Contraception and Catholics vs others

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Lambeth Conference Resolutions Archive

Resolutions from 1930

Resolution 15
**The Life and Witness of the Christian Community - Marriage and Sex **
Where there is clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, the method must be decided on Christian principles. The primary and obvious method is complete abstinence from intercourse (as far as may be necessary) in a life of discipline and self-control lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless in those cases where there is such a clearly felt moral obligation to limit or avoid parenthood, and where there is a morally sound reason for avoiding complete abstinence, the Conference agrees that other methods may be used, provided that this is done in the light of the same Christian principles. The Conference records its strong condemnation of the use of any methods of conception control from motives of selfishness, luxury, or mere convenience.
Voting: For 193; Against 67.

lambethconference.org/

That’s a big change from 1930 to 1958.
You’ll notice also in the 1920 declarations the prohibitions against contraceptives.
 
Which religion accepts abortion or pre-marital sex? Name ONE Christian religion that says they are all ok?? Name one jewish religion?!?! What an absurd and baseless statement.
 
debraran said:
I think even the church says you can judge for yourself what size family to have. For Pete’s sake, you can’t say every woman has to have 10 children and not work, etc. (although I wouldn’t mind if my husband could afford it)
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You are correct, the church teaches spouses can prayerfully discern the number and timing of children in the marriage.

That has nothing to do with contraception-- which is always gravely immoral.
 
Sina, many religions accept it by silence, they know the couples are living together and it’s “okay”, they don’t have live apart before marriage, etc. I will find the old email, but a priest sent me literature on protestant religions and others and what they feel about abortion, contraception,etc. Even intermarriage between other religions is much easier outside of Catholic faith. I’m not saying it’s right, it just is so. Many are very lax or you would hear the same complaining with them. Abortion is never wanted, but even strict Jews will allow it to save the mother, a feeling I would have if it were my daughter, it’s only natural not to want to destroy 2 lives, even though you aren’t supposed to destroy any.
If other relgions felt as strongly as the Catholics, we wouldn’t be the ones always held up as the “bad guys”.

It’s complicated, but if you google and put in protestants and abortion or Jews and abortion or contraception, you get some good articles. I just happen to know many from working in a large multi-cultural area that has many religions, strict and not so strict.
 
Sina said:
Which religion accepts abortion or pre-marital sex? Name ONE Christian religion that says they are all ok?? .
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If a Religion does not condem them as sinful, then, by defintion, it accepts them.
 
Sina said:
Which religion accepts abortion or pre-marital sex? Name ONE Christian religion that says they are all ok?? Name one jewish religion?!?! What an absurd and baseless statement.
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You might want to look at what some of the mainline churchs actually ahve to say about aborition. It is not pretty. For starters, look at the Methodists is some of their officail proclamations.
 
Several years ago I came across a Protestant monthly magazine, and in it were responses by various Protestant theologians. I thin there were either 5 or 7; and the substance of the article was the rethinking they were doing about contraception. It was quite interesting, because all of them were looking at the results which contraception had brought about, and none of them wanted to continue on the path that their churches had been on.

Because Protestants are notiorious for dividing further rather than consolidating, it is going to be a very interesting process. Challenging the accepted belief in society, which is mirrored in the congregations, of contraception is going to be akin to putting everything back into Pandora’s box. However, the willingness of Protestant theologians to put this on the table is inspiring.
 
otjm said:
You might want to look at what some of the mainline churchs actually ahve to say about aborition. It is not pretty. For starters, look at the Methodists is some of their officail proclamations.
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Keep in mind the distinction between denominations. United Methodists, for instance, tend to be very liberal. Free Methodists, very similar to the Nazarene denomination, are much more conservative. As a former Nazarene who attended a Free Methodist university for years prior to joining the Catholic Church, I can assure you that neither of those two denominations support abortion. United Methodists, however, most likely take view of moral relativism. In other words, if it feels good, it must be good for that person. Not the most impressive church…
 
otjm said:
Several years ago I came across a Protestant monthly magazine, and in it were responses by various Protestant theologians. I thin there were either 5 or 7; and the substance of the article was the rethinking they were doing about contraception. It was quite interesting, because all of them were looking at the results which contraception had brought about, and none of them wanted to continue on the path that their churches had been on.

