Fruitful and multiply

[Suzy27Billy]

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.”
Genesis 9:7 “As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

I am questioning this because I am learning more about the Catholic faith and have more of an understanding about (ABC) artificial birth control.

My husband and I are married and have 4 children and recently found out we are pregnant with our fifth. After our fourth baby was born we used condoms to prevent pregnancy. As we have gained more knowledge on NFP we decided to use that method. It makes since to us that ABC is not only harmful to the body, but also being selfish in not giving the chance to pro-create. Obviously we were quickly blessed. My only concern is our financial responsibilities and that we are already having hardships as it is.

My husband works full time and is also a full time student. I recently quit my job to be home with the children due to my husband being understandably overwhelmed with school work while I worked late hours. I also just enrolled in school part time and am working on my degree. We are currently living with my mom (whom already thinks we have enough on our hands, therefore I am scared to tell her about our recent discovery) unable to afford on our own and we are on government aid. As much as we are struggling, I want to do what is right for God.

I am just confused if there is an end to this command of being fruitful and multiplying. Especially already having multiple children. It makes sense when the earth is sparsely populated, but what about today? Are we supposed to keep multiplying?

Thanks for reading!

 

[Em_in_FL]

I am just confused if there is an end to this command of being fruitful and multiplying. Especially already having multiple children. It makes sense when the earth is sparsely populated, but what about today? Are we supposed to keep multiplying?

Thanks for reading!

First off (((HUGS))) to you. I’m sorry you are struggling.

As you have noted, NFP is an acceptable means to avoiding pregnancy when necessary. Of course, this needs to be a prayerful decision based on hardships and difficulties, not selfish motivations.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a wonderful resource in this area… here are some quotes:

2368
A particular aspect of this responsibility concerns the regulation of procreation. For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children. It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood. Moreover, they should conform their behavior to the objective criteria of morality:

    When it is a question of harmonizing married love with the responsible transmission of life, the morality of the behavior does not depend on sincere intention and evaluation of motives alone; but it must be determined by objective criteria, criteria drawn from the nature of the person and his acts, criteria that respect the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love; this is possible only if the virtue of married chastity is practiced with sincerity of heart.156

2369
"By safeguarding both these essential aspects, the unitive and the procreative, the conjugal act preserves in its fullness the sense of true mutual love and its orientation toward man’s exalted vocation to parenthood."157

2370
Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality.158 These methods respect the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them, and favor the education of an authentic freedom. In contrast, “every action which, whether in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible” is intrinsically evil:159

    Thus the innate LANGUAGE that expresses the total reciprocal self-giving of husband and wife is overlaid, through contraception, by an objectively contradictory LANGUAGE, namely, that of not giving oneself totally to the other. This leads not only to a positive refusal to be open to life but also to a falsification of the inner truth of conjugal love, which is called upon to give itself in personal totality. . . . The difference, both anthropological and moral, between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle . . . involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of the human person and of human sexuality.160

So yes, if you have prayerfully discerned that it is not prudent to have another child then NFP is a beautiful gift!

If you are struggling with your NFP method please CONTINUE your education. TALK to your teacher, READ as much as you can, and PRAY!

HTH!

 

[PaulinVA]

I’m one of those people who believe that everything you read in the Bible isn’t meant as an admonition to each one of us personally throughout time.

I don’t think that God is telling us, through Genesis, to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth.

If we are Catholic, we agreed, in our wedding vows, to accept children as they come. Family size is a flash point of piety or faithfulness for some people. You can read many threads here where people espouse views from all sides of the spectrum.

I believe that the Church allows us a method of birth regulation that, if used licitly, is perfectly fine. I know some couples that have their hands full with one or two children and others who have more than that.

 

[Suzy27Billy]

I want to thank you all for reading my post and also to those who respond. Since my last post, we are finding out today that I am most likely miscarrying our baby of 5 weeks gestation. This is confusing me because I feel like we have been doing what is right and we get excited for our blessing, only to be hurt with our loss of it. This may not have happened if we used contraception.

Now I am full of more unanswered questions. Is this a sign we shouldn’t have anymore children? I understand a miscarriage is common and happens 1 in every four pregnancies, but I still find it ironic.

I keep telling myself God just needed him/her. But I can’t help to think about all the babies’ lives taken by human choice, why does He need this one and all the other miscarried ones as well?

Now I don’t feel so “fruitful” anymore. I feel like bad soil unable to bear seed.

:angel1:

 

[agangbern]

Now I am full of more unanswered questions. Is this a sign we shouldn’t have anymore children? I understand a miscarriage is common and happens 1 in every four pregnancies, but I still find it ironic.

If it was not intentionally caused, then you don`t have to be guilty about it.

I keep telling myself God just needed him/her. But I can’t help to think about all the babies’ lives taken by human choice, why does He need this one and all the other miscarried ones as well?

God has His own reason for allowing some things to happen. Let us not wrestle with God`s wisdom.

Now I don’t feel so “fruitful” anymore. I feel like bad soil unable to bear seed.

:angel1:

Dont feel bad. Not all are required to be bear seed all the time. You have your own time according to Gods pleasure.

 

[Em_in_FL]

I want to thank you all for reading my post and also to those who respond. Since my last post, we are finding out today that I am most likely miscarrying our baby of 5 weeks gestation. This is confusing me because I feel like we have been doing what is right and we get excited for our blessing, only to be hurt with our loss of it. This may not have happened if we used contraception.

Now I am full of more unanswered questions. Is this a sign we shouldn’t have anymore children? I understand a miscarriage is common and happens 1 in every four pregnancies, but I still find it ironic.

I keep telling myself God just needed him/her. But I can’t help to think about all the babies’ lives taken by human choice, why does He need this one and all the other miscarried ones as well?

Now I don’t feel so “fruitful” anymore. I feel like bad soil unable to bear seed.

:angel1:

I am so incredibly sorry for you loss. (((HUGS))) to you. I suffered my only miscarriage just before conceiving our 3rd child (4th pregnancy then)… I understand the emotional rollercoaster, questions to God and lack of understanding. Time and love heals this pain. Continue to pray and to stay close to God. You’ll be in my prayers.

 

[CountryMom27]

I’m sorry to hear of your loss. It’s hard to understand how difficult things can happen when we feel we are following His path. My husband and I are good people, and yet we’ve had some really difficult times. What helped me was when a friend said that bad things still happen to Catholics - the difference is that when we are in pain and struggling, we are not alone. God is with us. He is with you in this time of unimaginable grief.

My prayers are with you.