2011 study shows that 98% of Catholics use artificial birth control

[Bartolome_Casas]

According to surveys I’ve heard of, virtually all (about 98 percent) sexually active Catholics in the USA use artificial contraceptives.

Here’s a 2011 news report citing the study citing the 98 percent figure: reuters.com/article/2011/…73C7W020110413

This 98 percent must include the majority of sexually active adult Catholics who go to Mass every Sunday, who serve as lectors, receive Holy Communion, and call themselves proud “Conservatives.” The bishops and the popes know about these surveys, presumably. And yet they do little to nothing to remedy this situation. This has been going on for 40 years now, and there are no signs of this ever changing. The bishops could order the posting a sign in churches or in the missals, “People using artificial contraceptive may NOT receive Holy Communion.” But they don’t. Is it because that would lead to a massive exodus from the Catholic Church, and a massive influx into the Episcopal Church and others?

I wonder if I am correct to draw the conclusion that it okay to be a dissenter on some matters, as long as you are private about it. I don’t know what other conclusion to draw. Perhaps this is where God’s mercy come in. We adhere to the teachings we can accept, and God judges hearts, not by the strict letter of the law or doctrine. I don’t know any other way to view all of this and remain sane.

If 98 percent of Catholics use contraceptives, that HAS to include about half of the Catholics who are fervent “Conservatives” on theological and political issues. Should one deem all those “Conservatives” to be liars, fraud, hypocrites, who are headed for Hell for sure? That’s seems too harsh, even if these Conservatives themselves often speak of nothing but Judgment (no mercy) for Liberals. Or maybe someone else has a better way to stay sane and Catholic. I’m all ears.

 

[exoflare]

If 98 percent of Catholics use contraceptives, that HAS to include about half of the Catholics who are fervent “Conservatives” on theological and political issues. Should one deem all those “Conservatives” to be liars, fraud, hypocrites, who are headed for Hell for sure?

Saying “all” would be a stretch, but almost certainly the vast majority are hypocrites. Whether or not each one ends up going to Hell is another question.

I don’t know any other way to view all of this and remain sane.

Why does it bother you personally so much?

 

[Bookcat]

Polls? Hee hee…

not…

(hey anyone seen political polls?)

 

[bmullins]

Strange, I try to go to the link you provided and it says ‘page not found.’ I find 98% to be a number that could only be reached by deceptive number crunching.

 

[Bartolome_Casas]

Strange, I try to go to the link you provided and it says ‘page not found.’

Here’s another source citing the study that says that 98% of Catholics use contraceptives.

huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/98-percent-catholic-women-birth-control_n_849060.html

 

[Tridentinum]

Here’s another source citing the study that says that 98% of Catholics use contraceptives.

huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/98-percent-catholic-women-birth-control_n_849060.html

The Huff Po is known as being the left-wing Church teaching basher for quite some time, I wouldn’t consider most of the articles on there as credible.

 

[The_Rock]

Study by…

You guessed it,
The Guttmacher Institute!
reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/us-most-catholic-women-us-use-birth-cont-idUSTRE73D4SZ20110414

Mission: The Guttmacher Institute advances sexual and reproductive health through an interrelated program of social science research, policy analysis and public education designed to generate new ideas, encourage enlightened public debate and promote sound policy and program development

.
myphilanthropedia.org/top-nonprofits/national/reproductive-health-rights-justice/guttmacher-institute

The Guttmacher Center was originally constituted as a semiautonomous division of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

They are in business to promote ABC, do you believe their study?

 

[bmullins]

I notice it also says that 98% have used, which is a far different thing than are using. For instance, if someone asks me have you ever used birth control? I would answer yes. Before I ever became aware of the Catholic churches teachings, before I ever even stepped foot into a catholic church. That’s a big difference in asking me “would you now use birth control?” to which I would answer no.

 

[The_Rock]

BTW
Even if you accept the #s
The study shows:

• 2 percent of Catholic women, even those who regularly attend church, rely on natural family planning.
• Nearly 70 percent of Catholic women have used sterilization, the birth control pill or an IUD, according to the Guttmacher Institute research

So the remaining 18% are not using either,

So the subtitle of the article is missleading at best.
reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/us-most-catholic-women-us-use-birth-cont-idUSTRE73D4SZ20110414

 

[The_Rock]

Or maybe someone else has a better way to stay sane and Catholic. I’m all ears.

Don’t let the majority rule your decisions. Stick with Christ and the teachings of HIS Church and you will have no problem staying sane and Catholic.

 

[The_Rock]

Also notice that The Guttmacher Institute lists the Rhythm method (a form of abstinance not ABC) as a type of birth control. 16.2% had used the Rhythm method in the 2002 study.

 

[Isolation]

Don’t let the majority rule your decisions. Stick with Christ and the teachings of HIS Church and you will have no problem staying sane and Catholic.