Because Protestants are notiorious for dividing further rather than consolidating, it is going to be a very interesting process. Challenging the accepted belief in society, which is mirrored in the congregations, of contraception is going to be akin to putting everything back into Pandora’s box. However, the willingness of Protestant theologians to put this on the table is inspiring.
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Good point! Is it possible you’re referring to Dr. Amy Laura Hull, whose articles have appeared in Christianity Today? She seems to have a great head on her shoulders, and she is honest with the intellectual inconsistencies of birth control and abortion in the Protestant denominations.
 
Writer said:
Keep in mind the distinction between denominations. United Methodists, for instance, tend to be very liberal. Free Methodists, very similar to the Nazarene denomination, are much more conservative. As a former Nazarene who attended a Free Methodist university for years prior to joining the Catholic Church, I can assure you that neither of those two denominations support abortion. United Methodists, however, most likely take view of moral relativism. In other words, if it feels good, it must be good for that person. Not the most impressive church…
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Thank you for the distinction; I was referring to the United Methodists.

And to make the point further, it has been the Catholic Church and the evangelical and fundmentalist churches, by and large who have been the driving force for pro-life.
 
Writer said:
Good point! Is it possible you’re referring to Dr. Amy Laura Hull, whose articles have appeared in Christianity Today? She seems to have a great head on her shoulders, and she is honest with the intellectual inconsistencies of birth control and abortion in the Protestant denominations.
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I have the magazine laying around somewhere at home, so I can’t say; but there were a series of theologians all weighing in with their take.
 
debraran said:
One comment and question about contraception and other religions. Why are Catholics the only religion that really deny’s contraception? Other Christian religions allow it and Judaism also. Even Hasidic Orthodox Jews (which make up a lot of my neighborhood) allow the pill (vs barrier methods) in certain instances. I think this is why so many people have trouble with it, why our religion interprets that area so strongly.

I was told in my Catholic pre-cana to use my conscience, that if having numerous children or if my irregular cycles would cause too much stress, to do what I had to do, but was told NOT to use the pill because of the chemicals. I came back fully to the church a few years ago,over 10 years after my last child, but at the time if we had more than 3 children, I would of loved them but the stress from it and my husbands attitude would of put my marriage in very shaky ground. That is another reason to be very careful when you get married,
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Check this out. Its pretty short and an easy read.
touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=20-04-020-f
It is written by a Protestant and it shows how the original reformers viewed contraception.

And check out what Martin Luther had to say about contraception in my signature.
 
debraran said:
I think even the church says you can judge for yourself what size family to have. For Pete’s sake, you can’t say every woman has to have 10 children and not work, etc. (although I wouldn’t mind if my husband could afford it) Even in my mom’s day she said it was a misconception of many, that women wanted large families, many had no choice and weren’t cut out for it. … In an “ideal” world, without any extras, you could say, “leave it to fate”.
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Of course the Church says you can choose (prayerfully) what size of family to have. Why do you think they teach NFP (Natural Family Planning) in pre-Cana? It is a common misconception that Catholics have to have at least ten kids per family, and one often quoted by people trying to justify contraceptives.

Nobody has an ideal life; fear of the future is not justification for being selfish in the area of family size. I think too many Americans are just too materially comfortable, and they irrationally fear losing that comfort. I’ve known several women who, holding their newborn second child, have insisted that, “I just COULDN’T handle another one!” Huh? You don’t even know THIS one’s personality, but you know he’s just going to be too much for you? Oh, that’s right; most women work outside the home now, so the daycare already eats up almost all of their paycheck with two children, so a third child is “impossible.” And besides, people look at you funny when you have three kids, so why bother?

The Church calls us to prayerfully consider our capabilities and to pray for the grace to do God’s will for our lives, whether that is a few children or many. And He only gives us the grace to deal with a situation as we need it, not before. We have to step out in faith first.
 
debraran said:
… Why are Catholics the only religion that really deny’s contraception? …
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Maybe the Catholic Church is only true Church, the only true Bride of Christ.

Jesus gave His body completely for His Bride.

Maybe we Catholics are being perfect witnesses to that holy marriage by giving our bodies completely to our spouses too.

