Tricky question

[bfulwiler]

Hello,
I am a 24 yr old female who is getting married in September. And I am very aware of the Catholic teachings on contraception. I also, fully agree with the teachings and understand the reasons behind it…but my future husband and I are in a sticky situation.

You see, I have been diagnosed with PCOS (polly cystic ovary syndrom) I’ll go months without having a period. After many visits to the doctor and tests it was decided by us that going on “the pill” would be the best bet for me right now…(since I am not having intercourse, and never have)… I’ve also asked my doctor to look into other possibilities to help me have my period regularly that wouldn’t go against the church after I become married. There are some options…but they apparently pose some health risks as well… My family genes aren’t very good and some of the medications would heighten my risk for some cancer/diseases…or so I was told by my doctor.

I’ve talked to my parishes deacon and priest and they both have given my fiance the same answer basically stating that as long as I"m not taking the pill to block pregnancy and I have to be on it for health reasons it isn’t morally wrong… however I don’t really know if this is the right answer either…I live in a fairly liberal diocese…

I’ve read in the Good news about Sex and marriage that even if I have to take “the pill” for medicinal reasons that I need to obstain from sex…However, it also says that if I don’t connsumate my marriage, we haven’t fully fulfilled our sacrement…

Can someone shed some light?

Thank you so much!

 

[blacktiger057]

If you need it, then take it. If you want to have sex with your husband, then do it. Is there any real reason why you can’t have sex while taking “the pill” for medicinal reasons?

NO!

That’s just an old law. I’m sure many “brimstone” christians will be like “O no it’s in the Bible not to do it!” But the thing is, the Bible was written by men. While inspired by God, we will always be far from his true words. Besides, birth control pills are good to keep us from over population. They don’t kill anything because the egg was never fertilized, and are overall good.

 

[LilyM]

If you need it, then take it. If you want to have sex with your husband, then do it. Is there any real reason why you can’t have sex while taking “the pill” for medicinal reasons?

NO!

That’s just an old law. I’m sure many “brimstone” christians will be like “O no it’s in the Bible not to do it!” But the thing is, the Bible was written by men. While inspired by God, we will always be far from his true words. Besides, birth control pills are good to keep us from over population. They don’t kill anything because the egg was never fertilized, and are overall good.

Be aware that blacktiger isn’t Catholic - in fact is ‘Christian, buddhist, wiccan’. Which equals pretty darn confused.

There are almost certainly alternative options for treating your PCOS that don’t involve taking the pill. Have a look into them. Especially get in touch with the Paul VI Institute - they are very knowledgeable about treatments for all sorts of medical conditions whilst remaining in line with Catholic teaching.

 

[blacktiger057]

I take certain parts from each of them because they are all good. I’m not confused at all. I never criticized anyone here about their beliefs. You wouldn’t like it if I said, “O, if yur Christian, then you are a pretty darn confused yerself.” But I wouldn’t say that anyway because I don’t believe that.

 

[LilyM]

I take certain parts from each of them because they are all good. I’m not confused at all. I never criticized anyone here about their beliefs. You wouldn’t like it if I said, “O, if yur Christian, then you are a pretty darn confused yerself.” But I wouldn’t say that anyway because I don’t believe that.

Christianity is truly good. Catholic Christianity is truly the best. That’s why I take Catholicism alone and take ALL of it. Don’t need anything else. Jesus Christ is the one true God and saviour, and the ultimate teacher of truth. What would I need with lesser teachers like Buddha or the false deities of polytheistic belief systems like wicca?

Everything else is good only inasmuch as it corresponds with my Catholic Christianity. I see little if any correspondence or correlation between Buddhism, Wicca and Christianity even in the mot diluted and compromised forms of all three. Hence the ‘confused’ bit.

