Is Using Contraception a Mortal Sin?

[Corki]

Thread derailed

Surprise, surprise!

 

[Bookcat]

Surprise, surprise!

we need a little icon picture of a train heading off its tracks…

 

[mgoforth]

There is no Church teaching that says “if you have just/serious reasons to postpone pregnancy during the newly wed stage of your marriage you should not be getting married.”

One may hold the OPINION that it is BEST to go into a marriage with NO reason to postpone pregnancy. But to hold us all to that as if it’s official Church teaching is incorrect, and to tell someone you hardly know that he shouldn’t have gotten married is just uncalled for and not to mention extremely counterproductive.

I’ll have to check on that Debora. Unfortunately I don’t have the entire Catechism memorized yet. My prior comment to you was in regards to your confusion regarding whether NFP was permissible or not. You stated that you didn’t understand the teaching, but proceeded to give him advice. That’s rather dangerous IMO.

Another question for you though…what is a “just/serious” reason?

 

[mgoforth]

I am not confused by any Church teaching.

I know very well what the official Church teaching is regarding this subject. But like the OP, I don’t understand them and figured I’d ask a few questions regarding one quote that I found to be very contradictory.

So you don’t understand them…but you’re not confused by them? Could you explain that one more time for me?

 

[Bookcat]

Serious reasons: forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=9007913&postcount=47

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=9008239&postcount=61

 

[Debora123]

we need a little icon picture of a train heading off its tracks…

Honestly, the thread wouldn’t have gotten derailed if people wouldn’t have started trying to tell the OP that 1. His reasons for postponing aren’t good enough, 2. He should stop having sex with his wife, and 3. He should never have gotten married.

I called out those things when I saw them here because I thought they are very uncalled for.

Other than that, if people had just stuck to trying to help the OP understand the issue (like he had originally asked) rather than saying such things to him, the train would never have headed off its tracks.

 

[Havard]

Honestly, the thread wouldn’t have gotten derailed if people wouldn’t have started trying to tell the OP that 1. His reasons for postponing aren’t good enough, 2. He should stop having sex with his wife, and 3. He should never have gotten married.

I called out those things when I saw them here because I thought they are very uncalled for.

Other than that, if people had just stuck to trying to help the OP understand the issue (like he had originally asked) rather than saying such things to him, the train would never have headed off its tracks.

Let’s get back on track!

Let’s see… what concerns are left that you feel haven’t been addressed to your liking?

 

[mgoforth]

From the CCC:

1643 “Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values.”

1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."160

Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. God himself said: “It is not good that man should be alone,” and “from the beginning (he) made them male and female”; wishing to associate them in a special way in his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: “Be fruitful and multiply.” Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day.

 

[jinc1019]

I want to thank everyone so much for all of their thoughts, prayers, opinions, etc. I really do appreciate it, even if I don’t agree with it (especially regarding NFP). But I understand people are just trying to defend the Catholic Church and their faith…I will pray and consider all of the issues brought up here and hope for spiritual guidance. Thanks again.

 

[Havard]

I want to thank everyone so much for all of their thoughts, prayers, opinions, etc. I really do appreciate it, even if I don’t agree with it (especially regarding NFP). But I understand people are just trying to defend the Catholic Church and their faith…I will pray and consider all of the issues brought up here and hope for spiritual guidance. Thanks again.

God bless, brother.

The Church’s teaching does make sense to a lot of us. I hope it does for you, if not now, in the (hopefully near) future!

 

[Bookcat]

…I will pray and consider all of the issues brought up here and hope for spiritual guidance. Thanks again.

…and get that book

shop.catholic.com/product.php?productid=16717&cat=20&page=1

(and perhaps give the Catholic Answers Apologist line (etc) a call…sometimes a live person can help where forum typing and reading etc…might not)

 

[Debora123]

I’ll have to check on that Debora. Unfortunately I don’t have the entire Catechism memorized yet. My prior comment to you was in regards to your confusion regarding whether NFP was permissible or not. You stated that you didn’t understand the teaching, but proceeded to give him advice. That’s rather dangerous IMO.

Another question for you though…what is a “just/serious” reason?

1. Check all you want. You won’t find it because such is not any sort of official Catholic teaching.
2. If you would kindly point out where and when on this thread I gave advice to the OP in regards to the issue of NFP/contraception, it would be greatly appreciated.
3. You want to know what just/serious reasons are. Here is something that may help answer your question:

In short, just reason suffices and just reason can include a desire to space children in such a manner that the parents’ financial, physical, and emotional resources are not overtaxed.

