Do the majority of practicing Catholics use contraception

[Pjs2ejs]

And to comment on one of the posters here, I believe that a large family is something to be proud of. In today’s “2.3 kids” mindset, it is very inspiring to me to see married couples who have sacrificed so much to being fruitful and multiplying. As a parent who knows how hard it is to raise children, I doubt there are many people, if any, who are having multitudes of children for the sole purpose of showing off their spiritual pride.

 

[richjaurigui]

these days…yes.

Catholic in name only…yes

loss of Grace…yes

In mortal sin…yes

When in grace, God manuvers and protects you

In mortal sin, the devil has free reign and enslaves you

YES…OUR LADY OF FATIMA SAID MOST SOULS GO TO HELL BECAUSE OF SINS OF THE FLESH

THIS IS SAD REALITY

THE devil’s MAJOR TOOLS ARE PRIDE & IMPURITY

 

[mercygate]

I cannot stand when I read on this forum that someone is not a Catholic if they “abc or d”. Are you perfect? Do you EVER swear? Do you ever take the Lord’s name in vain? Have you ever cheated, stole, lied, coveted, etc? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are also not a Catholic by your same standards.

Ok, off my soapbox now.

What you say is not true. Someone who sins, knows it, deplores it, is contrite, repents and tries not to do it again is still Catholic.

With contraception the attituide one frequently encounters is that the Church’s position is absurd (that’s a quote), and I ain’t changin’ my mind, and the Church has no business telling me what I can do in my own bedroom. That’s quite a different scenario from a penitent.

A person who contracepts but refrains from receiving Communion is one step closer to the hope.

 

[PaulinVA]

My wife and I have been using NFP for 17 years.

The arguments I hear most often are:

It’s a bigger sin to bring an unwanted child into the world.
It’s a matter of my individual conscience.
The church hasn’t kept up with the modern word.
Those old men in hats don’t know anything about sex.

All very disheartening arguments. But, we know there is room for conversion in all of us. Some people are just really afraid to open their lives up totally to God.

And, remember the statistics in the secular media count anyone who self-identifies as Catholic, even if they haven’t set foot in church in years.

 

[Scottgun]

Incidentally, I have experienced individuals for whom having a large number of children has become a source of spiritual pride.
In my mind this is almost worse than contracepting.

Yes, spiritual pride would be a sin, but I would be careful of rash judgement. I would be very dubious of someone declaring X person was guilty of spiritual pride. (Unless they had a magic, infallible 8-ball into the soul I don’t know about. )

 

[chevalier]

Catholic, not going to use contraception. Note that herbs and such do not qualify for artificial, yet they’re still contraception and still not right. I suppose practising Catholics who use contraception don’t trust NFP for their own reasons or submit to pressure.

 

[jaaraf]

This is a major issue in our country. A recent survey here in the Philippines showed that a lot of Catholics do use contraception.
I think the reason why a lot of Catholics do use artificial contraception is because of a lack of formation and (sadly, because I am in the medical field) because of the advice given by people they trust - doctors, nurses, midwives.
NFP is totally scientific in its approach, risk free, at no financial cost and enables spouses to understand each other more. People always say that they have a choice…well this is the best choice.
Also, one has to note that if a couple uses NFP without grave reasons for doing so (i.e. financial, health, etc.) but just because they don’t want to have a child, that is akin to selfishness and is a sin. In the end though, it is a matter of conscience.

 

[Teakafrog]

I cannot stand when I read on this forum that someone is not a Catholic if they “abc or d”. Are you perfect? Do you EVER swear? Do you ever take the Lord’s name in vain? Have you ever cheated, stole, lied, coveted, etc? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are also not a Catholic by your same standards.

Ok, off my soapbox now.

An occasional slip up while trying to live a holy life is NOT the same as a continued firm choice to*** purposely*** disobey. You have to CHOOSE to take that pill every morning, or buy those condoms, or whatever. An occasional swear word is not the same as a pre-meditated act of refusing to not only disobey Church teaching, but a slap in the face to God Himself, who we should trust enough to do what is good for us.

If I can’t trust God with my fertility (or lack thereof in my case), then how can I trust Him with anything else? THAT is the real question. Most of the people who use ABC do not trust God. They prefer to take matters into their own hands. The sin of presumption. And pride. Same one Lucifer made–that he thought he knew better than God. I KNOW I’m not as smart as God, and if He chooses to give me a child or not, His decision is always going to be better than MY decision. Always.

 

[gam3rchic]

I don’t use contraception (I took birth control before I was married to regulate my menstrual period, I wasn’t sexually active or anything like that, but now that i’m married I’m using another medicine to regulate my menstrual cycles) but my cousin who is Catholic does take birth control to also, supposedly, regulate her menstrual cycle. Well, she does go to Mass every Sunday and received communion, which upsets me greatly. She says she has no other way to regulate her cycle which, as a nurse, I know that’s a load of bull…She had her two children and wanted to be done but God had other plans…

She is expecting her third child next month despite her taking the birth control religiously every day. Her OB/GYN told her she is the 1% chance that got pregnant even when taking birth control. When I heard I couldn’t help but laugh my butt off…I love when people think they can control the Will of God and get proven otherwise…


Just goes to show you can’t tell God what to do…

 

[wanner47]

I don’t use contraception (I took birth control before I was married to regulate my menstrual period, I wasn’t sexually active or anything like that, but now that i’m married I’m using another medicine to regulate my menstrual cycles) but my cousin who is Catholic does take birth control to also, supposedly, regulate her menstrual cycle. Well, she does go to Mass every Sunday and received communion, which upsets me greatly. She says she has no other way to regulate her cycle which, as a nurse, I know that’s a load of bull…She had her two children and wanted to be done but God had other plans…

She is expecting her third child next month despite her taking the birth control religiously every day. Her OB/GYN told her she is the 1% chance that got pregnant even when taking birth control. When I heard I couldn’t help but laugh my butt off…I love when people think they can control the Will of God and get proven otherwise…


Just goes to show you can’t tell God what to do…

My sister, who is married to a Catholic (but has remained Protestant) announced her pregnancy today. She was also on the Pill. (They were just married this past January.)

