Can a married couple consistently give up their kids for adoption?

[Thorns]

They wouldn’t have abandoned them–in fact, Scripture indicates just the opposite:

Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:5 (RSV-CE)

But it seems they did. One man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus said something like “no, you stay here and care for your family. You can still be a disciple.” Seems to imply that Peter, for example, left his family and travelled the world preaching the Gospel instead. Nothing about his family following.

Also, all of the apostles but one, were martyred. Their family was left behind.

And your quote from Corinthians is out of context.

 

[His_helpmeet]

But what if they do want children, but they just arent capable of caring for them fully so theh act in a responsible and prolife way by giving them up for adoption?

If they want children but are not capable of caring for them, maybe they should not have gotten married in the first place. One of the goods of marriage is children. Consequently, if you’re not prepared to accept that responsibility you should not be married. Period.

I think you’d need to define “incapable”. It doesn’t take a lot of “capability” to raise a child. There are parents who raise children for next to nothing. Second-hand clothes (especially good for babies as they grow so fast), baby-sitting co-ops, making your own baby food, finding activities that don’t cost much, etc. really reduce the financial impact of children. If they are not mentally capable of having children I would question whether they were mentally capable of getting married (or engaging in intercourse) in the first place, depending of course on the situation.

 

[fernfern]

My question would be, why wouldn’t this couple use NFP if they are not open to supporting a large family?

 

[Thorns]

If they want children but are not capable of caring for them, maybe they should not have gotten married in the first place. One of the goods of marriage is children. Consequently, if you’re not prepared to accept that responsibility you should not be married. Period.

I think you’d need to define “incapable”. It doesn’t take a lot of “capability” to raise a child. There are parents who raise children for next to nothing. Second-hand clothes (especially good for babies as they grow so fast), baby-sitting co-ops, making your own baby food, finding activities that don’t cost much, etc. really reduce the financial impact of children. If they are not mentally capable of having children I would question whether they were mentally capable of getting married (or engaging in intercourse) in the first place, depending of course on the situation.

But they aee willing to accept them, they just wouldn’t realistically be able to provide for them.

Again, are you implying that being poor is an impediment to marriage?

 

[Thorns]

My question would be, why wouldn’t this couple use NFP if they are not open to supporting a large family?

Lets say they used it and still ended up pregnant. Then what?

 

[PaulfromIowa]

This is a rather odd question. It is certainly not wrong to place a child for adoption to a loving family. Your question about doing this multiple times stems from what, exactly? If you know someone who has done this, leave it to them and their confessor.

 

[Xantippe]

But it seems they did. One man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus said something like “no, you stay here and care for your family. You can still be a disciple.” Seems to imply that Peter, for example, left his family and travelled the world preaching the Gospel instead. Nothing about his family following.

Also, all of the apostles but one, were martyred. Their family was left behind.

And your quote from Corinthians is out of context.

Cephas is Peter.

 

[Rau]

But what if they do want children, but they just arent capable of caring for them fully so theh act in a responsible and prolife way by giving them up for adoption?

The couple in your scenario do not want children. “Wanting” children is not the same as behaving as an incubator for others. What you described in the scenario seems to be wanting “frequent sex”, or “wanting to be pregnant”.

If circumstances after birth demand placing for adoption, so be it. But there is no proper basis I know of to intend that course from prior to conception.

 

[rjg99a]

Kind of along the same lines (and please direct me if this is discussed in another thread) - Let’s say a Catholic married couple becomes pregnant and it’s discovered that there’s something “wrong” with the baby, from Down Syndrome to some other possibly extreme birth defects. If the couple do not feel that they will be able to provide for the baby’s special needs, would it be permissible for the couple to give the baby up for adoption?

 

[Xantippe]

The couple in your scenario do not want children. “Wanting” children is not the same as behaving as an incubator for others. What you described in the scenario seems to be wanting “frequent sex”, or “wanting to be pregnant”.

If circumstances after birth demand placing for adoption, so be it. But there is no proper basis I know of to intend that course from prior to conception.

Yes.

 

[Xantippe]

Kind of along the same lines (and please direct me if this is discussed in another thread) - Let’s say a Catholic married couple becomes pregnant and it’s discovered that there’s something “wrong” with the baby, from Down Syndrome to some other possibly extreme birth defects. If the couple do not feel that they will be able to provide for the baby’s special needs, would it be permissible for the couple to give the baby up for adoption?

That doesn’t sound ideal, but it’s more understandable than the OP’s example, where the couple knows from before conception that they have no intention of raising the child.

 

[bisco]

But it seems they did. One man wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus said something like “no, you stay here and care for your family. You can still be a disciple.” Seems to imply that Peter, for example, left his family and travelled the world preaching the Gospel instead. Nothing about his family following.

Also, all of the apostles but one, were martyred. Their family was left behind.

And your quote from Corinthians is out of context.

thorn, can you quote us where the bible says the apostles had children? of course you can’t, because you are a troll.

 

[Rau]

Kind of along the same lines (and please direct me if this is discussed in another thread) - Let’s say a Catholic married couple becomes pregnant and it’s discovered that there’s something “wrong” with the baby, from Down Syndrome to some other possibly extreme birth defects. If the couple do not feel that they will be able to provide for the baby’s special needs, would it be permissible for the couple to give the baby up for adoption?

I should think the couple would wish to cross that bridge if and when they come to it. Placing a child for adoption is not any easy thing to do, and a last resort.