See full source here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthrea…asons+children

And also:

The regulation of births is one of the responsibilities of parenthood. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) explains, “A particular aspect of [the fecundity of marriage] concerns the regulation of procreation. For just reasons, spouses may wish to space the births of their children” (CCC 2368). But the catechism does not explicitly define what constitutes “just reasons”. Instead, proper determination is left up to the couple: “It is their duty to make certain that their desire is not motivated by selfishness but is in conformity with the generosity appropriate to responsible parenthood” (ibid.).

See full source here: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthrea…asons+children

 

[Debora123]

From the CCC:

1643 “Conjugal love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the person enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul; it demands indissolubility and faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values.”

1652 "By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory."160

Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves. God himself said: “It is not good that man should be alone,” and “from the beginning (he) made them male and female”; wishing to associate them in a special way in his own creative work, God blessed man and woman with the words: “Be fruitful and multiply.” Hence, true married love and the whole structure of family life which results from it, without diminishment of the other ends of marriage, are directed to disposing the spouses to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them will increase and enrich his family from day to day.

Hm, this is stuff we already all know.

I still don’t see “if you have just/serious reasons to postpone pregnancy during the newly wed stage of your marriage you should not be getting married” in that mix there.

Better keep lookin!

 

[Debora123]

I want to thank everyone so much for all of their thoughts, prayers, opinions, etc. I really do appreciate it, even if I don’t agree with it (especially regarding NFP). But I understand people are just trying to defend the Catholic Church and their faith…I will pray and consider all of the issues brought up here and hope for spiritual guidance. Thanks again.

Good luck and God bless.

 

[mgoforth]

1. If you would kindly point out where and when on this thread I gave advice to the OP in regards to the issue of NFP/contraception, it would be greatly appreciated.

Well, here’s the one I was originally thinking of:

If anyone here tries to give you a hard time for avoiding children at this point in your life, just ignore them.

No one is trying to “give him a hard time”…the OP asked whether using artificial contraception was a mortal sin. “Yes” was the response. Over the course of discussion his question also morphed into whether NFP was sinful because he couldn’t understand the distinction. You also don’t understand the distinction, but you advised him to ignore those who do understand the teaching. Lack of understanding + advice = bad advice.

 

[mgoforth]

Hm, this is stuff we already all know.

I still don’t see “if you have just/serious reasons to postpone pregnancy during the newly wed stage of your marriage you should not be getting married” in that mix there.

Better keep lookin!

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I see it in the part that says “it is open to fertility”. And in the context of this thread, it’s not at all clear that the OP had “just/serious” reasons.

In the end, what does it matter? He’s married now, he needs to live according to the teaching for a married person.

 

[Debora123]

Originally Posted by Debora123

No, that was NOT one. I was not giving him advice on the matters of contraception/NFP. I was giving him advice on what to do about strangers online giving him a hard time about his REASONS for postponing pregnancy. And my advice on that was not contradictory to Church teaching. The people who started nagging him about his reasons for postponing pregnancy weren’t sticking to the original topic, and he expressed his frustrations with this.

Don’t try to turn it into something that it isn’t just to prove yourself right.

 

[Debora123]

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I see it in the part that says “it is open to fertility”.

“Open to fertility” aka - “open to life” does not mean one cannot postpone pregnancy due to just reasons.

And even if it DID then this would apply to ALL married couples, not just newly weds. In which case even NFP would be illicit for any and all married couples.

“Open to fertiliy/life” in the Catholic sense means something more along the lines of not using contraception and not postponing for reasons that aren’t just.

 

[mgoforth]

Don’t try to turn it into something that it isn’t just to prove yourself right.

Clearly I’m the only one do that here…

Tell you what Debora, you win. I’m wrong, I falsely accused you. Going to another thread now so please proceed with the original topic.

Peace.

 

[Debora123]

And in the context of this thread, it’s not at all clear that the OP had “just/serious” reasons.

Of course it’s not clear to US. It is impossible to judge a family from the outside, neither is it any outsider’s business. Which is why people need to keep to themselves about another couple’s reasons for postponing/avoiding pregnancy.

In the end, what does it matter? He’s married now, he needs to live according to the teaching for a married person.

My point exactly, and this is why I objected when people started telling the OP that he shouldn’t have gotten married and that he doesn’t have good enough reasons to avoid pregnancy.