Contraception and Catholics vs others

[Charlie_Zeaiter]

Isn’t NFP contraception as well if you are using it to avoid having kids? What’s the difference?

Hi Everette,

You can indeed use NFP to “avoid having kids”; In fact, alot of NFP offices boast that it is the most effective form of pregnancy planning. The church does allow family planning, very much.

The issue is not to contracept your body; Like the way the Groom Jesus gave His body completely to His Bride, The Church, so too we should give our bodies completely to our spouses. Our marriages should be a witness to that holy marriage, and we should not contracept our bodies.

 

[Gardening_Mommy]

Again, from reading other threads, many people (both husbands and wives writing) express frustration with their spouse’s attitudes and behavior, so it seems to cause a real hardship for these couples. Then it sounds like they are feeling/being condemned (by the Church and fellow Catholics) if they do something “not allowed” to try to appease/please their spouse.

So the appeasing spouse does something they feel to be immoral in order to keep the marriage stumbling along? Yikes! Talk about “red flags” for serious marital problems and abuse.

If he insists she contracepts so that she’s “available” all the time, in spite of her convictions on the matter, what’s next?

And do you really think this will make the wife happy? Or will it make her resentful? That wife who killed her minister husband said she did it because she hated him for treating her like his sexual toy as soon as the wedding was over. Not that this justifies murder, but there are probably a lot of drugged up (contracepting) women in this country who could sympathise.

 

[Kay_Cee]

Isn’t NFP contraception as well if you are using it to avoid having kids? What’s the difference?

Who designed our biology? God did.

Does God make mistakes? No.

Therefore, God designed our biology correctly.

NFP works within God’s design. Contraception rejects God’s design–and in doing so, tells God He made a mistake which we will correct for Him.

 

[PLAL]

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,

You need to read this…

“Contraception Why Not” by Dr. Janet Smith

catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0002.html

 

[debraran]

Thank you for that link. My son who is 18, has no problem with pre-martial birth control, shouldn’t be having sex anyway, but not so much with after marriage. He thinks NFP and some form of non-pill method when you REALLY don’t want to get pregant is the best way…that way the error rate is down for both. I will read it with him.

I know people that got pregnant on NFP and the others…sometimes they just don’t work well, even when diligent, we are human, but if there was a very good reason to obstain, beyond selfishness, I wouldn’t judge someone who did give themselves a “little less anxiety” a few days a month. Sometimes as someone told me once, the anxiety can be detrimental to the marriage…it’s hard to judge someone else’s anxiety and say “pray”. God expects you to have common sense too. I know in retrospect since I went into my marriage with permission and the thought of contraception, my husband would of had a very hard time obstaining for weeks…but if it was decided BEFORE marriage that could happen, then it gives you a good foundation.

 

[Liberanosamalo]

NFP seems to cause a great strain on marriages, due to long periods of abstinence. If either spouse is at all selfish or immature, it could cause irrevocable damage to the marriage.

Oh, NFP is just the canary in the mineshaft. It’s the FIRST indication there is a problem. NFP doesn’t cause the strain. I was married ten years. We used NFP. We divorced anyway. Because when you are dealing with selfishness and immaturity, there are always 100 other reasons for trouble: Money, how free time is to be spent, substance abuse, extramarital affairs. Someone who isn’t willing to cooperate with NFP guidelines probably will balk at other areas that interfere with immediate gratification also.

If contraception fixed marriage problems, why don’t those folks have a 3 percent divorce rate like couples who use NFP? In fact, I would suggest that ABC is like sprinkling fertilizer on selfishness. It will expand it across the board. No sacrifice. No proving to the other that you have any sexual self control whatsoever. No putting anyone else in front of your own needs or desires.

And my xh may have followed NFP with me until he terminated marital relations after about 5 years. But that doesn’t mean he was living chastely. But I did have the consolation once he left of knowing that I never let someone who loved me so little convince me to turn away from God’s love as well, or cause me to use chemicals that were dangerous to my health. THAT would have been the biggest tragedy of that failed attempt at marriage.

He’s off on his own now. After several more failed relationships. Unlimited sexual gratification has not made him happy or given him peace.

Thank God we have a church that expresses the mind of Christ so completely and faithfully. Don’t ask why the CC teaches God’s plan so faithfully. Ask why the other churches turned away from God’s plan for creation. Just as they do in divorce laws, marriage laws, teaching on marriage between homosexuals, abortion, and many other things.

Following your glands doesn’t guarantee happiness. Following Christ does.

 

[DixiesFinest]

I agree, but I have never heard why we differ. I know why the church thinks it is unbending, but why do others read the same things and not agree? I just wanted to learn more about why we are so alone on this issue. I was surprised to learn that the Hasidic Jews who love God and spend hours a day studying the bible, still saw an avenue to use if certain things presented themselves. Just curious, I understand our teaching, if I married someone different, it would of been easier, but I just never really understood the strictness of it, even when a woman was ill.

Others used to read the same thing and agree, if by others you mean protestants…until the two centuries you didnt find protestants advocating or allowing the use of contraception.

 

[Sina]

Ok, I stand corrected, that was not such a baseless statement after all. Thanks for the quotes.

Originally Posted by Sina
Which religion accepts abortion or pre-marital sex? Name ONE Christian religion that says they are all ok?? .

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The Episcopal church is pro-abortion, although there are Episcopalian parishes trying to overturn this:
virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4298

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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)

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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)

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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)

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article: The Protestant Churches on Abortion: Complex,Contradictory, and Chalelnging
nrlc.org/news/1999/NRL199/sween.html

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