Is the Catholic Church too strict in its teaching on artificial birth control?

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Is the Catholic Church too strict in its teaching on artificial birth control?
 
I was talking with my cafeteria-Catholic brother, who says the Church is “too idealistic” on its ABC teachings. He claims that NFP “only works in the perfect little Catholic world”. My response to this is that it’s not about what is practical or what is idealistic. It’s about what is right.

Christians opposed the use of ABC since the beginning; it’s one of the reasons the pagan Romans hated Christians (they would use animal skins as barrier methods and drink potions that caused infertility).

Having children is what human sex is supposed to do in the first place. If you don’t want children, don’t have sex. I don’t see what’s so hard about that. Why must we use condoms and pump are bodies full of caustic chemicals as if something is wrong with us by having children?

I’ve also heard the argument that couples who have too many children are “irresponsible”. What hogwash! Parents who can juggle a lot of kids are very responsible by denying themselves for the sake of their children. What is irresponsible is people who live selfish lives with no goal except pleasure and instant gratification, ie what the world thinks is “adult”.
 
JackVk said:
How dare you insult me… :rolleyes:
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Hey, no insult meant! Just sitting back to watch the show. I’ve all but given up actively taking part in these debates because, unless you’re so right-leaning you’re horizontal, you’re the devil incarnate. I myself have said I agreed which Church teaching yet criticised one such member for being over-zealous, and I was told I was a bad Catholic to the point where other members stepped in as they felt I was being bullied.
 
smichhertz said:
I’m right with you! How many ABC threads can we start in a day?

🍿
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It’s threads like this which makes me wonder. I admit I have posted a thread similar to this myself about abortion “But doesn’t it restrict women’s rights?” on another forum, before I understood the Catholic reasoning behind it (and then agreed with the CC myself). It’s either innocent ignorance of the CC position (like my case), trolling, or attempting a “debate” on a subject we’re taught to believe there can be no debate.
 
And, we need to have a lot more children to support the baby boomers!😉
 
LemonAndLime said:
It’s threads like this which makes me wonder. I admit I have posted a thread similar to this myself about abortion “But doesn’t it restrict women’s rights?” on another thread, before I understood the Catholic reasoning behind it (and then agreed with the CC myself). It’s either innocent ignorance of the CC position (like my case), trolling, or attempting a “debate” on a subject we’re taught to believe there can be no debate.
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Similarly, I jst started a poll thread at the Water Cooler on which dead-horse topic we bicker over the most.
 
Through the wisdom imparted by the Body of Christ down through the last two-thousand years, I have learned a couple of things. Among many, a few stand out very strongly. The most important one to remember is: if I think the Church has an excess or defect in any teaching, it is probably I who has the defect or excess in thought.

You do realise that you’re questioning whether our Lord Jesus Christ is too strict, right? He’s God, and the Church is His celestial, terrestrial, eternal Body. It cannot be “too” strict or “not strict enough”.
 
GloriousOrder said:
Through the wisdom imparted by the Body of Christ down through the last two-thousand years, I have learned a couple of things. Among many, a few stand out very strongly. The most important one to remember is: if I think the Church has an excess or defect in any teaching, it is probably I who has the defect or excess in thought.

You do realise that you’re questioning whether our Lord Jesus Christ is too strict, right? He’s God, and the Church is His celestial, terrestrial, eternal Body. It cannot be “too” strict or “not strict enough”.
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As far as I am aware, Jesus never spoke about artificial birth control.
 
LemonAndLime said:
It’s threads like this which makes me wonder. I admit I have posted a thread similar to this myself about abortion “But doesn’t it restrict women’s rights?” on another forum, before I understood the Catholic reasoning behind it (and then agreed with the CC myself). It’s either innocent ignorance of the CC position (like my case), trolling, or attempting a “debate” on a subject we’re taught to believe there can be no debate.
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I agree. It’s generally misinformed consciences or someone simply looking for a way out. On the flip side, others who remain faithful to the teaching become frustrated and sometimes down right arrogant towards these people. Neither is beneficial to Christ or His Church.

I myself will admit, I’m guilty of both. We must find a way to lovingly and charitably share the deeper truth of the Church’s teaching, not turn everything into a back and forth shouting match that much resembles two year olds fighting over a toy.
 
LemonAndLime said:
As far as I am aware, Jesus never spoke about artificial birth control.
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It might be true that He never addressed these issues in the Gospels, but right off the start, in the Book of Genesis, He tells us to be fruitful and multiply. :hmmm:

And the Word was made flesh and He made his dwelling amongst us.

:coffeeread:
 
You know, people (both Catholics and non-Catholics) can agree and disagree about what the Church teaches about birth control… or anything else for that matter. Some people can think that the Church lives in the “dark ages” or is “not modern enough.” People (both Catholics and non) quote the Bible in different places to make their points about all sorts of different things.

But… At least the Church takes a stand. It takes a stand about what is going on in the world today. It is not afraid to point out that something is right or wrong. It is not trying to play “both sides of the fence” like many politicans try to do. And that, folks, is the reason that I respect the Catholic Church!!!

Okay, off my soap box now…
 
not strict enough or rather not consistent enough in the application of the teachng. Pastors have to teach it like the believe it and no Catholic couple should ever approach the altar for marriage without full instruction on it, which too many lack nowdays, or the most they get is a pamphlet on NFP with no real explanation of the teaching.

the teaching itself cannot change one iota except to be applied to new methods of contraception as the arise, because it is established by God, not by the Church.
 
This is a hard one. They definitely are too strict…but they are right!
 
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