What exactly is wrong with contraceptives?

[carisa3]

Okay so I understand why the church is against contraceptives because sex is supposed to be both unitive and procreative. What I don’t understand is all the catholics I know who despise its existence and think it shouldn’t even be legal. Or they are so uptight about people being provided with contraceptives or schools teaching about it. We can’t force our beliefs on people. For people who don’t have christian beliefs and are going to have sex outside of marriage anyway, they should have the right to have safe sex and have access to contraceptives. How can we be pro life and expect people to not have an abortion, yet also expect them to not use contraceptives? If people didn’t have access to contraceptives, the abortion and std rates would go way up. I’m not trying to argue about this, I’m just really confused.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

We Latin Rite Roman Catholics (I am only speaking for the Latin Rite Roman Catholic membership. before anyone gets offended) are meant to be obedient to the Magisterium, to the Holy Father, to Rome, to God.

And thats were this belief in not using contraceptives comes from. So we have the struggle throughout our lives to swim against the tide of secular life and secular values and morals. We must swim upstream with God , being guided by His church on earth , and being obedient to it

 

[heidi_storage]

Just a note: The only contraceptives that prevent STDs are barrier methods, such as condoms.

And now, Catholics, listen up: NonChristians will impose their morality upon you as much as they can. You should know that if you don’t already. See what’s happened to adoption agencies forced to close. This isn’t a question of leaving others alone as much as possible (which I agree with); this is a question of which kind of morality will be imposed on others. Surely you must see that?

You will fight for what is right or you will surrender and cease to exist.

 

[pensmama87]

If people didn’t have access to contraceptives, the abortion and std rates would go way up. I’m not trying to argue about this, I’m just really confused.

I think there is a good argument to be made that easy access to contraceptives has increased STD rates and abortions, because diminishing risk creates an illusion of no risk. There have always been STDs and pregnancies out of wedlock, but they were much, much rarer than they are now, when contraceptives are easy to get and in many cases free. There are strains of syphilis and gonorrhea that are now very difficult or impossible to treat. In the US, 40 percent of children are born to unmarried parents.. This simply was not the case 50 years ago.

There’s also the reality that, according to Planned Parenthood’s own research, about half of US women who get abortions report that they were using contraception the month they became pregnant. Contraception doesn’t stop abortion - it sells a lie that sex can be consequence-free.

Now, in the US our culture is super wedded to the idea of individual freedoms and consent being the main criterion of whether or not something is “good.” We’re not getting the cat back in that bag. I have no interest in trying to make contraception illegal. BUT, I think one can argue on completely non-religious grounds that its widespread use has not been an overall positive in society, and there are secular people who reject it for environmental or medical reasons.

Abortion is different because it involves killing another person. It’s not merely a choice about individual freedoms. And again, it can be argued on non-religious grounds.

The only contraceptives that prevent STDs are barrier methods, such as condoms

The sad thing too is that people believe that any barrier will prevent all STDs, when male condoms are actually not very effective against many common ones. You can get herpes or genital warts even when a male condom is used correctly, because it can be spread on the skin that is not covered.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

What I don’t understand is all the catholics I know who despise its existence and think it shouldn’t even be legal.

I haven’t met anyone who wants them to be illegal. I don’t want them to be illegal, but I also know God’s plan for our happiness and want better for my fellow man/woman than all the harm they are bringing their body and soul.

I don’t want them handing them out in schools. My kids go to public schools. Where…do they think these kids will be using them? Staircases? Parkinglots? Bathrooms?

 

[pensmama87]

I don’t want them handing them out in schools. I send my kids to public schools. My kids go to public schools. Where…do they think these kids will be using them? Staircases? Parkinglots? Bathrooms?

I know, right???

