"I am the 2%" - no, this is not about milk

[hannajomar]

On facebook, I somehow stumbled on this page. I don’t know who started it, but I was wondering why there were so few followers. I don’t know if this type of thing is allowed on CAF, but I guess I’ll be finding out.

“I am the 2%” refers to that recent stat that says 98% of Catholics use birth control. Assuming that’s true, those of us in the 2% still have a right to choose not to be involved in the birth control industry, even if that involvement appears to be very small and indirect.

facebook.com/pages/I-am-the-2/350672908286319

 

[Simon123454321]

I think the number is larger than 2%. The people they “polled” and the wording they used in their questions were both selective and misleading. However, it makes me very sad that as many Catholics use artificial birthcontrol as do. There is not any escuse for abortaphasic birthcontrol for sure and even barrior methods are wrong. Planned Parenthood was founded on the idea that inferior people should be sterlized so that they do not procreate… they use small gas chambers 1 person at a time.

 

[Simon123454321]

Ok here is the sample from which that statisic was pulled from, Catholic women, who are sexually active, not currently pregnant, haven’t already had a child somewhat recently and don’t want to become pregnant in the future. This sample is fairly odd and does not specify that it is married sexually active women. So… ya there are problems to start with on the sample, who knows it might have also only been planned parenthood customers.

 

[L_piperatus]

I love the thread title!

Also, how about those Catholics who do not fall into the category of “15 to 44 y.o., sexually active in the past 90 days, trying to avoid children”? Because the Guttmacher Institute custom-tailored that study to eliminate large chunks of the Catholic population.

How about Catholic, not married, and abstinent?

How about Catholic, married, and not active sexually within the last 90 days - precisely because she uses abstinence as a form to avoid children?

How about Catholic, married, sexually active, and not trying to avoid pregnancy?

How about Catholic, used a condom once 15 years ago, repented of this sin, and hadn’t used contraception ever since?

Let’s not forget, the Guttmacher survey excludes all these people. It’s a phony survey that was custom-tailored to produce phony results!

It’s as if they entered a gay bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, surveyed only those patrons who were wearing rainbow sashes in the gay bar, and then gloriously proclaimed, “Hey, 98% of the people whom we interviewed support gay marriage”!

 

[hannajomar]

For the sake of HHS mandate debate, it really doesn’t matter what the percent is. If a woman or man chooses to practice the sexual teachings of the Church, they have the right to practice them, even if other Catholics don’t. If it’s 2%, 50%, or %100, really doesn’t matter.

I know Jewish people who eat a completely Kosher diet. I know some other Jewish people who stay away from pork, but will eat non-kosher foods. I also know Jewish people who eat pork, cheeseburgers, and don’t care at all about this practice of their religion. That doesn’t somehow take away the legitimacy of Jews who eat Kosher.

Qibbling about the percent of Catholics who practice the Church’s sexual teachings seems to be a distraction from the larger issue - our freedom to practice our religion, and the government’s unethical attempt at regulating the practice of our religion.

 

[GratefulFred]

The thing that seems to be missing in the public debate are clear statements distinguishing between popular behaviors and sin.

The fact that nearly everybody does it, does not make whatever the “it” is sinless. Doing the popular “It” make us sinners. Sin takes us away from God.

Christ clearly commanded us to LOVE. Love is wanting and working for what is, in the end, best for the LOVED one. The “end” is our eternal salvation. Selfish short sightedness is NOT love. Usually, selfishness is a sin. Being imperfect beings, we all must struggle with sin. But we are loosing our way when we try to convince ourselves that wrong is right because nearly everybody does it.

The Catholic Church’s Christ given mission to help all of us (Catholics, other Christians and non-Christians) come closer to Christ. The Church, in good conscience just cannot ENABLE us to sin. In simple terms, the Church should speak out clearly and constantly on issues that tear apart the true essence of Love. Sometimes, I fear, many Bishops and Priests soft pedal the need to do our best to avoid sin. And to acknowledge our sins and confess and seek God’s Grace to overcome our weaknesses.

BUT it is quite another thing to think that just because nearly every body does it, the Church shuold now be REQUIRED to pay for it is wrong. Dead wrong.

It is a pure POWER PLAY intended to diminish our prior and higher relationship with God. It is said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul?” This HHS mandate is intended to make another major step away from being the God Fearing Nation we were - a God Fearing Nation that became great in not small part because enough citizens truly believed in God albeit in different ways.

If we are weak and choose to sin on our own, then that should be on our dime. No one should demand the Church pay for it.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

How about Catholic, not married, and abstinent?

Not unusual, but I think those in this scenario are not taking birth control to prevent pregnancy but for some other reason, especially if she has fibroids, endometriosis, or if she is anemic. Not of a huge amount of relevance, but I thought I would share.