We exist to serve God and follow His law, which He has revealed plainly and clearly to us in the person and teachings of Christ and the Catholic Church which he founded. Not to tailor bits and pieces of whatever appeals to us (by the way, when you say ‘it’s all good’ you really mean ‘it all appeals to me’ - different things)

 

[blacktiger057]

Christianity is truly good. Catholic Christianity is truly the best. That’s why I take Catholicism alone and take ALL of it. Don’t need anything else. Everything else is good only inasmuch as it corresponds with Catholic Christianity.

There’s precious little genuine correspondence between the beliefs of Buddhism, Wicca and Christianity. What you’ve got is a mishmash of beliefs which are convenient for you and no real commitment to any of them.

First of all, you don’t even know me. You have no right to judge me on my beliefs. But I might give you a little taste of how annoying it is to have people judge you by your beliefs later in this post.

Secondly, you know very few things, if any, about other religions other than your own.

Finally, if you took time to study them, they all have excellant teachings, all very differently presented. Actually, I have great commitment to all of them. I go to Church regularly and actually listen to the homlies, unlike most Catholics. At first, combining these beliefs were not conveniant at all. But in the end, they all felt a part of me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. How exactly do Wicca, Chgristianity, and Buddhism creat chaos(don’t mesh)?

Now I’ll judge you on what I know about you so far, just to show you how bitchy you sound. If you believe everything in Catholicism, then you seem like you are just one of those people who say that just so you are ‘saved’. Your heart isn’t really into it or commited as it should be. If you accept everything without question, then you are brainwashed in a way and incapable of thinking for yourself. In essence, a wasted spiritual mind.

Now I don’t really believe any of this about you, but if I was one of those people who judged on first impressions that is hwo it would be. I really want to try to be friends and smooth the tension here.

 

[LilyM]

First of all, you don’t even know me. You have no right to judge me on my beliefs. But I might give you a little taste of how annoying it is to have people judge you by your beliefs later in this post.

Secondly, you know very few things, if any, about other religions other than your own.

Finally, if you took time to study them, they all have excellant teachings, all very differently presented. Actually, I have great commitment to all of them. I go to Church regularly and actually listen to the homlies, unlike most Catholics. At first, combining these beliefs were not conveniant at all. But in the end, they all felt a part of me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. How exactly do Wicca, Chgristianity, and Buddhism creat chaos(don’t mesh)?

Now I’ll judge you on what I know about you so far, just to show you how bitchy you sound. If you believe everything in Catholicism, then you seem like you are just one of those people who say that just so you are ‘saved’. Your heart isn’t really into it or commited as it should be. If you accept everything without question, then you are brainwashed in a way and incapable of thinking for yourself. In essence, a wasted spiritual mind.

Now I don’t really believe any of this about you, but if I was one of those people who judged on first impressions that is hwo it would be. I really want to try to be friends and smooth the tension here.

What I DO know is that Buddhists believe in multiple cycles of reincarnation and wiccans believe in multiple deities - that’s if they’re genuine and knowledgeable practitioners of their faiths. Neither of these beliefs are in the slightest compatible with Christianity, which teaches ONE incarnation and ONE God.

 

[blacktiger057]

What I DO know is that Buddhists believe in multiple cycles of reincarnation and wiccans believe in multiple deities - that’s if they’re genuine and knowledgeable practitioners of their faiths. Neither of these beliefs are in the slightest compatible with Christianity, which teaches ONE incarnation and ONE God.

Yes, I never said I believed everything in every one of these relgions. I think that reincarnation makes perfect sense for various reasons. But after we are done learning all of life’s lessons we’ll ascend into the highest plane, heaven. I believe that God, Goddess, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Hecate, etc. are just the many forms of the one universal God. It’s exactly like the Holy Trinity.

 

[LilyM]

Yes, I never said I believed everything in every one of these relgions. I think that reincarnation makes perfect sense for various reasons. But after we are done learning all of life’s lessons we’ll ascend into the highest plane, heaven. I believe that God, Goddess, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Hecate, etc. are just the many forms of the one universal God. It’s exactly like the Holy Trinity.

