Not to have children, in order to serve God?

[Athanasiy]

I have met the Missionary couple ( they are not Catholics ) who are very dedicated to the Christ Ministry.
They preach the Gospel to the people who don’t know Christ.
But they decided, that it would be better if they wouldn’t have the children, at least for a couple of years. Just because , they are dedicated to the Ministry, and are not ready yet.

 

[LSK]

Have they decided, therefore, to live celibately in order to devote themselves to the work of the Lord? This is unusual but no unheard of within the Catholic Church…

 

[Athanasiy]

Ney, Ney.:tsktsk:

They live together as a husband and wife.
Of course having sexual relationship.
Just don’t want to have children.
The child is considered as a burden, at this period of time.

 

[junk]

I’m sure that couple is very sincere and wants to follow God’s will, but here’s my take on this… We serve God by having children too because that’s what God commands us to do in Genesis 1:28. Since doing what God commands is serving Him, and since God commanded us to have children, then not having children in order to serve God becomes a contradiction .

When the idea of marriage is divorced from procreation, it loses its meaning, and that’s why we have monstrosities like gay “marriage” today.

Modern society wrongly views children as burdens and that’s why the populations in many Western countries are beginning to decline. God doesn’t say that children are a burden; Psalm 127:3-5 reads:
Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

In Deuteronomy 7:14, we discover that fertility is a blessing:
You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle.

1 Chronicles 26:4-5 - Children are blessings:*
Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him.*

 

[Athanasiy]

If to consider the circumstances.
The children need the time, care, dedication.

These time, care and dedication, they devout for the saving the sinful souls.

The land is populated already.
It seems that God’s commandment is already accomplished today.

 

[water]

If to consider the circumstances.
The children need the time, care, dedication.

These time, care and dedication, they devout for the saving the sinful souls.

The land is populated already.
It seems that God’s commandment is already accomplished today.

What is the purpose of having a call to Marriage? is to be fruitful and multiply.

If the couples want to help people know God, and do not want to have children? hmm, shouldn’t they pray for the call of being priest, a sister?

Does his wife and her husband take some time out of each other life that have nothing to do with helping others?

This is why I see how beautiful and blessing to be called for becoming a priest, sister …etc…

Most married people, when at their dead bed, they would wish to have more children around them.

 

[Island_Oak]

I have met the Missionary couple ( they are not Catholics ) who are very dedicated to the Christ Ministry.
They preach the Gospel to the people who don’t know Christ.
But they decided, that it would be better if they wouldn’t have the children, at least for a couple of years. Just because , they are dedicated to the Ministry, and are not ready yet.

Sounds like this is far from a permanent decision AND that this couple cannot be held to the same belief and practice system as practicing Catholics. Not to mention, it’s **never **the place of anyone who is not a party to the marriage, to offer opinions about if, when or how many children the marriage can or should welcome.

 

[asquared]

I have met the Missionary couple ( they are not Catholics ) who are very dedicated to the Christ Ministry.
They preach the Gospel to the people who don’t know Christ.
But they decided, that it would be better if they wouldn’t have the children, at least for a couple of years. Just because , they are dedicated to the Ministry, and are not ready yet.

a couple may use their own prudential judgement on when to have children, and what are good reasons to delay pregnancy through abstinence, periodic (NFP) or otherwise. They may discuss with with a confessor, but it is generally not the concern of their family or anyone else. They may not of course revert to any artificial method of birth control, but again, that is a matter for private conscience, and not open to speculation by others.

 

[junk]

If to consider the circumstances.
The children need the time, care, dedication.

These time, care and dedication, they devout for the saving the sinful souls.

Yes, you’re right, there are legitimate reasons for delaying children and this may be one - I’m not qualified to say - though having children would certainly be trusting in Providence. The way in which delaying children is done is a matter of contention, but is generally not an issue for many non-Catholic denominations. I very much respect the couple for dedicating themselves to serving God in such a way. I mainly reacted against the burden statement, because it’s not what God says.

The land is populated already.
It seems that God’s commandment is already accomplished today.

The land was populated 500 years ago too. Without good reason to delay children, one should obey God’s command. But I say again: there do exist legitimate reasons for delaying children.

