Catholicism and overpopulation

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1ke said:
Please demonstrate an actual overpopulation problem before asking how the church advising dealing with it.
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On a finite planet, it is reasonable to contemplate the risk of population-related challenges.
1ke said:
Why should we do that?

False premises are not worth discussion.
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It is ok to contemplate scenarios in advance of their realization.
 
I think that flat earthers and people who believe in overpopulation have the same solution. Get in an airplane and look down.
 
1ke said:
Please demonstrate an actual overpopulation problem before asking how the church advising dealing with it.
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I was asking a theoretical question. I don’t need to demonstrate anything.
 
The premise of your theoretical question is false. That’s why you have to demonstrate it. There is no over population problem. There IS a resources distribution problem. Funny how those who think there is an overpopulation problem live in areas that hoard resources. Go to a starving village in Africa and tell them there is an overpopulation problem and they will look at you funny.
 
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redcatholic said:
The premise of your theoretical question is false. That’s why you have to demonstrate it. There is no over population problem. There IS a resources distribution problem. Funny how those who think there is an overpopulation problem live in areas that hoard resources. Go to a starving village in Africa and tell them there is an overpopulation problem and they will look at you funny.
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That’s an ad hominem. Sorry if I ruffled feathers with a simple question.
 
Really that’s the overpopulation myth evil. People in educated developed and opulent lifestyles think that people who are starving should stop reproducing. That’s the agenda. That’s been the agenda from many who claim to fight poverty in Africa with birth control. That also is kind of the claim planned parenthood started off with.
 
Because your question can’t be answered. It’s like if I said how does the Church deal with the problem of Bigfoot (bigfeet?)
You can’t answer it.
 
Right. You asked specifically how the a Church deals with the overpopulation problem. There isn’t one. Now if you asked how the Church deals with unfair allocation of resources then we can talk service of the poor, social economic justice, education for conservation farming and food distribution. My wife works for a large AG company. This year because of restaurant closures And other Covid issues billions of pounds of crop and food rotted. Because people weren’t allowed to eat at restaurants, the contracts went unfulfilled. Overpopulation, I don’t think so.
 
StudentMI said:
How would the Church advise dealing with the problem of overpopulation?

I myself am on the fence about overpopulation. But just assume it’s true. How would the Church deal with it?
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Natural Family Planning

Pope Pius XII wrote:
Serious motives, such as those which not rarely arise from medical, eugenic, economic and social so-called “indications,” may exempt husband and wife from the obligatory, positive debt for a long period or even for the entire period of matrimonial life. From this it follows that the observance of the natural sterile periods may be lawful, from the moral viewpoint: and it is lawful in the conditions mentioned. If, however, according to a reasonable and equitable judgment, there are no such grave reasons either personal or deriving from exterior circumstances, the will to avoid the fecundity of their union, while continuing to satisfy to the full their sensuality, can only be the result of a false appreciation of life and of motives foreign to sound ethical principles.
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Address to Midwives (Address to Midwives on the Nature of Their Profession - Papal Encyclicals)
 
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StudentMI said:
How would the Church advise dealing with the problem of overpopulation?

I myself am on the fence about overpopulation. But just assume it’s true. How would the Church deal with it?
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I see “overpopulation” and I read “poor people in specific parts of the world are having too many babies”. Attempts at curbing “overpopulation” invariably occur in places that are economically underdeveloped.
In the West the issue is people not replacing the current population and decline.
 
vz71 said:
This presupposes overpopulation is an issue.

I do not believe it is the case at present time.
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Also, there are other possible scenarios that cap population growth without relying on contraception or abortion.

Such as massive increases in callings to the priesthood and holy orders.

We need to trust God. I am sure he has a plan.
 
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vz71 said:
This presupposes overpopulation is an issue.

I do not believe it is the case at present time.
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I’m not sure it does presuppose a current overpopulation (of the world). But I guess it does presuppose that the problem could arise. One wonders what the population would look like now had contraception not been invented?
 
StudentMI said:
Okay. That’s a nonanswer.
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You want us to assume a problem exists and then hypothesize as to how the church would react.

What else are we to assume to force the answer you want?

I could resolve any issue with feeding people by creating bread out of stones…or I could create another planet for us to live on.

As long as we are assuming fiction, why not go all in?
 
There is a surprising amount of resistance to thinking about a potential scenario. I’m quite mystified as to why.
 
StudentMI said:
How would the Church advise dealing with the problem of overpopulation?

I myself am on the fence about overpopulation. But just assume it’s true. How would the Church deal with it?
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The world is not and never will be overpopulated. The problem is unfair distribution of resources.
 
Rau said:
But I guess it does presuppose that the problem could arise.
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Very many problems could theoretically arise.
We could all be wiped out by a meteorite tomorrow.

But we believe in the Lord and trust he has a better plan for us.
 
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