Reincarnation can be no part of Christianity. We’re not here to get numberless chances to ‘learn life’s lessons’. We’re here to get ONE chance to serve God. If we do it well, heaven, if we don’t, hell. There IS a Hell and people do go there, that’s what Christ himself has said.

And no, your ‘goddess’ or ‘Hecate’ can have no part of the Holy Trinity. The ONE God doesn’t come in many forms. the ONE God is Trinity - which means three persons, the FATHER, SON, HOLY SPIRIT. No goddess, no Hecate.

THE God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob before whom you can have no others, no Hecates or goddesses, no Baals or Ashterahs, no Egyptian or Greek or Roman or Celtic deities.

 

[blacktiger057]

Well I’m not 100% Christian so there. I’m going to stop talking about my beliefs because unlike some christians I share my beliefs but don’t try to force everyone into believing them. Can you tell me more about your reasoning for the existence of hell, though? Once again, men wrote the Bible. We will never have Jesus’s true words, or God’s true views. It was only inspired by them. So something more than “It’s in the Bible” please.

 

[LilyM]

Well I’m not 100% Christian so there. I’m going to stop talking about my beliefs because unlike some christians I share my beliefs but don’t try to force everyone into believing them. Can you tell me more about your reasoning for the existence of hell, though? Once again, men wrote the Bible. We will never have Jesus’s true words, or God’s true views. It was only inspired by them. So something more than “It’s in the Bible” please.

So you don’t believe what the Bible has to say about Christ and his teachings? There’s really not much evidence that he even existed outside of the Bible, you know, so why believe in him at all then? Talk about confused.

Remember his followers were from a culture whose religion was based largely on the passing on of oral teaching from the great Rabbis - they were well used to memorising speech and so on. There’s no reason to believe that what they wrote was inaccurate, at least in regards Christ’s teachings if not about the verbatim words.

So if they say he believed in Hell, then there’s no reason to doubt them, any more than there is to doubt them when they say he existed, or was crucified.

 

[NMJenny]

I think the most important thing here is that when a new member, who is obviously trying to follow the Church’s laws, asks a question, it isn’t fair for a non-Catholic to put up a reply based solely on their opinion, not on Church teaching, unless it’s clearly indicated that the poster is not Catholic.

As for using the pill, several different friends have told me that solidly orthodox priests told them it was okay as long as it was being taken for treatment of a definite medical condition, not for contraceptive purposes…

 

[Mike_Olson]

UH if you two don’t have anymore to offer the OP then start your own thread! Continue your banter there please.

 

[gardenswithkids]

Hello,
I am a 24 yr old female who is getting married in September. And I am very aware of the Catholic teachings on contraception. I also, fully agree with the teachings and understand the reasons behind it…but my future husband and I are in a sticky situation.

You see, I have been diagnosed with PCOS (polly cystic ovary syndrom) I’ll go months without having a period. After many visits to the doctor and tests it was decided by us that going on “the pill” would be the best bet for me right now…(since I am not having intercourse, and never have)… I’ve also asked my doctor to look into other possibilities to help me have my period regularly that wouldn’t go against the church after I become married. There are some options…but they apparently pose some health risks as well… My family genes aren’t very good and some of the medications would heighten my risk for some cancer/diseases…or so I was told by my doctor.

I’ve talked to my parishes deacon and priest and they both have given my fiance the same answer basically stating that as long as I"m not taking the pill to block pregnancy and I have to be on it for health reasons it isn’t morally wrong… however I don’t really know if this is the right answer either…I live in a fairly liberal diocese…

I’ve read in the Good news about Sex and marriage that even if I have to take “the pill” for medicinal reasons that I need to obstain from sex…However, it also says that if I don’t connsumate my marriage, we haven’t fully fulfilled our sacrement…

Can someone shed some light?

Thank you so much!

