How do catholic women or men justify their consciences with using contraception?

[russet1]

Shelby keep following Pope Francis, I truly believe he will guide you. Keep talking to the priest you have who truly know you. Bless you dear.

Absolutley.
We should cling to our priests especially in the confessional. And to our dear Holy Father.
Especially Francis! He is alright by me.
I love that he is calling us to rethink social advocacy for the poor. It makes me as a fiscal conservative uncomfortable. But that is why I love it! He challenges me and all Catholics to be better, more holy and more Christ like. I spent some time in Assisi and was amazed at the Pope’s patron. What I expected was a medeival hippie type person. What I learned was that Francis was a real revolutionary who actually called people to be way more Catholic than they already were!
And any Pope who states things in such a straitforward manner is talking right up my alley! His stance on Gay adoptions, gay marriage and the like have been awesome!
The media has done an excellent job of hijacking him as one of their own. But the more I read his words, the more I hear him preach, the more he openly challenges us and talks of the devil more than any other Pope so far, the more I like him!

If we follow our priests, and if they follow the Pope and the Pope is led by God we cannot go wrong! After all that is the promise of Jesus himself!

The more I read Francis the more I am impressed with his straitforward manner. His public humility does add credibility to his words. And his words sure are not tempered to not offend. This man was accused of inqusition type mentality by the "progressive’ president of Argentina!
As an faithful, practicing Catholic I love the Pope we have!

 

[Mark121359]

I don’t think this thread is nasty. I think Catholic teaching has been explained and I think some choose to not accept it and to think it is ok for others to not accept it. There is a false tollerance that permeates our society our very way of thought that we cannot clearly preach the Gospel. This is a Catholic site with Cathoic answers. No one is forced to post. No one has to participate in the thread at all if it causes them grief. But there are those of us who speak our faith and live our faith. I am amazed at the people who have pride in being a sinner. As if that is something to strive for and somehow gives one some kind of moral justification for not standing up for Holiness and God. We come from a faith where people died and still die to proclaim the good news. Not 2 months ago we heard the call of John the Baptist to REPENT and turn from our sins and to live the Gospel. But there are those who wish to silence anyone who calls others to Godliness. Close the thread? Because someone took the kid gloves off in a battle that we are losing with words? It would be a shame. Is this what we have become? That someone speaks Truth and Holiness in a manner we deem too harsh and we wish to shut it down?
Being Catholic is the new racist. You cannot say anything without tripping over your tounge to appease someone’s feelings.
Homosexual marriage and acts are immoral. (make sure you spend five minutes petting those who might be offended with qualifying statements and good feeling words)
Birth Control is immoral and wrong and a Catholic who uses it to prevent conception should NEVER consider themselves in communion with the Church.
The tired mantra of “We are all sinners” and this competition of humbleness we have to prove we are the worst of the sinners is a misapplication of true Catholic faith. I was born a sinner. I was baptised, completely free of sin. And last Saturday when I left the confessional I was also completely free of sin. A practicing Catholic’s goal is to be sin free. And we somehow believe that God asks the impossible from us. That the simple request to follow Him and His Church is too much for a mere human to do.
This “sin competition” we have smacks of protestantism. Of Luther and Calvin. It also ignores one of the most Catholic things of all. The saints. Guides for our lives. Given to us by God as an example. But somehow even still we view holiness as something unattainable. So much so that we refuse to try. We sit in our sin, our excrement and shout down anyone who tells us or themselves to get out of it.
How do we live in this day and age of instant information about anything and yet we refuse to see the Truth plain as the Eucharist on your tounge.

WOW! Outstanding post!!!

Peace, Mark

 

[WingsOfEagles]

To be honest, I only heard the teaching once in passing during HSYM years and if I had not joined a Newman Club group in college, really would not have an understanding of the teaching at all. Not once, has it ever come up at regular Mass.

 

[jmcrae]

To be honest, I only heard the teaching once in passing during HSYM years and if I had not joined a Newman Club group in college, really would not have an understanding of the teaching at all. Not once, has it ever come up at regular Mass.

I know people who have never been to Mass in their whole lives, and who only read one newspaper, who know that the Catholic Church forbids birth control. How is that possible?

 

[WingsOfEagles]

I know people who have never been to Mass in their whole lives, and who only read one newspaper, who know that the Catholic Church forbids birth control. How is that possible?

