Personally, I would much rather see a child adopted and raised by a homosexual couple than to be left to age out of the foster care system with no parents.
As to ART and single women- more power to them. Children are born of much worse circumstance (rape, one night stand, an abusive partner) than to a parent who so desperately wanted to be a mother that she was willing to subject herself to painful testing and medical procedures to being that child into the world.
The reality is that 1 in 8 couples face infertility, and you would be surprised just how many of your fellow congregants have gone through IVF. Until you walk that road, you cannot even begin to comprehend the emotional turmoil that those couples face. Many will stay in the church because they feel they made the right decision. Others will leave for the reasons the OP’s friends left, and for other reasons, like the judgement and scrutiny of people such as yourselves.
I find it interesting that there is so much support for folks going through annulments on this board- last time I checked divorce is not condoned in the bible, and yet I don’t see people harping on those going through the process to suck it up, reconcile, or remain single.
So before you remove the splinter from your brother’s eye, perhaps you should work on removing the log from your own.
Regarding your comparison to divorce, it’s not the same. Divorce is not a mortal sin. Having a relationship or getting married without an annulment is a mortal sin. So people on here will advise for people to receive an annulment so they do NOT commit mortal sin.
I mean no disrespect, but I find it inconsistent to be in favor of gays adopting children vs the children “aging out of the system” AND be in favor of IVF?? There are a ton of children around the world who need parents. But too many people who can’t be parents the natural way don’t want those kids. They would rather go through medical procedures and ignore the Church (if Catholic) than adopt a child.
Saying that we need gays to adopt children so they don’t remain in orphanages but then have heterosexuals use IVF instead of adopting?? To me, it’s kind of like saying that the death penalty is wrong, but abortion is ok.
I also don’t understand leaving the Church because you used IVF? Where would you go? Besides the Orthodox Church, the Protestants do not have the seven sacraments. And most “Old Catholics” and “American Catholics” in North America do not have apostolic succession, therefore no valid Sacraments. Not to mention, Protestants don’t believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the form of the Body and Precious Blood.
True Catholics do not judge others. The Catholic Church is a hospital for sinners. We do not believe that Children born from IVF were not supposed to be here. God sends Children. The method of their birth does not negate their life or make then any less human. But at the same time, the method of their conception may be sinful. Whether it be IVF, pre-martial sex, adultery, failed use of birth control, rape, or other sexual sins; the parent(s) committed a sin.
Sin is sin. The Church cannot and should not say “well since everyone is doing it, it’s ok then.”
I fell away from the Church in college and returned when I was 36. I married a Jewish girl and had premarital sex and lived with her before marriage. I even got married outside the Church without dispensation. People used to say do me “don’t you wish the Church would say its OK to use Birth Control and have premarital sex?” And I would always say “no, I think its important for the Church to keep the bar high for society.” Even if individuals don’t follow all of the Church’s teachings or disagree, we need that moral compass to show us the correct path, even if we take short cuts or joy ride… That compass always show use the correct course to Christ.
If you had IVF, repent and know that God still loves you and loves your Children. Your Children are supposed to be here, that’s why there are here.
Lets also look how IVF is a slippery slope too. If society accepts IVF (and I think society already does) how long until we start having genetic engineering (even mild alterations). Couples will start to chose to have IVFs over the natural way to engineer their child to prevent {insert whatever here}. Even if no embryos or eggs are destroyed, the Church can’t condone IVF due to what it could lead society to.
Finally, remember, as Catholics we hate the sin but love the sinner. Remeber, we are all sinners; we are just trying to help everyone we can get to Heaven.
God Bless
*Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven; especially those in most need of Your Mercy.
Amen*
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let God do the rest.
And of course a lot of people aren’t interested in foster care if they cannot adopt because they don’t want to bond with the child(ren) only to have them taken away. And then you get those who are just in it for the monthly paycheck, which isn’t good either. Money is necessary but it shouldn’t be the focus; the kids should be. And of course adoption is very expensive. A family that could afford to feed another mouth each month might not be able to pay the high adoption fees. The government really needs to work toward making adoption easier.