Lack of Promotion of Natural Family Planning in the Church

[YourNameHere]

Don’t be so judgmental.
Pray for the people and pray for the Church.
Hopefully, we all can do a better job.
With God’s help everything is possible.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

I’m just always bewildered by threads like this because it is so contrary to what I’m actually seeing out there.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

How often do people talk about your family size or the ages of your children or whatever? Somehow it happens constantly.

Maybe where you are. I can tell you that if anybody outside my immediate family had ever tried to start such a conversation with me, I would have shut it down immediately. I remember when I was much younger, in my 20s and not married, casually asking a guy who worked next to me at the next desk at work about his having no kids and he found some polite way to respond in like 1 sentence but I got the impression I had somehow been overly personal without meaning to be, and filed that away as a social faux pas. I myself have never really liked discussing my personal marital business so it was pretty easy for me to not bug other people about theirs.

The subject never came up again outside close, immediate family that I can remember, except when a couple of my BFF female friends talked with me about why they didn’t have kids (one who was not Catholic had decided with her husband before marriage that they would be childfree for various reasons, and the other one had had a hysterectomy many years before). It’s about on the same level in my social circles as talking about how much money you make. Just not something for discussion except rarely and with very close people.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

Oh definitely it is intrusive and out of bounds, it just happens to me so much I’ve begun to view it as an opportunity.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m sorry you have to go through that, and glad you have found a way to put it in a positive light.

I fear I would not be very charitable about it and would probably have to confess angrily telling off whatever nosy body was asking.

 

[JohnStrachan]

I have no issues telling people personal details about my life. If you want to know how much I make and how much I give to the church I am happy to say so.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Fine, but please respect that
a) Other people do not all feel the same way as you do and
b) Not everybody wants to hear your personal information either. I for one don’t.

 

[Genesis315]

Unfortunately, if those numbers turned out to be true, it would not be surprising. As the Lord says, many are called but few are chosen. In his homily on that Gospel passage, St. Gregory the Great compares the Church to the ark:

And it should not frighten you that in the Church the bad are many and the good few. For the Ark, which in the midst of the Flood was a figure of this Church, was wide below and narrow above, and at the summit measured but one cubit (Genesis vi, 16). And we are to believe that below were the four-footed animals and serpents, above the birds and men. It was wide where the beasts were, narrow where men lived: for the Holy Church is indeed wide in the number of those who are carnal minded, narrow in those who are spiritual. For where she suffers the morals and beastly ways of men, there she enlarges her bosom. But where she has the care of those whose lives are founded on spiritual things, these she leads to the higher place; but since they are few, this part is narrow. Wide indeed is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction; and many there are who go in thereat. How narrow is the gate that leadeth to life; and few there are that find it!

The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers - Google Books

 

[phil19034]

So here is something I don’t get. If the RC church is so dead set against artificial contraception, why isn’t NFP and other approved forms of family planning promoted widely in the church?

Honestly, I don’t think it’s promoted more than it is because there are a very vocal minority that will give father a headache.

Our priests are humans. If they know they will receive a ton of nasty grahams, phone calls, etc from a very vocal group, it’s human nature to avoid topics that will cause them grief.

 

[fide]

We OUGHT to be discussing issues like this one, and it IS our business - it is the business of every Catholic, how other Catholics are or are not living and progressing in the holy Truth that Christ has entrusted to His Church!
We are, by virtue of Baptism, brothers and sisters in the One Church, the Body of Christ - and all the members of His Body suffer with and rejoice with all the other members!

Rom 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
1Co 12:25 that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.
1Co 12:26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
1Co 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

This individualism of “mind our own business” is not Christian. Jesus called us to Love one another - that does NOT mean “leave him alone.” - it means family.

 

[1ke]

So here is something I don’t get. If the RC church is so dead set against artificial contraception, why isn’t NFP and other approved forms of family planning promoted widely in the church?

I guess that’s in the eye of the beholder. Because I think the Church does a lot at all levels to promote and teach NFP.

What is it you think that “the Church” should be doing?

 

[Victoria33]

I believe Churches address many subjects by having those brochures in the back of the Church. Often, with those brochures, there might be a phone number,. email address, website with which to obtain more information.

 

[rose321]

If the RC church is so dead set against artificial contraception, why isn’t NFP and other approved forms of family planning promoted widely in the church?

Respectfully opinion only pondering on
Seeking answer to, why was the church not out spoken also on …Men who are having vasectomies, also a form of contraception, a natural planning? Men who later also choose to have a reversal surgery?

What about also the teaching on fornication is that not a sin also?
Are we saying one sin is greater then another?
St Paul in Romans Chapter 1-18-28 Titled The Guilt of Mankind and keeping reading…Chapter 2 also about those who judge others telling us we have no excuse, doing so we condemn ourselves…?

What about when Jesus tells us…Let your …yes …be …yes and your …no …be …no, is Jesus making us responsible having the authority… to either accept or not accept, join to or not join to, take an oath to… not take an oath to, confused is all…?

Did Jesus not question his own highly learned men of his own Temple in all fields of study and power, and join not too, like Jesus and John Baptist…left why? Both of them calling out to all to do the same and follow him and what about the Apostles, who were unlearned men?

Romans Chapter 3 …Titled…None Is Righteous ?
So confused is all respectfully with all going on today and this New abortion law…goes now beyond…does it not now?

Why is the CC not preaching boldly, loudly, on this New abortion law …in every CC church on the face of the earth at every Sunday Mass on this, speaking out, giving directions? instructions? Spiritual guidance? Moral guidance?..Our Shepherds were commanded to? Feed my Sheep, Feed my Sheep? Feed my lambs?

What would Jesus do today with this New Abortion law? Would he not …do exactly what he did in his time, stoop up, got out there, boldly spoke out etc?..read …Matthew Chapter 23…Jesus did not turn the other cheek did he in his time… thus crucified?

Written in God Spoken Word…Anyone who harms a little child, far better for them on judgement day… to do what?

Why are we not being feed on Sunday in every CC around the world about this abortion law?>>> 2 Billion right?
Not about forcing anyone, but leaving their flock… not ignorant on such serious inhumane deeds being done, to seek other means and other personal help that is available out there, right?

Peace :heavy_heart_exclamation::heavy_heart_exclamation:

 

[Allegra]

Talking about family or even family size does not mean talking about NFP and whether or not someone has used it. I’ve been to lots of Bible studies and been involved with many parish groups and no one has ever discussed the intimacies of their fertility cycles. If I was at such a group meeting, I would feel very uncomfortable with discussing something that should be kept between myself and my husband, so I would probably choose not to participate in that conversation. Would you then assume that I use artificial contraception?

 

[GospelOfMatthew]

It is amazing to see how many people go up to communion. Yet with certainty I can say 98% of those couples are using artificial birth control.

Let’s not go down a judgemental path. As soon as we start to think 98% of those people receiving are worthy, we might as well cast the first stone ourselves. You have no basis for saying ‘98%’ and thinking that way when you are in the communion line yourself is very prideful and assumptive. @camoderator this thread is offensive