You know, our culture really looks down now on people who exhibit poor self-control when it comes to smoking, or food. But yet, we tell our kids that they are helpless to resist sex. You wonder if it’s not a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[heidi_storage]

Or they are so uptight about people being provided with contraceptives

That’s another thing that bugs me about this debate. Being free to use contraceptive methods is entirely different from expecting that one has a right to be given contraceptives–a difference many don’t seem to appreciate. I myself do not think contraceptives intrinsically evil, but I reject the idea that people who do should be forced to buy me contraception! To my knowledge, there has been no massive push to make contraception illegal; instead, what people cry about is when employers are not forced to cover contraception. Condoms are cheap. Many birth control methods are cheap, also.

For people who don’t have christian beliefs and are going to have sex outside of marriage anyway, they should have the right to have safe sex and have access to contraceptives.

Again, no one is trying to criminalize sex outside of marriage, or take away the contraceptives readily available at your local drug store.

I would also like to point out that “safe sex” is something of a misnomer. Although barrier methods cut down on the risk of pregnancy and STD transmission, and some hormonal contraception is very effective at preventing pregnancy, it needs to be stated often and clearly that consenting to sex means consenting to the possibility of pregnancy unless one partner is infertile, and to the possibility of passing on STDs. Any accurate sex education should emphasize this fact, because no amount of handwaving and cries of harm reduction will make it go away.

 

[commenter]

Read Humanae Vitae. Ask yourself if this was prophetic in light of subsequent developments.

Keep in mind this is not a church law but the Natural Law. It reflects the historic position of Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, and many not especially religious people.

 

[TheLittleLady]

The bottom line is that contraceptives are things, drugs or actions that disorder the marital act.

The marital act is ordered in the way God designed. When we go monkeying around with that order, it is to work against God.

For people who don’t have christian beliefs and are going to have sex outside of marriage anyway, they should have the right to have safe sex and have access to contraceptives.

No one has a “right” to sex outside of the bonds of a valid marriage.

What I don’t understand is all the catholics I know who despise its existence and think it shouldn’t even be legal.

I have never met a Catholic who is working to have laws made against contraceptives. That ship sailed back in the 20th century. What we must do now is to spread the Gospel, the joy of living according to God’s plan.

If people didn’t have access to contraceptives, the abortion and std rates would go way up.

Do you have some statistics?

In the US, the Supreme Court made contraceptive use legal in 1965. I’d challenge you to go find the abortion rate before that date vs today.

Did you know that in the many SCOTUS cases that have argued abortion, one of the reasons for abortion is “reliance on the availability of abortion in the event contraception should fail.” (Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey 505 U.S. 833 1992)

std rates

This is another thing that can be misunderstood. With this you are speaking strictly of condoms. We now know that HPV, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the three of the most common.

HPV is not stopped by condoms because it is spread by skin to skin contact (unless you are using a full body condom). Kissing, even touching skin where you cannot see any visible warts, people shed the virus from more places than what is covered by a condom.

Same thing for Gonorrhea. People can get it in their eyes, and again, full body condoms are not yet a thing.

The science is still out on Chlamydia, it is not known if the bacteria is spread through touch.

I know that every health class and PSA tells us that a condom keeps you completely safe, but, I would suggest educating yourself.

 

[Allegra]

The vast majority of evidence suggests that the widespread use of contraceptives has done nothing but increase abortion as well as STDs. I don’t know too many people, Catholic or otherwise, who believe all forms of contraception should be illegal, but there are certainly many reasons to believe it should be restricted and it’s use not allowed or encouraged in minor children. I don’t have time to get into it in detail, but the highlights include; it doesn’t work that well and leads to abortions, it isn’t safe for the women taking it, it’s degrading to poison the healthy biological systems of women in order to make them perpetually sexually available to men who don’t care enough about them to make a commitment, some forms of it are actually abortifacients, due to those who lobby for population control really dangerous forms of it are on the market which should be illegal, it perpetuates the victimization of women and children being sexually used, there are completely safe and natural alternatives that are appropriate for adults in committed relationships.

 

[JMMJ]

If more than one contraceptive is used at the same time (say the pill and a condom), and used correctly, then the chance of pregnancy are almost non-existent. I would much rather people do this than bring children into the world when they don’t have the same attitude towards children that good Catholics have.