 

[christcnection1]

I’m not sure if this was addressed, but your poll (as important as it was) is going to be skewed.

People attracted to this thread are more inclined to be proponents of NFP. People opposed to the Church’s teaching may be reluctant to answer, or even be interested in this thread. Furthermore, this website tends to attract people interested in the Catholic faith. Lukewarm Catholics are fewer in number here.

It’s a good topic. Just bear that in mind.

 

[HouseArrest]

I can tell you what is going on with my friends…

Of the 8 of them, two are not Catholic and do artificially contracept. Three of us, all Catholic, (okay I make 9 total) use NFP. Four , all Catholic, have had vasectomies.

We don’t talk about it a whole lot except two of us who use NFP sometimes wonder what the heck is going on with the others. I suspect their attitude comes from society. They don’t think that the Catholic Church really expects them to use NFP because that is so not the way of the world right now. It’s too bad.

 

[mercygate]

I can tell you what is going on with my friends…

Of the 8 of them, two are not Catholic and do artificially contracept. Three of us, all Catholic, (okay I make 9 total) use NFP. Four , all Catholic, have had vasectomies.

We don’t talk about it a whole lot except two of us who use NFP sometimes wonder what the heck is going on with the others. I suspect their attitude comes from society. They don’t think that the Catholic Church really expects them to use NFP because that is so not the way of the world right now. It’s too bad.

So without getting preachy or sniping, you can be a cheerful witness to those who have missed the message. It IS a message that has not been effectively disseminated.

 

[HouseArrest]

So without getting preachy or sniping, you can be a cheerful witness to those who have missed the message. It IS a message that has not been effectively disseminated.

Thank you!

I often think that’s the most I can do. I am not great at defending church teachings in conversations, although I do still try.

 

[mercygate]

Thank you!

I often think that’s the most I can do. I am not great at defending church teachings in conversations, although I do still try.

When this subject comes up, and I am facing the wall of negativity, I just say this:

My husband and I are converts. But early in our marriage, we intuited the wrongness of contraception and stopped doing it – and we were FAR from being Catholic at the time. The Catholic teaching on this is really beautiful. But aside from that, I can tell you that the day we stopped contracepting, our marriage changed for the better – and it’s still getting better every day!

End of speech. You have to guide people in microsteps.

 

[DJgang]

Incidentally, I have experienced individuals for whom having a large number of children has become a source of spiritual pride.
In my mind this is almost worse than contracepting.

oh, yeah, some of my family, to be exact.

This may be a little OT, but…

the very first time the I decided to attend Catholic Mass, I ended up in the cryroom with another pregnant mom, she would not shut about about how awful it was that she was pregnant after six years and how her hubby was going to get the big V…so…

 

[cherubim]

No and I won’t do it in my marriage either.
And most of all it is against God’s teaching.
While moderate catholics do it,uhm…don’t call yourself catholic,you are with God or you aren’t,period.You know if you follow God you follow His teaching no matter what.

Beatus vir qui timet Dominum - Blessed the man who fears God

 

[maryj]

I would think this poll will be skewed toward CAtholics who do not use artificial contraception due to the fact that it is Catholic Answers website…I mean, it seems most of the people who post in this forum are Catholics trying their best to live the Faith. Just my :twocents:

I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of catholics here, cradle, cafeteria, pick the words you wish to use. Not all of them are practicing, but here to find out about practicing their faith.

 

[MHalsey]

these days…yes.

Catholic in name only…yes

loss of Grace…yes

In mortal sin…yes

For some reason, I find this just a little too judgmental. Perhaps, for a Catholic who fully understands the Church’s teaching, and refuses to follow it, maybe. But to call a person “Catholic in name only” is judging the person, not the action.

Unfortunately, as someone said before, many Catholics do not understand the correct teaching of the Church. Also, there are clergy who don’t fully understand it. How is it then, that a person who does not know or is not properly informed by their pastor, can be considered to be living in sin and is only considered a “Catholic in name only”?

Does everyone here understand the Church’s teaching on everything? I’d be willing to bet not everyone does. I for one try to follow all that the Church teaches, but it was only recently that I discovered the Church’s teaching on eating meat on Fridays (not just during lent). Was I a “Catholic in name only” because I was unaware?

 

[cargopilot]

I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of catholics here, cradle, cafeteria, pick the words you wish to use. Not all of them are practicing, but here to find out about practicing their faith.

You’re right, I suppose that there are many “lukewarms” on these forums, but I have my doubts about their desire to answer a poll either honestly or at all. Unless they’re outwardly defiant of the Church’s correct teaching on this, I believe guilt and/or shame will prevent most from answering the poll, let alone commenting within the thread. I would expect those who do not contracept have no difficulty answering the poll, hence the great disparity in results.

We have a number of Catholic friends who contracept and seem to have an endless list of ‘medical’ reasons identified as justification to offset the sinfulness of their choice. Admittedly, hearing all of those reasons wear a little thin on my wife and I. My dear wife has a serious, chronic disease that makes pregnancy very, very risky, yet she chooses not to contracept. She has faced the most serious warnings from doctors and other medical professionals about the dire consequences should she become pregnant again, yet she refuses their prescriptions for the pill. She maintains that if it happens, it happens and we’ll just deal with it. I cannot tell you just how proud I am of her.