cosmetic breast implants

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I agree with you in regard to the OP’s situation.

What about in general? Is the act of a woman getting breast implants because she likes how they will look morally wrong? Or is this a personal aesthetic decision and morally indifferent?
I vote morally indifferent. Suppose someone is born with ears that stick way out. Most of his life, this guy is teased & bothered by his Dumbo type ears. Finally he decides he’s had enough & he pays to get them fixed. And he’s very happy.

How is that different from the woman who is totally flat chested, can find nothing that fits right and finally decides that she wants to look “normal” - say a 34C?

It wouldn’t be my thing… but who am I to judge someone else?

(P.S. I did not read the theology of the body. If it says that it’s wrong - I stand corrected.)
 
I vote morally indifferent. Suppose someone is born with ears that stick way out. Most of his life, this guy is teased & bothered by his Dumbo type ears. Finally he decides he’s had enough & he pays to get them fixed. And he’s very happy.

How is that different from the woman who is totally flat chested, can find nothing that fits right and finally decides that she wants to look “normal” - say a 34C?

It wouldn’t be my thing… but who am I to judge someone else?

(P.S. I did not read the theology of the body. If it says that it’s wrong - I stand corrected.)
1 And Jesus passing by, saw a man, who was blind from his birth: 2 And his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4

IF God MADE you with big ears, then God alone has the authority to change them.

God made the man blind, and HE gave him back his sight. He gives others miracles through the apostles.

Judgement and sound reason should be applied here. Is it sinful for a woman to wear make up? Perhaps, perhaps not. It depends on the situation and her intent, as it would in all other cases.

The moral law written on our hearts tells us what is right and wrong.
 
I vote morally indifferent. Suppose someone is born with ears that stick way out. Most of his life, this guy is teased & bothered by his Dumbo type ears. Finally he decides he’s had enough & he pays to get them fixed. And he’s very happy.
You are describing me: plastic surgery to correct my huge, outstanding ears changed the whole way I looked at life and changed it in ONE day. I just had them tacked flatter to my head; no reshaping – so I still cover 'em up, 'cause they’re big and ugly. But after the surgery (at age 15) I STOPPED being self conscious, stopped shrinking from the world. I was FREE. Yes: people called me “Dumbo” before the surgery.
How is that different from the woman who is totally flat chested, can find nothing that fits right and finally decides that she wants to look “normal” - say a 34C?
Again you are describing me: except I did NOT have surgery to supply what is missing. The older you get, the less you want it. The older you get, the more you realize that less IS really more. REALLY. I have sympathy with fixing what is “broken” but being flat chested is like being bald. It’s normal.

The problem cases are people with immense breasts. Those women really struggle.
 
IF God MADE you with big ears, then God alone has the authority to change them.

The moral law written on our hearts tells us what is right and wrong.
I’m not sure I agree with you. What if God made me with a cleft palate? Am I allowed to have that corrected or must I wait on God alone?
 
…IF God MADE you with big ears, then God alone has the authority to change them
.
I didn’t have big ears. But I had a breast reduction. God’s appointment book was full, so He gave a particular doctor the knowledge and skill to give me back my life. I am glad He did.
Kathy
 
I didn’t have big ears. But I had a breast reduction. God’s appointment book was full, so He gave a particular doctor the knowledge and skill to give me back my life. I am glad He did.

Kathy
My daughter’s best friend in high school was 5’ tall, size 4 – with DD breasts. The summer after graduation, she had surgery to take her down to a C – If you ask me it’s still “too much” (but I’m flat as a door, so I don’t count) but at least she can now walk down the street without causing traffic accidents. She also feels as if she now has a life she didn’t have before.
 
Argued like a Christian Scientist. If God gives me cancer, what happens then?
I think that discretion in cosmetic surgery comes under the “reasonable person” rubric. But that is a moving target, for sure. What is the line between a “reasonable person” wishing to ‘correct’ what may not be seen as a flaw by the rest of the world and the famous “Barbie” woman or “cat woman” of tabloid notoriety? Where does the individual right come up against a barrier to common sense or “rationing” of scarce resources?

I know a Park Avenue plastic surgeon who does Robin Hood surgery. He caters to rich, vain clients and does all kinds of elective procedures for huge money but operates for free one day a week on kids with birth defects and accident victims.

The individual personal ethics of cosmetic surgery swiftly meets the ethic of the overall social good.
 
I’m not sure I agree with you. What if God made me with a cleft palate? Am I allowed to have that corrected or must I wait on God alone?
A cleft palate can be non-cosmetic as it can interfere with normal breathing and normal eating…both are conducive to life.

Whoever said circumcision was just as vain as breast augmentation is wrong. Doctors may not believe that there are any advantages to circumcision but the statistics bear it out as more than cosmetic. The reduction of bacterial infections and other infections has been proven and personally, I don’t care what doctors say, I would always have a son circumcised for that plus the fact that I think it is important for a child to be able to identify with their gender and as long as daddy is circumcised, the son’s in my house will be too.

