And if God wants that arrogant jerk who lets his dog poop all over my yard to live, He’ll just prevent my pistol shot from hitting him in a fatal spot. God is considerably more powerful than the energy in the gunpowder of a puny pistol cartridge, no? Hopefully nobody thinks that way about pistols. Why change the rules for condoms and pills? God gave us free will and asks us to FREELY choose Him instead of our own pride and willfulness.The thing I don’t understand about this is God is far more powerful than ANY birth control on the market. My son is next to me and God obviously wanted him here more than the birth control pill my wife was on didn’t want him here. My point is that no birth control is more powerful than God and if God wants another child, it will happen regardless.
Not close at all. What bothers me about this conversation is that some people try to determine for others what is a “good number” or what isn’t as far as having children and using NFP. The argument I was presenting was that because family A may not see being unemployed as a bad thing, then family B shouldn’t see it as a bad thing either even though we don’t know what’s going on. What I often see with Christian families is that we often try to force our wills on others without knowing the ins and outs of their situation. My husband’s been unemployed before and I’m still experiencing health problems which could interfere with my fertility. However, when I attempted to cite that as reasons for delaying childbirth, one person told me that was “nothing” and then she started telling me how she was also unemployed, they didn’t have health insurance, yet she got pregnant and treated it like it wasn’t a big deal. Because she didn’t see it was a big deal, therefore neither should I. That is what I find problematic.spunjalebi: major problem with ‘guessing game’/serious for one, not serious for another
On the contrary, isn’t that the beauty of it? Each couple will prayerfully determine what is or is not a serious reason for their situation, guided by the authentic teaching of the Church. Remember, God, speaking through the Church that His Son established to teach the truth with authority, leaves it up to the couple to determine, through the prism of responsible parenthood: what are our responsibilities, the couple asks, to God (i.e., to what is God calling us at this time), to the other spouse, to the existing family, and to society? What may prevent one couple from effectively parenting and caring for another or a child may not faze another couple whose situation, experience, financial status, family obligations, and personal strengths and weaknesses are different from the first couple’s. Isn’t that a good thing?
What I’m hearing you say, so to speak, is that you would like there to be a more concrete basis for the couple’s discernment beyond prayer life and thought given to the factors listed by the Church. Part two of what I’m hearing you say, is that either you don’t think God will answer your prayer in a discernible way, or you don’t trust yourself to hear Him? Is that close?
People should happily accept the blessing of kids. At the same time, we should be careful against judging those who don’t, as we don’t know there fertility situation, or complecations during pregnancy, etc.I know that the Church teaches people to use NFP to regulate births. I know that there are many serious reasons for avoiding/delaying pregnancy, whether it be financial, psychological, physical, or what have you. However, I’m wondering if a couple with no financial, psychological, physical or mental complications is allowed to limit the number of children they have.
I will give an example. Take, for instance, a high school principal who makes $100,000 in a small town where the couple could easily afford to raise 5-6 kids with the mother being a stay-at-home Mom. However, this couple, for no reason other than personal preference, does not want to have more than 2 children.
Is it wrong/sinful for this couple to* avoid *giving birth to more children which they could easily take care of and support emotionally/psycholoigically,etc?
In other words: Should a good Catholic couple be expected to have 8-10 kids if they can afford to do it and there is no serious reason why they can’t?
The last question of the first post “Should a good Catholic couple be expected to have 8-10 kids if they can afford to do it and there is no serious reason why they can’t” is different. No one can expect 8-10 kids from a married couple nor should any married couple expect to have 8-10 kids. That is God’s decision.…
In other words: Should a good Catholic couple be expected to have 8-10 kids if they can afford to do it and there is no serious reason why they can’t?
Thanks for the clarity-- I can see where the OP was coming from now. It may be wrong, but when it comes down to it we all need to recognize that it’s still not our business and not our place to condemn others.One may practice NFP for a serious reason. If all reasons are being disregarded, as the question states, then one may not do so.
No…Take a couple that has 3 children and absolutely NO grave or serious reasons to avoid another pregnancy. Could it be acceptable for that couple to use NFP to avoid children indefinitely?
Of course mental health could be one reason that is serious. There could be lots of reasons to justify it. But, the question in the title is clear and precise. It may be hypothetical, but it states clearly, any life situation is not being considered. Therefore, it would be wrong. I don’t know why there is so much discussion about it.I guess I am having a hard time understanding why we would worry about another family and their reasons for sizing their own family. Sometimes there is more than meets the eye in family decisions. Mental health is one reason.