Gallup: 82% of Catholics say contraception is ‘morally acceptable’

[irishpatrick]

Honestly? Remembering I am human again; It is because while I DO believe it is the Church that Christ himself started, and the one true Church, I also believe it is run by men. Men who have made many, many errors over the years, not the least of which have been sexually related. I’ll leave it at that, so as not to offend anyone, or sound to judgmental myself! (God only knows I can go that way all too easily)!

Thank you for the reply. I do believe, if you give this situation deeper thought, you might make a different conclusion. Consider:

1. Jesus founded His Church as a visible entity.
2. Jesus intended His Church to be universal (catholic) and that all people have an obligation to belong to it, unless they are invincibly ignorant of the truth.
3. Jesus intended His Church to be one, not many different belief systems.
4. In order to have that unity of faith as stated in #3, Jesus gave the Apostles, and their successors, the task of teaching the faith, and the Church must hold the charisms required for liturgical and sacramental requirements.

In order for the Church to properly execute its mission as given by Jesus, it must be given infallibility in order to definitively teach the world regarding issues of faith and morals. If it does not hold protection from error regarding faith and morals, then literally all bets are off going back to the very beginning (this includes the Bible and all Christian teachings handed down).

The Church definitively teaches that contraception is not only wrong; rather, the Church teaches that contraception is an intrinsic evil. In other words, using contraception is a serious sin. This is not true because some human beings in the Church said so, it is true because Jesus’ Church is protected from error in teachings like this.

Please note that the Church being given infallibity means that it is protected from even the possibility of error. In other words, formally teaching an untruth by the Church is impossible.

As for the men of the Church making errors, yes that is true, many have, and many will. Yet, when the Church makes formal teachings regarding faith and morals, it cannot error.

*

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​

*

 

[cjbaggins]

I used to think the contraception teachings of the Church were kinda wrong, but now I’m 100% sure the Church is correct.

I’m guessing that contraception is one of the hardest for people to accept, but that doesn’t mean the Church is wrong.

The moral teachings of the Church aren’t up for a vote…it’s the Truth!

God bless,
Bryan

Amen to “the moral teachings are not up for a vote”!!

I also agree that the teaching on contraception is one of the hardest for many (most?) Catholics to accept. Usually, it is from misunderstanding about the teaching.

For me, when I meet other Catholics, I find that this teaching is a sort of “litmus test” to know where people stand on other Church teachings and practises. If I meet a Catholic who uses NFP, or no form of child spacing, I am fairly certain that the person also attends Mass every Sunday and DoO, often frequently during the week as well; they also tend to frequent the sacrament of confession often; regularly pray the Rosary; participate actively in their local parish; and possibly even take a turn at an Adoration Chapel in their area.

cj

 

[JimG]

Well, taking a poll on questions of faith and morals doesn’t really do much good. Faith and morals are not subject to the whims of the moment.

I propose a more meaningful poll. Let’s take a posthumous poll of all the founders of the Reformation, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, et al. Their views are easy to find. They all agreed 100% with the Catholic Church. Birth control was not one of the things they were protesting.

Then let’s posthumously poll protestant pastors from the 1500’s to the 1900’s. Hmm, more unanimity here. Everyone agreed: artificial contraception is wrong. No need to poll the Catholic pastors, prior to or after the reformation; they all agreed with Martin Luther—contraception is wrong.

So what can it possibly mean that 82% of Catholics now profess to think that contraception is okay, compared to the huge numbers going back 2,000 years who thought it was wrong?

Not much.

Morality is not a matter of matters. Still, the historical consensus is pretty remarkable.

 

[cjbaggins]

Enter moral relativism, or my subjective truth trumps the revelation of God. God as Creator? No problem - I’ll just tie His hands and stymie His Divine Plan with contraceptives, even though I claim to be “Pro-Life??”

I wonder if sometimes submission of mind and will and absolute trust and surrender to Christ are the only things we can do.