 

[Athanasiy]

But the Missionaries serve God by dedicated Ministry.
Not sometimes but totally.
‘‘The Mission is Life, and Life is Mission’’ , its a life credo.
I do not mean the couple as the subject of observation or correction.
The matter actually is not in that couple.
I mean the Theory, that childbearing is no matter, no importance.
The Importance is , how You serve God, by Evangelism ?
How many people You brought to Christ,
through Your Life ?

 

[water]

But the Missionaries serve God by dedicated Ministry.
Not sometimes but totally.
‘‘The Mission is Life, and Life is Mission’’ , its a life credo.
I do not mean the couple as the subject of observation or correction.
The matter actually is not in that couple.
I mean the Theory, that childbearing is no matter, no importance.
The Importance is , how You serve God, by Evangelism ?
How many people You brought to Christ,
through Your Life ?

It says in the Bible that a virgin does better than a married one. If one one to “really” totally dedicated to God, don’t get married in the first place.

Another point, does it really always make God happy if we think what we do is helping others come to know God?

I have a scenario and see what you think. There is a couple who wants to go oversea for missionary purpose. Back home, their parents are weak and in bad health conditions and need them help. Despite of this situation, the couple still decides to go oversea.

Would that decision be a good decision? would that be pleasing to God?

 

[Athanasiy]

Another point, does it really always make God happy if we think what we do is helping others
come to know God ?

I think that every saved soul makes God happy , and gives inner Joy to the Missionaries.

Do the Sexual Relationship require procreation ?
It seems the nature of the sexual relationship does not need justification in procreation.

So, it means that to be dedicated for the Ministry and to serve God possible without the childbearing ?

 

[Jennifer_J]

Another point, does it really always make God happy if we think what we do is helping others
come to know God ?

I think that every saved soul makes God happy , and gives inner Joy to the Missionaries.

Do the Sexual Relationship require procreation ?
It seems the nature of the sexual relationship does not need justification in procreation.

So, it means that to be dedicated for the Ministry and to serve God possible without the childbearing ?

This is not the teaching of the Catholic Church. The natural outcome of the marital embrace is children. There are 2 main aspects of the marital embrace: procreation and unification. To separate these 2 aspects is morally wrong by Church teachings. Check out the Catechism on this matter for a fuller treatment than I can give:
scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a6.htm
This entire section is well worth the read…

God bless,
Jennifer

 

[junk]

Do the Sexual Relationship require procreation ?

The Catholic Church teaches that every sexual act must be open to life. That does not mean that a couple cannot delay having children, but they must do so with just reason and in such a way that does not frustrate the procreative aspect of the marital embrace - i.e. NFP, for example.

You might want to start a new thread to deal with this topic. It will help you understand why the Church teaches this, even if you yourself do not personally agree.

 

[gardenswithkids]

I think that every saved soul makes God happy, and gives inner Joy to the Missionaries…So, it means that to be dedicated for the Ministry and to serve God possible without the childbearing ?

I think your Protestant missionary friends may have beautiful hearts dedicated to serving God, but unfortunately no one taught them how to best serve God as missionaries.

God invites some to celibacy-- to forego their own physical children in order to “give birth” to “spiritual children”. Celibacy allows people to dedicate their whole selves–including their reproductive organs–to the mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew 19 records Jesus telling of those who “make themselves eunuchs” for the sake of the kingdom–somethimes that’s translated as "renounce marriage. The Catholic church holds up consecrated virginity as the most excellant way to serve the Lord. St. Paul writes in I Corinithians that it is best to remain unmarried as he is, yet he refered to St. Timothy as “my child” in I Timothy 1:18. Catholics call our priests “father”, and we call the heads of religious sisters, “mother”. Celibate persons enjoy “spiritual parenthood”, as they dedicate themselves to the family of God.

My guess is that your missionary friends feel a strong zeal to serve the Lord, but their Protestant faith tradition neglected to teach about consecrated celibacy for the production of *spiritual *children. They probably never considered that option. As they are married now, they are called to married life. Married life involves accepting the *physical *children that result from the marriage act. As they seek to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they also spread some misunderstanding about marriage, children and ministry. But God is good, and He knows their hearts. He will accept their desire to serve Him and use it He sees fit.