Katie-
Breast reduction is totally different than augmentation, I don’t think I have ever seen anyone have it done for cosmetic purposes, usually, it is to reduce the stress of the excessive size and weight on the back muscles.
 
OK. What are some good reasons?

Do we have to cover real reasons by proper language a little?

How about to “build her confidence” and “increase her self esteem”?

What are some morally acceptable intents?
How about vanity and pride (sins)
 
Basically the woman is falling for secular societies view. She is allowing herself to be objectified, which diminishes her dignity.
Would you feel the same way about cosmetic dentistry? Or an operation to reduce the size of a nose that it’s owner was self-conscious about?

Of course, getting a silicone D cup in order to grab the attention of a wandering husband would be rather undignified. But if she wants a breast augmentation to boost her self-confidence a bit, I see nothing wrong with it.
 
the solution here is a new man not new breasts. the problem in the hypothetical marriage described here is much deeper than the physical attractiveness in either party. the guy is a jerk and needs cosmetic surgery on his attitude.
Isn’t the hypothetical man described as husband already? Being a jerk or idiot isn’t enough to invalidate a marriage.
I agree that there seems to a double standard because we don’t balk at anyone coloring hair or whatever which is obviously done only to improve one’s looks.
Hair paint is not surgical and does not carry significant risks I would know of, even if I’m not a big fan of it personally (yeah, I think the colour should be left alone, but I’m not talking about a moral fault here).
I also think that our society is way too obsessed with women’s breasts. It bugs me. Breast feeding is considered gross by many - but huge breasts used to advertise chicken wings & beer is perfectly ok. How warped is that? (stepping down from my soapbox 😉 )
Sexualised ads are not fine. In fact, most of today’s not quite collars bug me.
Would you feel the same way about cosmetic dentistry? Or an operation to reduce the size of a nose that it’s owner was self-conscious about?

Of course, getting a silicone D cup in order to grab the attention of a wandering husband would be rather undignified. But if she wants a breast augmentation to boost her self-confidence a bit, I see nothing wrong with it.
No problem with cosmetic dentistry as long as the expense doesn’t get in the way of more important ones. I still have a bit of a problem with confidence boost via surgically enlarging a secondary sexual attribute. The woman in this hypothetical question needs help with her confidence, not with her breasts. It would be better to address her confidence via professionally directed professional aid of a psychologist. Placing one’s confidence in one’s secondary sexual attributes isn’t that good for a person’s mental health in my opinion (by “mental” I mean personality, not brain). What needs to be said is that getting a confidence boost from putting those implants on display (cleavage) is another bad idea.

Besides, there are men who are attracted to smaller “sizes”, there are people who find them more pleasing aesthetically and there is more to it than size alone anyway. I’d rather not continue this line of thought, though.
 
1 And Jesus passing by, saw a man, who was blind from his birth: 2 And his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4

IF God MADE you with big ears, then God alone has the authority to change them.
Just wondering, what do you think of people who wear braces?
 
I have to say that it seems like implants are ok when it is convenient… it is ok in this case but not in that case…

Very arrogant of people to believe that they know the will of god and to try to dictate what is acceptable and what is not.
 
Does Catholic moral theology have anything to say about cosmetic breast implants?
It is wrong to have implants as Mary was as flat as a pancake. The estrogen in the combined contraceptive pill can make your breasts bigger as it’s an anabolic steroid. Some men prefer them small in the Catholic Church.
 
I would like some aid in discerning this. I am not complaining of what I was given, the dh is happy as well. However, I am smaller on one side, and it probably wouldn’t bother me so much if I didn’t already have a serious deformity. I have serious scoliosis, had surgery 30+ years ago, which now caused a flatback. Again the dh accepts it well, however I want to look and feel my best with what I do have…so what does that make me? I tell my dh he isn’t shallow, I am. If it makes me feel better about myself, and it doesn’t hurt him, and it will probably be an attraction to him in the long run how it that bad? Shouldn’t I want to please him, granted I really want this so that I can look better, just so happens he would be privi to it all. Suggestions?
 
I would like some aid in discerning this. I am not complaining of what I was given, the dh is happy as well. However, I am smaller on one side, and it probably wouldn’t bother me so much if I didn’t already have a serious deformity. I have serious scoliosis, had surgery 30+ years ago, which now caused a flatback. Again the dh accepts it well, however I want to look and feel my best with what I do have…so what does that make me? I tell my dh he isn’t shallow, I am. If it makes me feel better about myself, and it doesn’t hurt him, and it will probably be an attraction to him in the long run how it that bad? Shouldn’t I want to please him, granted I really want this so that I can look better, just so happens he would be privi to it all. Suggestions?
That little voice you keep hearing is your conscience, which is the voice of God whispering in your ear; so just let your conscience be your guide.
 
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