This is what gets me, how are we suppose to be a community if Catholics are liars, hypocrites, and sinners? I know there is the description of the Church as a hospital, but you don’t visit someone suffering the plague if you’re sick with a flu; so is this entire hierarchy that is the Catholic Church built solely so each individual can make their attempt at the impossible goal of Heaven and just ignore the people around you?

So I agree with the person you were responding too, it tears at your sanity having to attempt to be free of sin when everyone around you are unrepentant sinners including the clergy themselves! How does God expect anyone to reach Heaven if his own “chosen” community is as horrible as the seculars and worst hypocrites.

 

[bmullins]

The Church exists regardless of the physical church on earth. The physical church is a manifestation of the revealed church. Not everyone who is Catholic is a part of the Church. Not everyone who is not Catholic is necessarily not part of the church. It all boils down to orthodoxy vs orthopraxy. We have the right belief. It’s been revealed to us. It’s up to us as individuals to put it into practice.

With men it may seem impossible, that’s why we don’t rely on ourselves, but on God. The chosen community will do their best, and continue to grow. Not all of us are the chosen community, that’s why we are still hoping to be saved. We are saved, are being saved, and hope to be saved.

 

[bmullins]

Also notice that The Guttmacher Institute lists the Rhythm method (a form of abstinance not ABC) as a type of birth control. 16.2% had used the Rhythm method in the 2002 study.

With just two examples it’s already been shown that over 32% of the study are faithful to Catholic teaching. If we look harder we are going to find that number is a lot higher.

 

[The_Rock]

Also note:
vox-nova.com/2011/04/14/catholic-women-and-birth-control/

There may be discrepancy caused by the way in which the data was gathered: this data is for women who have been sexually active in the three months prior to the survey and who are “at risk” (a technical term) of unintended pregnancy—i.e., not pregnant, postpartum, or trying to get pregnant.

Note the 2002 study
◦Not currently using contraception: 38.1% (currently pregnant, postpartum, trying to get pregnant, not having sex, etc.)

So the 98% figure was only for those who were trying not to get pregnant ( likely aprox. 62%), who had been sexually active in the prior 3 months(reduce the 62% even more), and included those using the Rhythm method (reduce it even more)

And as a prior poster pointed out the 98% figure was for those who had EVER used birth control in their entire lives.

Who knows if they used a representive sample etc. etc.

 

[Trishie]

Statistics are in fact, largely guesswork based on limited studies.
Was this done on a national basis, a single community basis, an international basis? Or simply someone’s attempt to smear Catholics? …as occurs often on websites on the Internet. If it refers to all Catholics, as there are a large percentage of young children and babies who are Catholics, the statistics are already fantastical and unsupportable

 

[Georgia]

Be very afraid of polls that purport to show something that cannot be documented through hard and fast examination. Polls can be and often are distorted, some accidentally and others through deliberately built-in bias.

Some may remember a poll that came out about ten years ago, making headlines all the way. It claimed that a very substantial majority of Americans were in favor of foreign aid at a time when most polls claimed otherwise. Upon examination, it was found that the poll phrased the question something like “Do you think the wealthier nations should share even a bit of their income with the less fortunate?” Who was going to reply in the negative? The poll result was pretty much decided before it started. I suggest viewing all poll results with a degree of skepticism and with a look at the sponsoring organization. And, yes, I do doubt that anything approaching 98% of practicing Catholics are using artificial birth control.

 

[The_Rock]

I would love to see a study of those who attend Mass every week and Holy days, who go to confession regularly, who pray everyday, and who fast when required by the church.

 

[Trishie]

I would love to see a study of those who attend Mass every week and Holy days, who go to confession regularly, who pray everyday, and who fast when required by the church.

And as commonsense reality tells us, we have no way of knowing, any more than we can know how many Catholics in their hidden lives use contraceptives. Only God can know any such facts.

 

[vera_dicere]

Statistics are in fact, largely guesswork based on limited studies.
Was this done on a national basis, a single community basis, an international basis? Or simply someone’s attempt to smear Catholics? …as occurs often on websites on the Internet. If it refers to all Catholics, as there are a large percentage of young children and babies who are Catholics, the statistics are already fantastical and unsupportable

Exactly. If I took a poll out in a rural community and asked how many were Catholics and how many had chickens. I’d probably get a 98% of respondants having chickens, and being Catholic.

Now would it be fair to say 98% of Catholics own a chicken?

I think these studies, especially with such a high number, is a load of rubbish. Granted, I do think the number of Catholics using ABC is probably high, maybe 70%ish - but that just stems from the people I know, and the community/parish I have been in and the general consenses.

Frankly, I’d like to see the Clergy take a firmer hand, and if we loose numbers because of it, so be it. Quality not quantity. We have future generations of Catholics to think about.