Artificial Birth Control — A Battle Lost

[JimG]

So how is the loss of this battle with ABC to be quantified? The simplest and most straightforward measure is the infant baptismal rate, the Church’s “fertility rate”, i.e., the rate of new “births” into the Church. The battle losses are immense as shown by the precipitous decline of baptismal rates in the US Church to historically low levels: about a 75% plunge from 1950 – 2018 (all data herein from personal compilations from OCD, CARA and US Census).

Artificial Birth Control: A Battle Lost - Crisis Magazine

 

[commenter]

The battle has not been lost. Fewer people are participating in the “battle”. I suppose one could argue the"battle" for conversion itself has been “lost”, ever since the Church began. How many Christians Take Up their Cross daily? How many of us live the New Life in the Spirit in 2019, or 419 AD, for that matter?

No, those battles are not lost. The Church still succeeds, it preaches the Truth.

 

[ATraveller]

What about marriages among Catholics? That’s falling too along with an rapid increase in the average age of marriage. If church communities are failing to help people get married such as playing matchmaker, then obviously fewer babies too.

And also, having larger families is difficult in the modern age. Often, many churches fail to help. I know more community-oriented non-denominational churches tend to have more larger families and this is despite ABC is permitted in such churches.

 

[MamaJewel]

So how is the loss of this battle with ABC to be quantified?

Part of the loss is the medical necessity of the pill. I have the opportunity to be back in college after a 30 year hiatus. Thirty years ago, young women’s cycles were significantly impacted by reproductive system issues. Young ladies would miss class due to severe cramping and heavy bleeding. We used to carry Midol with us and share it, eve among strangers.

Today, I’ve taken classes with young women from two different college campuses, one in a liberal town and the other in a conservative town. Many of these women use ABC for medical reasons and they aren’t even sexually active. I think the decrease in unwanted pregnancy also stems from women already being on a hormonal contraceptive for medical reasons before they become active.

Sometimes women’s cycles are too heavy following childbirth, so doctors will offer the pill to alleviate the problem.

I see a lot of information online about natural fertility methods. The younger women who use the pill or other contraceptives to prevent pregnancy seem to express interests in natural methods to such as fertility awareness to TTC or avoid conception.

What about marriages among Catholics? That’s falling too along with an rapid increase in the average age of marriage.

This is true as well. Older thirty-something parents often have reduced fertility, especially if it is their first child. (Then 40 something hits and the stork visits).

I think the number of younger American Catholics is dwindling as well. Only one of my eight kiddos is Catholic and he’s in elementary school. Another family I know has 5 young adult children, and I think 3 are practicing Catholics.

The running joke in some catholic circles was “If you want the the children to remain Catholic don’t take them to Catholic church”. Methinks “do as we say, not as we do” is a big reason why so many young people are nones.

 

[Emeraldlady]

This is just my opinion, but I think the article focuses too far into the idea that to be Catholic means to have a lot of children. Whereas I believe that to be Catholic is to be hyper aware of your vocation in life. That could mean that you are the mother of a ‘tribe’ or it could mean that you are a combination of mother and another vocation.

I think that the crime is in regarding natural fertility as a disability requiring some sort of medical or artificial intervention. The Scriptures are so full of fertility references as a physical manifestation of spiritual life that it stands to reason that to interfere ideologically with our physical bodies is to distort our spiritual path also.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

I read somewhere that we can’t “break the law”, but we can break ourselves against the law.

Okay, so nowadays (and for a longtime) people have been disregarding the taboo against birth control (which was a mainstream and not just “Catholic” belief until the 30s).

And…so…

Did it make us happier? Did marriages get stronger? Is every baby a welcomed baby? Are most families intact with two parents with a public and permanent “forever” commitment?

People like to mock at the Church for insisting on this teaching, but has life gotten better since the widespread rejection of it?

Who’s the “winner”?

 

[ATraveller]

People like to mock at the Church for insisting on this teaching, but has life gotten better since the widespread rejection of it?

A growing, though still a small minority, of Evangelicals are waking up to this. This group, and I would include myself, would overlap with 98% of the Catholic position.
I give credit to Catholic Answers and other contributions from CAF members for my change in stance (though not fully in line with Humanae Vitae but very close).

 

[Divine3]

A tragic and real crime against the faith is that for decades only SOME priests have had the courage to preach to Catholics on the teaching of Human Life. I knew a priest in N Y who was treated disdainfully by the diocese because he spoke up for life, against abortion and encouraged couples to be open to life. Even at mass this gentle priest would have some jerk stand up and protest during his homily and that was 20 years ago.