf. Eph 4: 15). The new way of thinking, given to us by faith, is first and foremost a turning towards the truth. The power of evil is falsehood. The power of faith, the power of God, is the truth. The truth about the world and about ourselves becomes visible when we look to God. And God makes himself visible to us in the Face of Jesus Christ. In looking at Christ, we recognize something else: truth and love are inseparable. In God both are inseparably one; it is precisely this that is the essence of God. For Christians, therefore, truth and love go together. Love is the test of truth. We should always measure ourselves anew against this criterion, so that truth may become love and love may make us truthful."
Pope Benedict XVI
vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20090628_chius-anno-paolino_en.html
M
mdgspencer
Guest
The Guttmacher Institute was originally a part of Planned Parenthood, then set up as it is now by Planned Parenthood. This organization is a part of the culture of death. For example it promotes abortion, as its website shows. I can’t help but laugh as posters here point out such things as 35% of Catholics are under the age of 5, so how can 98% of Catholics use artificial birth control? This Guttmacher Institute constantly disseminates propaganda promoting the culture of death.
A
anp1215
Guest
Also, this would count every Catholic woman that ever used birth control for a medical issue other than “birth control,” for example, a 13 year old taking it for irregular periods (which I did) or acne.
M
maplebug55
Guest
I beleive this poll due to the simple fact I do not see ONE family in the church I attend
have a very large family (like 12 kids)
about 3 families have 5 kids.
ONE family has 7 kids
ONE family has 8 kids.
I believe that over 90% catholics are using ABC. Just like I believe that at least 80 %
(more like 90%) do NOT go to the sacrament of reconciliation EVER.
How do i know…? because I go monthly, and am usually one of 5 adults who show up.
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
have a very large family (like 12 kids)
about 3 families have 5 kids.
ONE family has 7 kids
ONE family has 8 kids.
I believe that over 90% catholics are using ABC. Just like I believe that at least 80 %
(more like 90%) do NOT go to the sacrament of reconciliation EVER.
How do i know…? because I go monthly, and am usually one of 5 adults who show up.
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
L
Link0126
Guest
thank you protestants.
J
jmcrae
Guest
A lot of people are marrying later in life (after age 25) so their fertility is naturally low, anyway.
Also, between television, the Internet, and long hours at work, it’s not likely that they’re having sex often enough to get pregnant every year anyway, even if they are quite fertile.
As for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the requirement is once a year or when in mortal sin, and hopefully people who are practicing Catholics aren’t regularly finding themselves in a state of mortal sin.
I grant you that it’s better to go to Reconciliation frequently with one’s venial sins in order to gain the graces to avoid deeper sins - but this is not actually required. Many people go once a year to Lenten Reconciliation services and in my experience, these are usually packed.
P
pat_mc_1
Guest
The church cant keep people from having sex.
That would be between God and so and so.
That would be between God and so and so.
M
maplebug55
Guest
Regarding sacrament of reconciliation…communion lines are LONG, confessional lines are short to non existent. You do the math.
Regarding birth control…I am not surprised because I have heard of several** catholic **hospitals that perform tubal ligations and vasectomies. Nothing is done about it.
So if that is going on in a catholic hospital ( I use the term loosely)
then why would it surprise anyone that artificial birth control is being used by a vast majority of catholics in everyday life?
J
jmcrae
Guest
A one-to-one correlation is not required. We are only required to go to Confession once a year, and we are also only required to receive Holy Communion once a year - but there is no Church law that says we can’t go to Holy Communion more frequently than we go to Confession, nor that we can’t go to Confession more frequently than we receive Holy Communion.
This is indeed sad. Perhaps they are publicly funded and have no option. (Catholic hospitals need to be funded by Catholics, through their tithes at Church. That way, they would have the option to discontinue these procedures.)
The vast majority of Catholics aren’t going to lose their livelihoods if they don’t use artificial contraception.
I am personally not aware of anyone who is using artificial contraception. Not that it’s a major subject of conversation, but one picks up on attitudes, and I don’t know anyone who thinks it’s okay.
F
fred_conty
Guest
If everything is at 98% then that’s good news because it can only get better.
K
Keith_W_OR_USA
Guest
Well a large number of Sexually active Catholics do use artificial birth control. I have known women that have used contraception that attend mass every Sunday, but just receive a blessing instead of the Eucharist. An educated woman is less likely to accept the churches teaching that they should not use birth control. The number one reason that woman use birth control is because of economics. Having a large family in the West will keep you living in poverty.
A
anp1215
Guest
Oh brother, I’m so tired of hearing that large family = impoverished family. It’s simply NOT TRUE. Every family is different, and there are plenty of families out there with more than 2 kids (or 3, or 4, or 5) who are doing just fine.
R
Rascalking
Guest
Every family is different, but in fairness, the larger familes that I know often struggle with money. No, I’m not saying they are broke/poor/whatever but it IS something that advocates of large familes need to deal with.
I’ve noticed that people who advocate large familes are blind to some of the problems that can be caused by them.
B
Bookcat
Guest
hum…3…4…5??? Large?
Not what I would consider being a large family.
More like 12-24…
Or even the around 10 some of my (former) Professors have…
I think St. Catherine of Siena was number 24…
A
anp1215
Guest
"Every family is different, but in fairness, the larger familes that I know often struggle with money. No, I’m not saying they are broke/poor/whatever but it IS something that advocates of large familes need to deal with.
I’ve noticed that people who advocate large familes are blind to some of the problems that can be caused by them."
Sure, more kids does equal more expense, unless you are fabulously wealthy, you will feel it in your pocketbook.
I don’t “advocate” large families, I don’t even have any kids, but I was responding to the statement that “Having a large family in the West will leave you in poverty.” That kind of blanket statement is simply not true, and frankly, kind of insulting to people who do have large families, are not in poverty, and happy with their decisions.
I’ve noticed that people who advocate large familes are blind to some of the problems that can be caused by them."
Sure, more kids does equal more expense, unless you are fabulously wealthy, you will feel it in your pocketbook.
I don’t “advocate” large families, I don’t even have any kids, but I was responding to the statement that “Having a large family in the West will leave you in poverty.” That kind of blanket statement is simply not true, and frankly, kind of insulting to people who do have large families, are not in poverty, and happy with their decisions.
Not large to me either. But to a lot people these days, “large” is 3+. I hear that a lot and think it’s kind of strange to consider that large.hum…3…4…5??? Large?
Not what I would consider being a large family.
More like 12-24…
Or even the around 10 some of my (former) Professors have…
I think St. Catherine of Siena was number 24…
B
Buck_Crosswhite
Guest
I don’t have any children and I struggle with money and live pay check to pay check. People who use ABC don’t have any faith. They don’t believe God provides. They’re carving out a spot for themselves in hell.
D
Dakota_Roberts
Guest
Saint Catherine of Siena had a whopping total of 0 childrenhum…3…4…5??? Large?
Not what I would consider being a large family.
More like 12-24…
Or even the around 10 some of my (former) Professors have…
I think St. Catherine of Siena was number 24…
12 is a large family assuming only one wife. There is no need to have 12 children anymore, five is a handful already
M
manualman
Guest
So you look at families like mine in church (3 kids, we’re in our early 40’s) and assume we are likely contraception users, eh?
Not good, man. Not good. Assume the best.
- Status