Yes!! Since my own conversion of heart regarding contraception, I have believed that sometimes obedience comes before understanding.

cj

 

[Moore11]

I appreciate your concerns, really. Yes, I have read the reasoning behind the teachings we are speaking of. They make no sense when discussing within the context of marriage. They are “teachings” being layed down, again, I hate to say it, by man.

Yes, Christ gave the keys to the kingdom to Peter. I believe that. I believe the early church meant well, and those men were truly great. However, come forward through the years. Things change. The people in charge change. They are not of the same fabric that those initial apostles were. I know, sore subject, but just look at the recent, oh heck, last few dozen or so years of “cover ups” regarding sexual issues within this very fabric of “great men” themselves. (Men who mind you that aren’t married, and is most cases, have probably never HAD a relationship with a woman).

God IS first in my life, not those with an agenda of their own, and I don’t believe he will sway me wrong when he answers me in prayer.

Sorry. I’ll go with gut feeling on certain things, but I do appreciate the prayers.

God Bless,

Even you, if you are honest with yourself and if you can see past your guilt have to admit that your view is hypocritical and illogical.

“I believe in the Church, and that Jesus founded it and gave it authority. But in matters of sex. I gotta go with my desire.”

It just does not make any sense in a logical, historical obedient and especially faithful way.

 

[OriginalJS]

This study adds nothing. It has long been known that Catholics in the US are using ABC at about the same rate as the general population. I recently reviewed the 1940 census for the small town where I grew up. I knew most of the families listed. Large families (at least by present standards) were common. Three or four children was not unusual. Larger families were frequent. That just doesn’t happen now. Look around at Masses. There is no question families are limiting their reproduction.

 

[stiffkittenbabe]

Why is it “sad”? Nobody has died! All it means is that people are prepared to use their common sense instead of asking men of the cloth that have no experience of parenting.

 

[Tigg]

Excellent article on this subject:

To obstinately deny an infallible teaching of the Catholic Church is an act of heresy. That being said, when it comes to contraception, a variety of studies and surveys conclude that the majority of Catholic women support the practice of contraception. Even so, “98 percent of Catholics use birth control” mantra is hogwash.

The USCCB has repeatedly debunked the claim, effectively arguing that the percentages are skewed and designed to pave the way for acceptance of the Obama mandate. This is all good, but such arguments do not address the fundamental problem.

The reality is that most Catholics do not oppose the use of contraception, nor do they think it is sinful to use it. Even though the Church has always taught that the use of contraception separates an individual from Christ, the average Catholic is either unaware of this or is in denial about it. In fact, what is provable is that Catholic women use contraception at the same rate as their non-Catholic counterparts.

This is precisely what the fundamental problem is — a crisis in authority within the Church, not the Obama administration mandate.

The infallible teaching of the Church does not change with modern practices or Gallup poll results or federal regulations. But when the faithful refuse to understand such teaching or fail to comprehend the gravity of offending God by certain actions, the challenge is to remedy the situation. This has nothing to do with Obama or his mandate, but rather it has everything to do with the clear possibility that the Church’s bureaucracy — the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — will lose this political battle because Catholics will not accept truth. From my perspective I find it truly deplorable that, in opposing the Obama mandate on contraception and attempting to muster Catholic action in opposition to the mandate, the USCCB does not understand why there is so much apathy among Catholics in the first place. The bishops’ failure to teach has apparently not occurred to them as yet.

renewamerica.com/columns/brown/120602

 

[Tigg]

For me, when I meet other Catholics, I find that this teaching is a sort of “litmus test” to know where people stand on other Church teachings and practises. If I meet a Catholic who uses NFP, or no form of child spacing, I am fairly certain that the person also attends Mass every Sunday and DoO, often frequently during the week as well; they also tend to frequent the sacrament of confession often; regularly pray the Rosary; participate actively in their local parish; and possibly even take a turn at an Adoration Chapel in their area.

cj

Agreed! Because of the very nature of heresy, once one truth is rejected, it ultimately will be easier to edit, omit and alter others and the continuity of the faith is destroyed.