I realize I am the odd-man out here. We live in a time where most people who don’t abstain for religious reasons aren’t going to abstain at all. I would rather they have access to reliable and free (to them) birth control than bring children into the world they don’t want and quite possibly aren’t equpped to care for.

 

[Start]

Staircases?

 

[KCmedtech]

I’m with you on this one. I

Personally, I see no real issue using contraceptives within marriage. Outside of marriage is a different animal…but there are so many other issues with sex outside of marriage that aren’t necessarily related to contraceptives.

Catholics tend to be very misinformed about contraceptive use. Namely, they cause abortions.

Unless we are talking about the copper iud or the abortion pill (plan B)…there are no studies that prove anything else causes abortions. It’s a theory. That is it. This isn’t without a lack of effort trying to prove otherwise. Prolife scientists and doctors having been trying to prove this theory for the last twenty years…and the verdict is still inconclusive…despite widespread improvements in technology.

When we remove that aspect of contraceptive use…it becomes very clear that the only people who are opposed to its use are the ones who subscribe to catholic beliefs. Which is fine…but it’s not universally true for all marriages. The fact is that plenty of married people have used contraceptives for the entire durations of their marriages without marital issues.
I’m a catholic convert. For the vast majority of my adult life…I used the pill…both for medical purposes and to prevent pregnancy. It works great. Ive never had an issue, never had a pregnancy scare, never had any side effects. I would absolutely continue to use it if it weren’t for Catholic morality.
The Catholic Church says I can’t…it’s immoral and a sin if I do. So, I don’t.

I don’t buy into these Catholic theories about why we shouldn’t use contraceptives. That they divide marriages, increase chances of infidelity, divorce, and abortions.
Correlation is not causation in this case. It’s a theory. That is it.

Sex outside of marriage is the bigger issue. This is what causes all of the complications, stress, and dysfunction we see in society. This is what causes STDs, single motherhood, divorce, abortion, etc. Contraceptive use encourages this behavior…but the behavior already exists.

For what it’s worth, I’m not a fan of NFP. I thinks it’s an interesting idea. But I’m completely shocked that it isn’t the forefront of Catholic teaching. There are no collections for it, most parishes do not have anything to say about it except for marriage precana. I’m shocked that each parish doesn’t have its own instructors for married couples and one must search and hunt for information and instruction. If it’s the only way married couples can actually space children while enjoying the benefits of marriage…why isn’t it talked about?
I asked my husband to bring this very issue up at his parish council meeting. As a parish, we have nothing. No instruction, no groups, no information.
As a diocese, a large one that serves a huge number of parishioners, there are 2 or 3 official NFP instructors that specialize in one method.
I know we aren’t the only ones with this problem.

 

[13pollitos]

When we remove that aspect of contraceptive use…it becomes very clear that the only people who are opposed to its use are the ones who subscribe to catholic beliefs.

I actually know more Protestants that are openly opposed to birth control than I do Catholics. Most of them also oppose NFP, but some do use it in certain circumstances. I know even more who agree that it is probably alright for some married couples to use birth control of some sort but they don’t believe it to be the ideal. That say that married couples should realize before they get married that kids will follow. It really wasn’t that far in the past that ALL Protestant denominations were opposed to birth control. Barrier methods as much as any others (they tie it to scripture—wasting seed like Onan).It is very possible for an extremely anti Catholic person to see the wrongs of artificial contraception. Even removing abortion from the equation.

I agree their theology is faulty, however, my point is simply that Catholic morality/theology isn’t the sole purpose people oppose contraception.

Why should we remove abortion from the equation though? Until it is proven NOT to cause abortions, I would think it is better to err on the side of caution. Why chance it?

 

[KCmedtech]

Because to me it’s not a mystery.

I hold firm to the belief that it doesn’t cause abortions. It can’t when you take it correctly.
If you don’t take it correctly, the general belief is that you’ll become pregnant…and that absolutely happens. That is a completely proven fact. We all know people who have become pregnant while on the pill.

I think the fear mongering does far more harm than good, especially when it isn’t based on reason but emotion. And it is based on emotion and not concrete science.