It’s maybe a little more in the media recently due to Obamacare and the debate that has ensued with the Catholic Church. However, go back 10 years ago, and truly, never had heard a thing. I was in HS though, so perhaps certain teaching tend to be shielded from young ears. That’s probably a mistake with the age schools are teaching sex ed now. You hear about condoms and the pill and school well before CCD mentions NFP.

 

[russet1]

It’s maybe a little more in the media recently due to Obamacare and the debate that has ensued with the Catholic Church. However, go back 10 years ago, and truly, never had heard a thing. I was in HS though, so perhaps certain teaching tend to be shielded from young ears. That’s probably a mistake with the age schools are teaching sex ed now. You hear about condoms and the pill and school well before CCD mentions NFP.

“Gasp” you mean the youth ministers did not talk of this!?
Oh, wait, if they did speak of it 2 things would happen.

1. They would be branded mean spirited, hating, radicals.
2. The many parents who have 2.5 kids and spend all their money on Birth Control and private school would be upset that you were communicating Catholic teaching to the kids.

As someone who has worked in youth ministry I can tell you that it would be very hard to put that in the curriculum.
We have objections to “Life” nights, or even telling the kids that they should go to Mass every Sunday.

We have family members that object to us having 4 children. 4!!! As if that is some sort of unheard of crazy irresponsible Duggar number. “Why can’t you just be like so and so down the street. They are Catolic and they use ABC?” “Why do you have to be so extreme on this?”

Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we live in when the “right” to have sex trumps the “right” to be in God’s friendship.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

“Gasp” you mean the youth ministers did not talk of this!?
Oh, wait, if they did speak of it 2 things would happen.

1. They would be branded mean spirited, hating, radicals.
2. The many parents who have 2.5 kids and spend all their money on Birth Control and private school would be upset that you were communicating Catholic teaching to the kids.

As someone who has worked in youth ministry I can tell you that it would be very hard to put that in the curriculum.
We have objections to “Life” nights, or even telling the kids that they should go to Mass every Sunday.

We have family members that object to us having 4 children. 4!!! As if that is some sort of unheard of crazy irresponsible Duggar number. “Why can’t you just be like so and so down the street. They are Catolic and they use ABC?” “Why do you have to be so extreme on this?”

Sometimes I wonder what kind of world we live in when the “right” to have sex trumps the “right” to be in God’s friendship.

I don’t really fault our youth ministers for not bringing it up. As you said, many parents would not want that discussed in youth ministry. I think that’s why it was college Newman Club before I knew about the teaching.

 

[KellyPalmer]

I know people who have never been to Mass in their whole lives, and who only read one newspaper, who know that the Catholic Church forbids birth control. How is that possible?

My Protestant friend said the same thing to me recently. As a cradle Catholic, I’ve never once heard it discussed in Mass. I knew my mom had gotten her tubes tied and she’s never missed a Sunday Mass in her entire life other than when she was hospitalized. I think at some point I realized that hormonal BC was against the church, probably from news/newspapers. But I figured it had more to do with it being artificial. I didn’t know that would apply to condoms. Somehow I made it through life mostly escaping contraception for other reasons however the teachings of the Church still would have been useful to have know sooner.

 

[silentfactor80]

Can we talk about the elephant in the room? Most parents won’t discuss it for 1 of 2 reasons:

1. They want to believe their kid will never have sex or be tempted so they just won’t say yes or no.
2. They want their kid on BC b/c a pregnancy would make them look like failures as parents.

Birth control is a side effect of societies allergy to pregnancy. I mean pregnancy is practically a disease now that “needs to be treated.” If dear daughter gets pregnant mom and dad are more worried about their image than their daughters. They also worry that dear daughter will have to drop out of school, be an unhappy housewife (poor her mentality), etc. The option of adoption completely escapes them of coarse. In the end “the pill” is magical as it takes away all those fears and worries.

Until people are ready to talk about the hard questions and take responsibility we will continue to rationalize bad behavior.

 

[KellyPalmer]

Yeah, it’s definitely a failure on the part of the parents. For me, it wasn’t reasons 1 or 2. I just had parents who didn’t communicate with me. They never said a single word about sex, never got the birds and bees talk. My mom never even said a word to me about how females have menstrual cycles.