:twocents:
 
The purpose of sexual intercouse in marriage is to be joyfully united with your spouse as you will one day be with Christ in heaven. It is the closest feel on earth to joy we will experience in heaven - it is a gift of insite into the eternal joy which awaits the faithfull! This act should be the most self-less act you can imagine. It is only natural the miracle of a child results from the this. Abstinance during one’s fertile phase requires sacfice, suffering, and selflessness - which in turn raises the dignity of sexual union. Until this is the lens through how we see sex, contraception seems like no big deal.

With NFP there is no chance - it is MORE effective than the condom and pill when used correctly! My wife and I have been married 10 years, have 3 planned children, and are both teachers. We even had to wait to consumate our marriage until the end of our honeymoon (she’d die if she knew I was saying this) because she was fertile, we were broke, and I was still in school. But you can bet our marriage (and sexual union) is awesome!

Talking about change, what kind of friend do you want? One that changes their mind to suit those around them, or one that is solid as a rock and sticks to their guns? The Catholic Church and it’s doctrines were built on that Rock!!
 
Originally Posted by Sina
Which religion accepts abortion or pre-marital sex? Name ONE Christian religion that says they are all ok?? .
The Episcopal church is pro-abortion, although there are Episcopalian parishes trying to overturn this:
virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4298
The United Church of Christ is “pro-choice”
The directorate of the UCC’s social action office firstaddressed the abortion issue in 1970, affirming freedom ofchoice for women, calling for church action supporting therepeal of overly restrictive abortion legislation andencouraging the expansion of sex education programs. Freedom ofchoice in reproductive matters was first affirmed by the GeneralSynod in 1971 and has been reaffirmed in one way or another byseveral General Synods since.
(from: wfn.org/1996/05/msg00749.html)
Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the USA:

Abortion: 1992 Position Statement: “There are no biblical texts that speak expressly to the topic of abortion, but that taken in their totality the Holy Scriptures are filled with messages that advocate respect for the woman and child before and after birth. Therefore the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages an atmosphere of open debate and mutual respect for a variety of opinions concerning the issues related to problem pregnancies and abortion.” Areas of substantial agreement:

“The considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be a morally acceptable, though certainly not the only or required, decision. Possible justifying circumstances would include medical indications of severe physical or mental deformity, conception as a result of rape or incest, or conditions under which the physical or mental health of either woman or child would be gravely threatened.”
“We are disturbed by abortions that seem to be elected only as a convenience or ease embarrassment. We affirm that abortion should not be used as a method of birth control.”

“The Christian community must be concerned about and address the circumstances that bring a woman to consider abortion as the best available option.”
(from: religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/presbyterian/usa.htm)
The United Methodist Church upholds the sanctity of unborn human life and condemns abortion as morally wrong except in cases where the well being of the mother’s life is threatened. However, it believes in the civil right of the mother to choose whether to have an abortion and is thus often regarded as pro-choice.
(from:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Methodist_Church#Abortion)
article: The Protestant Churches on Abortion: Complex,Contradictory, and Chalelnging
nrlc.org/news/1999/NRL199/sween.html
 
Other religions don’t necessarily approve of contraception. I can’t speak for Orthodoxy, but in my understanding it is only allowed in very restricted circumstances. Islam doesn’t generally support or encourage contraception, and neither does Hinduism. Buddhism also doesn’t encourage contraception, especially if it leads to abortion or the destruction of any kind of human life. However in terms of absolute prohibition on contraception, the CC is probably has the strongest position of an organised religion on the matter.
 
Contraception in Scripture

scripturecatholic.com/contraception.html

Contra means to be against; in opposition or contrast to:

Cept comes from the word to except to receive.

Conceive means to to take in and hold, to become pregnant.

So to contracept you refuse to except life.
 
One thing I tell my still young daughters (15) is without a very understanding husband, VERY faithful, etc. NFP wont work. You have to be able to go for quite a while sometimes without sex, and saying it and doing it, are 2 different things. Many men think it will be okay, and then you hear the wives say how awful things are getting…the stress, etc. is getting to them. It has strenghtened some marriages, some it has weakened.

God gave us common sense too, some couples can’t use NFP very well or because of very erratic cycles or crazy pre-menopause cycles, it fails even when they try. I think as some instructors say, it is better to be honest than to say, “It’s just like everything else”. It isn’t, but it isn’t used for that purpose. It’s for spacing and for religious reasons. You both have to in it together, good and bad…some couples find out they aren’t as suited that way too late. All the more reason to be very careful before marrying.
 
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