Hello first time poster and welcome to Catholic Answers.
Well as this discussion seems a bit off track, Thank you to those who already tried to re-focus and answer the question. (I don’t claim any expertise in this area and I hope that some of the NFP teachers and others with PCOS who sometimes post on this board contribute more information to your thread.)

The hormones in birth control pills are sometimes prescribed with the intention of treating a disease, (rather than as just for contraception which treats fertility as a disease.) If taken for the intention of curing an unhealthy situation, such hormonal therapy is permitted by the Church. Your pastor and deacon were not misleading you regarding that.

That said, some are of the opinion that hormone therapy just masks the problem rather than truly correcting it. Many doctors are rather quick to prescribe birth control pills as a “cure all”, and you may want to seek an opinion from a gynocologist that respects the Church teachings against contraception to see if there are better treatment options for you.

Sometimes “break through ovulation” occurs when on birth control pills, and since the pills also reduce the lining, a newly fertilized egg (zygote, aka baby) might not be able to implant. We call that an abortificatient effect, and because of it some people abstain when they think they might possibly ovulate to avoid such possible very early abortions. That is probably why the book you read suggested abstaining when on such hormone therapy.

 

[blacktiger057]

My friend(who is protestant) said that if used for medical conditions it is perfectly all right. And you can have sex if you want, too. Marriage permitting, ofcourse.

Lily, that’s exactly it. Things get really disorted when passed down by mouth, especially over 2,000 years. And the way some of the Bible is so biased towards men makes me sick. Hell, to me, is just another thing to scare people into believing. Jesus did exist: it is a fact. He did many miracles, and from experience I know he is real. The Bible also has excellent teachings concerning love. Really I’m probably very hard to understand for a believe it all Catholic, so I’d stop trying if I were you

 

[LilyM]

UH if you two don’t have anymore to offer the OP then start your own thread! Continue your banter there please.

Oh I’m done

 

[blacktiger057]

UH if you two don’t have anymore to offer the OP then start your own thread! Continue your banter there please.

O srry didn’t see this…sure.

 

[Jenny_Z]

I’M IN THE EXACT SAME SITUATION!!!

All you have to do is tell your doc that you’re Catholic, and you don’t want to take BC pills. THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS! Mine tried to talk me out of it, but I insisted.

There’s a diabetes medicine called Metformin that, for some reason, will fix you right up. Apparently PCOS has something to do with insulin resistance. There are other meds too (Cinnamon extract, of all things!), but that’s the one I’m working with, and it straightened me out quick!! I’ve started charting my temps for NFP, I had my first natural period this month (Squee!) and everything’s going swimmingly Since I’m ovulating again, we’ll be able to start trying for kids soon!

If you can, try to find a Catholic doc, or one who’s sympathetic to your situation. If a doc tries to talk you out of it, don’t fall for it! (And don’t worry about the cost… it’s on Walmart’s $4 prescription list!)

Here’s a great messageboard for PCOS, you can read up on Metformin and also Cinnamon Therapy here:

pcosupport.org/forums/index.php

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

If you need it, then take it. If you want to have sex with your husband, then do it. Is there any real reason why you can’t have sex while taking “the pill” for medicinal reasons?

NO!

That’s just an old law. I’m sure many “brimstone” christians will be like “O no it’s in the Bible not to do it!” But the thing is, the Bible was written by men. While inspired by God, we will always be far from his true words. Besides, birth control pills are good to keep us from over population. They don’t kill anything because the egg was never fertilized, and are overall good.

Check out this site and by the way I’ve done the math we can comfortably support the entire human population in just north America!(this includes living space, farmland, water, schools, roads, commercial enterprise, and medical facilities.)

 

[HailMary]

from Humane Vitae

Lawful Therapeutic Means

1. On the other hand, the Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those therapeutic means necessary to cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result there from—provided such impediment is not directly intended for any motive whatsoever. (19)

I’m not sure if this helps or applies. Seek counsel in any event.