Contraception for those outside the church

[thomasf]

My ‘supposedly catholic but really hates the church’ sister asked me my opinions about an article about birth control and the opposition of many pro-life organizations against it. She asked me what my views on it were. And I responded with what the church’s teaching is, what my compliance with the church’s teaching is, and I not-so-subtly added in comments about what she should be doing as a supposed catholic. And I also disputed her claim that more birth control would lead to fewer abortions, and explained that the exact opposite is actually true, and that Pope Paul VI predicted this and the culture of death when he ruled out bc in the church. What she really wanted to know is what I thought about other non-catholics using bc and if the government should be paying for it.

My response was that I thought everyone should know what the church teaches about it and why, logically. And the teachings of Pope JPII and the theology of the body. Because too often people are only presented the pro-bc argument. And I concluded by saying that ultimately I thought the decision was up to them, the non-catholics, to make that decision for themselves based on the information. And that I don’t think that the government should fund birth control. AND that of course, most of that problem would be solved by eliminating premaritial sex and restoring the concept that sex belongs in the marital relationship soley. I did reiterate that some birth control is not just a preventative but an abortafacent and that as a pro-lifer I oppose its use completely as a contraceptive.

I wasn’t quite sure what the church teaches about bc for non-catholics, and I’m not sure what I said was in line with the church. She did accuse me of trying to push ‘my christianity’ on others and try to control them.

So what is the position on bc for others not in the church. How should we respond to that?

 

[Danuska]

I am sorry I will not answer your questions, but I wonder if you have seen this article “The Pill may put you off smell of your man and ruin your relationshiphttp”, which didn’t appear in a hard-core Catholic publication but in Times:

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4516566.ece

 

[Calliso]

I am sorry I will not answer your questions, but I wonder if you have seen this article “The Pill may put you off smell of your man and ruin your relationshiphttp”, which didn’t appear in a hard-core Catholic publication but in Times:

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4516566.ece

Didn;t they only test a small group of women in that study though? I could have sworn I read somewhere that they only tested 100-200 women. Really though I wouldn;t use that as an argument. I have yet to have seen or heard of a woman whose relationship was ruined because she was on birth control.

 

[Danuska]

Didn;t they only test a small group of women in that study though? I could have sworn I read somewhere that they only tested 100-200 women. Really though I wouldn;t use that as an argument. I have yet to have seen or heard of a woman whose relationship was ruined because she was on birth control.

First, if the marriage was ruined by the pill, how would she know what to blame?

Second, I have often come across the statistics that show that marriages who use NPF have much lower divorce rates than those where women are on the pill - there are lots of resources on that on the net, like this one familyplanning.net/CSSRPublishCOLOR.pdf

but since most of them come from Catholic/Christian sources, one could argue that they are bias (this one is not). Also, I think that one more reason could be behind that - using contraceptives promotes that kind of attitude that you can just have fun, without paying consequeses, in other words, it might promote promiscuity - and in that case, it undeniably has effect on the divorce rate.

And one more interesting thing, that the author of the post already brought up - it was found in 2006 (I think October) that in Britain some 75 per cent of women (there was an article on that in Guardian) who had abortion were using contraceptives. And again - it is logical, coz those who used ‘unprotected sex’ were mostly married or in steady relationship, and even if they didn’t plan pregnancy, they still welcomed a new child.

 

[Nothumbleenough]

Where does the church get the authority to determine rules of sex within a sacramental marriage? Assuming you are not violating the ten commandments and are in line with the creed.

 

[1ke]

To the OP:

The Church teaching on contraception is not just for Catholics. It is a universal truth, just as ALL teachings of the Catholic Church are. God’s law is universal and timeless. It does not change. The Church merely proclaims God’s truth to all people.

Contraception is objectively always a gravely disordered act. It is gravely wrong if one is a Catholic, Methodist, Hindu, or Atheist. It is no different than any other morally wrong act-- murder, lieing, stealing, etc. It is always wrong.

Whether or not it is a mortal **sin **for an individual person depends on their knowledge and free will. Remember, sin requires full knowledge and free will. So, each person will be judged as it pertains to culpability for **sin **based on their own situation. God reads our hearts and minds. He knows the state of our soul.

 

[1ke]

Where does the church get the authority to determine rules of sex within a sacramental marriage? Assuming you are not violating the ten commandments and are in line with the creed.

The teaching regarding sexuality is not a “rule”. It is a doctrine. Doctrine comes from Christ. It is God’s law.

The Church preserves it and teaches it. Her authority is from Christ through the Bishops.

 

[Nothumbleenough]

The teaching regarding sexuality is not a “rule”. It is a doctrine. Doctrine comes from Christ. It is God’s law.

The Church preserves it and teaches it. Her authority is from Christ through the Bishops.

Where specifically does The Church recieve this authority from Christ through the Bishops? Please explain.

 

[bilop]

Where specifically does The Church recieve this authority from Christ through the Bishops? Please explain.

Specifically? St. Matthew, Ch. 16.

15 Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?

16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. 20 Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.

God Bless