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t really fault our youth ministers for not bringing it up. As you said, many parents would not want that discussed in youth ministry. I think that’s why it was college Newman Club before I knew about the teaching.

I would consider that the perfect age to be discussing things like that - it’s the age when most people are discerning marriage and thinking seriously about their future family life.

I would also expect the teachers to bring it up in Marriage Prep, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to get into medical detail with kids under the age of 18.

 

[jmcrae]

My Protestant friend said the same thing to me recently. As a cradle Catholic, I’ve never once heard it discussed in Mass. I knew my mom had gotten her tubes tied and she’s never missed a Sunday Mass in her entire life other than when she was hospitalized. I think at some point I realized that hormonal BC was against the church, probably from news/newspapers. But I figured it had more to do with it being artificial. I didn’t know that would apply to condoms. Somehow I made it through life mostly escaping contraception for other reasons however the teachings of the Church still would have been useful to have know sooner.

My point is, why does it need to be discussed in Mass? The general public is well aware of the Church’s stand on contraception because of things they see in movies and on TV shows, and what they read in the newspapers.

How is it that Catholics are missing these messages?

 

[KellyPalmer]

My point is, why does it need to be discussed in Mass? The general public is well aware of the Church’s stand on contraception because of things they see in movies and on TV shows, and what they read in the newspapers.

How is it that Catholics are missing these messages?

I don’t understand what you are saying. You want young Catholics to learn the teachings of the Church from tv, movies and newspapers?? I think that’s a terrible assertion. As proven here, it’s inaccurate that everyone is “well aware” of the Churches teachings this way nor should they be. The secular media consistently misrepresents the Church’s teachings. I keep myself (and my kids) as far away from mainstream media as possible.

You are the one who brought up Mass. I just don’t get what it matters if someone has or hasn’t been to Mass that “even” those who have never been to Mass know the Church’s teachings? That’s not even true. My Protestant friend who said that, when pressed it was clear that she was pretty clueless on the Church’s teaching on contraception other than a very vague “they are against birth control” without any defining of terms and certainly no understanding of why.

I hadn’t thought this before but now tha you bring it up, YES the Church’s teachings (especially major ones) should be incorporated into relevant homilies. In addition, it should be taught in RE/CCD. But the parents should be the ones to ensure that the fullness of the teachings are understood. The idea than we should wait until kids are 18 is totally unacceptable. Our kids should be living this stuff not having it dropped in their laps at 18+. Many marry before then and not everyone goes to college nor should they.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

My point is, why does it need to be discussed in Mass? The general public is well aware of the Church’s stand on contraception because of things they see in movies and on TV shows, and what they read in the newspapers.

How is it that Catholics are missing these messages?

Do you want Catholic youth to hear about the Catholic Church’s stance on contraception only from the media? The media generally portrays it only in a negative light. Couple that with modern sex education in school and this is why so many young Catholics end up using contraception. Not all of us can just hear, “oh, that’s against Church teaching” and say to ourselves “oh, okay”, especially on something so morally acceptable in secular society. We need to hear some of the reasons.

 

[Sarcelle]

I don’t have any difficulty justifying it at all. I just don’t believe that the church has the right to tell me and my wife what type of birth control we should or shouldn’t use. When the church decides to start helping me with financial and child care responsibilities, then we can talk.

A lot of married Catholics I know also use this as an excuse.

 

[jmcrae]

I don’t understand what you are saying. You want young Catholics to learn the teachings of the Church from tv, movies and newspapers??

No, that’s not what I said. I said, this information is out there in the world - in the media, in the movies, on TV shows, and in the newspapers. Everyone knows what the Church teaches on birth control the same as how they know that the world is round, and that Russia exists.

When young Catholics encounter these messages in the media, what is going through their minds? Why don’t they check out the teaching and find out, “does the Church really teach that, and if so, what level of teaching is it? Is it really a mortal sin like the guy in the movie said, or is that just hyperbole?” Instead of just ignoring it and thinking that if the priest doesn’t talk about it at Mass, then it isn’t important.

You are the one who brought up Mass.

Someone else brought it up - they were saying that they didn’t know the teaching because it isn’t taught at Mass. Mass is full of little kids; no priest is ever going to give an explicit sex chat at Mass; at least, not in the near future.