This fear stops people in their tracts and encourages them to spread falsehoods and demonstrate them as fact because it’s what they’ve heard, it triggers an emotional response and, therefore, must be true.

I subscribe to the belief that this is a completely fabricated theory that cannot be proven. It hasn’t been proven. It will never be proven.

As for Protestants that belief this teaching. Its still a Catholic dogma. They get their influence from us. It’s an idea they pulled from Catholic teaching and adopted for themselves.

 

[13pollitos]

As for Protestants that belief this teaching. Its still a Catholic dogma. They get their influence from us. It’s an idea they pulled from Catholic teaching and adopted for themselves.

Not really. All Protestant Churches were opposed to contraception right along with Catholics until the 1960’s. They changed their teachings, we didn’t. But they didn’t pull it from us. It was their own until they changed their minds.

Many Catholics were hoping and trying to change Catholic teaching since the others were changing theirs. The Church stood its ground. It is not accurate that the Protestants learned it from Catholics. If they did, they wouldn’t have changed their teachings when they did. They would have stood their ground as well.

 

[KCmedtech]

Except Protestantism isn’t its own entity. It’s beliefs are derived from Catholic theology, watered down to fit their own purposes and beliefs. All of Protestant beliefs come from Catholicism.

As it evolved, it changed its theories. Including, allowing the use of contraceptives.

Trust, I do know the history of contraceptives. I was a convert and did as much research as I could. Especially on the aspect of contraception…which is a feature of Catholicism that concerned me and affected me the most.

My point isn’t that Catholics should change doctrine and dogma. No, I can accept that contraception is a sin. I won’t argue with that. It’s a teaching that the church has always adhered to and really respect the fact that it has never waivered in its position.

My problem is with NFP and the inherent need to spread, what I see, as falsehoods and lies as fact that has never been proven.

 

[13pollitos]

My problem is with NFP and the inherent need to spread, what I see, as falsehoods and lies as fact that has never been proven.

Ok. I can understand better what you are saying now. Thank you for explaining to me.

I do see your point with this quoted part very well. I have always felt similarly. I don’t see the reasons to use scare tactics in the debate, and honestly haven’t felt the need to debate anyway. I prefer to use my life as an example and then speak if asked questions. Online it is different I guess.

What is your problem with NFP though? Is it that there isn’t enough access to teachers, the fact that you feel it is said to be more effective than it is in practice, that too many people use it for reasons you think are trivial? What would you propose as a remedy for the problems you see with it? I ask because truthfully I’ve never used it. I didn’t have a need to use it, but I often wonder how women who are more fertile than I am feel. If that is too personal, I apologize and you do not need to answer.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

Staircases?

Stairwells are very secluded. That was one of my least favorite places to check for hall duty when I taught high school.

 

[KCmedtech]

For me, NFP has so many problems and issues.

The church recognizes it as the only licit form to space births…yet, only 2-3% of Catholic couples actually use it.
If it’s the only way to space births…why isn’t it talked about…on a parish level? Why aren’t there 30-50 instructors in every diocese?

I could write a book about all the issues I have with NFP. There aren’t enough instructors, it’s kind of a free-for-all when couples are deciding methods, and Catholics will give recommendation freely…like they have medical training.
Instructors themselves are barely given a month of formal training…most of it is done online.

If it’s truly so effective…why hasn’t it been picked up by the mainstream and secular culture? Especially since our culture has so heavily latched on to natural and organic everything, I don’t buy the conspiracy theories of pharmaceutical companies having a hand in this. The doctors I’ve all spoken to aren’t convinced of its effectiveness and neither am I.

There are so many outside factors that can affect how one uses NFP.
Plus, the general advertisement of it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. The whole idea that it’s awesome! It’s so affective! It’s going to make your marriage better! Couples who use it are less likely to divorce! It’s so easy to do! It only takes a month to learn!

This is my opinion only. I’m skeptical. I do it because I have to. But, I’ll never recommend it to any of my secular friends, I choose not to discuss with with my catholic friends, and I will not be apart of any movement within my church or diocese that promotes it.