Is it ok to question Church doctrine, and if so, in what ways?

[sandy_bartow]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

Contraception for those cases you mentioned, it is ok. A prostitute should use contraception or young children who start sex too early and irresponsably, but when the Church talks about contraception it is not in these cases.

Abortion? Why? My solution is let the baby come and later on give a gun to him. If he wants to kill himself, it is his option. But at least someone asked his opinion.

Divorce? Sometimes necessary? My friends are divorcing for the most frivolous reasons. On the contrary, last week, I saw a wife who kept by her alcoholic husband through rough times. Now he is well and helping others. He said: “I should be in prison for what I did to my wife!”. When asked why, she said: “I kept by his side for I loved him!” All ended well. I was clearly moved… What is see is a society plagued by Las Vegas Divorce Type.

 

[Bookcat]

We are to profess our Faith…We are to give our assent to the various teachings of the Church…(assent according to the kind…)

Let us profess and live our Faith…

Yes contraception is an intrinsic evil. Such has been the Teaching of the Church from the early days…it is to be held as definitive. It is contrary to the nature of marriage…the meaning of the marital act and even the love.

Abortion is the murder of innocent little children yet to be born…such too has been understood to be a grave evil. It can not be done …anymore than I can take my sword and cut off your head…

As for Divorce…while it is an evil…some civil divorce can be tolerated at times for other reasons (the couple is still married unless the Church discovers that there was no marriage to begin with…but they are separated and may need to do a civil divorce for example for the care of the children…see the Catechism: vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P87.HTM

While there can be at times some “difficulties” in understanding some teachings on the part of a particular person…the attitude is to be “faith seeking understanding”…not rejection or willful doubt…

As a convert and a person who has a degree in Theology I encourage you to seek out the answers to your difficulties… The Church is not “out of date” she carries forward the truth that she has received and has come to know…and hands it on as light in the midst of a world often experienced in darkness.

In Jesus Christ and thus in his Church

…is true life.

 

[smichhertz]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

If the Church’s teachings are incompatible with the current age, than the age must move back to the teaching.

Contraception is an intrinsic evil. There is nothing evil about bringing a child into the world. Children are always a blessing, Scripture tells us this much.

Abortion is a violation of the dignity of man and is a horrendous crime. It kills a child and seriously wounds the mother.

Divorce is permissible in some cases.

Its okay to not understand the Church’s teachings on certain subjects, but the way to deal with that is to try to understand them better. Attend some classes on Church teaching, ask a priest for help, pray to the Holy Spirit that God will inspire you to seek and know the truth, etc. There are so many different resources out there that will help you better understand the teachings, you should at least try.

Hope that helps!

 

[gubernova]

It is ultimately up to the follower to try and follow his faith when possible. The reality is most people have such diverse opinions that it is hard to have a faith that caters to them without difficulties. Spirituality is essential to a religious experience. We must learn to follow and have faith. Is the faith more important to the works? Paul says that faith without works is dead. However I would argue that to much focus on how we behave ruins the spiritual side of the equation. Jesus forgives and understands are weaknesses, sometimes dogmatics forget this…

 

[Fr_of_Jazz]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

I would second what Bookcat and Smichhertz have said.

Let me add, it is good that you are thinking things through. Any thinking person will have difficulties. Augustine said something that always helped me: “Tempore auctoritas, re autem ratio prior est.” “Although authority comes first in time, reason comes first in fact.” On Order, ii, 9, 26] That is “Although (the) authority (of the church’s teaching) comes first in time, (the) reason (of God) comes first in fact.”

Cool quote from Newman:

Many persons are very sensitive of the difficulties of religion; I am as sensitive as any one; but I have never been able to see a connection between apprehending those difficulties, however keenly, and multiplying them to any extent, and doubting the doctrines to which they are attached. Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt, as I understand the subject; difficulty and doubt are incommensurate. There of course may be difficulties in the evidence; but I am speaking of difficulties intrinsic to the doctrines, or to their compatibility with each other. A man may be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem, of which the answer is or is not given to him, without doubting that it admits of an answer, or that a particular answer is the true one.
–John Henry Cardinal Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Part VII.

 

[AntalKalnoky]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

No! You misunderstand some BASICS: (1) Natural Family Planning is the Ideal, 100% sure, and Most Romantic way to Avoid Intercourse in the Most Fertile Days of the Lady; Condomns, IUD’s etc are Artificial, Very unromantic, and sometimes fail. (2) Abortions are Literally Killing a Begining Human Life. It is Killing a Future adult; Cavemen felt the same!.

                                                                                                                       (3)   Divorces  are  against reason;   are not  a  "Convenient  Choice".   Catholic Annulment is The  Best way, if there are grounds,   which  fairly often exist.  

                                                                                                                     What is   Right,  what is Wrong is Never Obsolete in Basics. The CHurch  is for Our Best, including Marital Counseling,  etc., etc.                                                                            The  Results of these   'new ideas'    are almost  always  Very Negative:  My  Parents Divorced,  causing Great harm to   All the Family,    as Divorces   and Abortions almost  always  do.  That  is The Reality,  Very many of us have known people doing.   "No One"  ended up  Happy!

 

[NewCatholic2011]

I’ve been a lifelong Catholic, and I have always viscerally accepted the teachings of the Church. Now, I feel that some of the Church’s teachings are antiquated and incompatible with the modern age. For example, I believe contraceptives are a blessing: they prevent irresponsible people from bringing children they did not want into the world. I think the same about abortion. I also believe divroce is sometimes necessary. Is it fine that I hold these views?

“Did the word of God go forth from you? Or has it come to you alone?” 1 Cor. 14,36

“Moderns experience difficulty in understanding this institution, because they have, to no small extent, lost sight of two facts. On the one hand they have ceased to grasp religious belief as something objective, as the gift of God, and therefore outside the realm of free private judgment; on the other they no longer see in the Church a society perfect and sovereign, based substantially on a pure and authentic Revelation, whose first most important duty must naturally be to retain unsullied this original deposit of faith.” Catholic Encyclopedia article on The Inquisition.

“Although not an assent of faith, a religious submission of the intellect and will must be given to a doctrine which the Supreme Pontiff or the college of bishops declares concerning faith or morals when they exercise the authentic magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim it by definitive act; therefore, the Christian faithful are to take care to avoid those things which do not agree with it.” Code of Canon Law 752

See also CCC 2032-2040.

What you are really saying here is that evolving social norms OUTSIDE the Church (and even individual personal opinion) should dictate the doctrines of the Church. The material question is whether the moral teachings of the Church, which have their origin with that of the Church itself, are merely subjective standards for a specific time, culture, or people or are they transcendent truths to be taught, learned, and obeyed. It is not up to individuals who do not possess apostolic authority to hold their own private judgment on such matters. We may not arrogate to ourselves the right or privilege to setup our own personal moral code and expect the Church or Christ to accept it.

Cheers,
NC