Why does the Catholic Church consider contraception a sin?

[Maximilan_Kolbe]

still makes no real sense. NFP is in aim and end the same as using a condom. I agree totally re chemical contraception as it carries the ability to abort

Aim in NFP is to limit and prevent pregnancy. So is using a condom.

NFP is also used to achieve pregnancy. Does a condom or pill help you do that? You are only arguing against NFP based on one aspect.

Besides, NFP is not a mandate. Abstinence for legitimate reasons, or sexual relations twice a day, every day are permissible, if unlikely.

Either way, as Catholics, we are called to obedience. If I “get it” when the Church has spoken, all the better, but my job at a minimum, is to listen and obey to Holy Mother Church, as she possesses the fullness of Truth. No living human themselves possesses that. If we can rationalize why the Church is wrong on this one issue, we can rationalize it on all of them, and the faith unravels.

 

[Dorothy]

still makes no real sense. NFP is in aim and end the same as using a condom. I agree totally re chemical contraception as it carries the ability to abort

Aim in NFP is to limit and prevent pregnancy. So is using a condom.

When the Church gives us definitive directions on morals and we accept those directions as coming from Our Lord Jesus Christ who has promised to be with us, …then when they are obeyed they aid in sanctifying the husband and wife.

For a married couple to achieve this, it is essential that God is first in their lives. Then, by the grace of the Lord which comes through prayer and the sacraments , they can live according to His Will and flourish in His grace.

 

[AdamP88]

still makes no real sense. NFP is in aim and end the same as using a condom. I agree totally re chemical contraception as it carries the ability to abort

Aim in NFP is to limit and prevent pregnancy. So is using a condom.

My other response to this kind of attitude would be: Ok Rosebud77, so you know better than Holy Mother Church about NFP?

Seriously, the Church has a well reasoned and logical approach to this issue. Anyone claiming that NFP and Contraception are morally equivalent is coming from a position of lacking understanding in Philosophy and Theology.

 

[Rosebud77]

My other response to this kind of attitude would be: Ok Rosebud77, so you know better than Holy Mother Church about NFP?

Seriously, the Church has a well reasoned and logical approach to this issue. Anyone claiming that NFP and Contraception are morally equivalent is coming from a position of lacking understanding in Philosophy and Theology.

Ah now you insult me somewhat… and misjudge me also.

I have problems seeing this , where condoms only are concerned, not chemicals, as a well reasoned and logical answer in some respects. I understand perfectly BUT and it is a huge BUT , in Catholic areas where the woman are not respected sexually and have baby after baby there surely needs to be mercy and kindness…and realism. Fine in the US, where there is civilisation , but even here in Ireland many RCs are using contraception freely. Many overseas aid workers, like my family, see the effects on women of not being allowed to use contraception, Of the very real human suffering .

The phrase that keeps coming to mind is " In Thy wrath remember mercy"

OH and please do not think that there is anything personal here; at my age approaching 80 and after a chaste life, But I care deeply about the humanity of others,

 

[gardenswithkids]

Can anyone give me the logic why Catholicism considers contraception a sin. …

Here’s one point of logic that people often overlook:
Catholicism considers contraception a sin because contraception*** is ***a sin.

It’s really that simple. If you want to ask why contraception is a sin, that is a different question.

 

[LightBound]

still makes no real sense. NFP is in aim and end the same as using a condom. I agree totally re chemical contraception as it carries the ability to abort

Aim in NFP is to limit and prevent pregnancy. So is using a condom.

The aim and goal of a condom is to still get your jollies from sexual intercourse, but avoid the end result of possible pregnancy. The aim of NFP is to avoid sexual intercourse when the possibility of it might end in pregnancy. Simply abstaining during a week or two during the month is FAR different than saying "I’m going to use this barrier because I still want my orgasm, but I don’t want a pregnancy. Big difference there!! NFP is not “contraception”, unless you want to figure that anyone NOT having sex is contracepting, since when a couple uses NFP, there are times they are NOT having sex. I don’t see why people have such as issue with this and insist on claiming they know better than the Church. If it doesn’t make sense to you, then just accept it with faith as part of Church teaching…which it is

 

[kptrs]

For me, the easiest explanation comes down to this: What are our reproductive organs for? How do they work? It’s not moral to stop the healthy, normal functioning of any of our other systems (if you vomit up the food you eat so you can have the pleasure of eating but not consume the calories, we call that an eating disorder.)

Hormones to correct malfunctioning organs or at least to relieve suffering can be therapeutic and so there’s no issue there. But when the system is working properly, no, it’s not moral to disrupt it, just like anything else with our bodies.

NFP, when used to avoid pregnancy, changes nothing about the spouses or the act. It still works as God intended it to work.

This. ^^^

 

[kptrs]

Here’s one point of logic that people often overlook:
Catholicism considers contraception a sin because contraception*** is ***a sin.

It’s really that simple. If you want to ask why contraception is a sin, that is a different question.

This is also a good point. The Church did not “invent” the concept of contraception being sinful anymore than it invented the concept that murder, stealing, lying, and adultery are sinful. The Church teaches that contraception is sinful because it is.

By the way, there was a time when Catholics and Protestants alike taught that contraception is sinful. In fact, Martin Luther himself was fervently against it.

 

[Maximilan_Kolbe]

Ah now you insult me somewhat… and misjudge me also.

I have problems seeing this , where condoms only are concerned, not chemicals, as a well reasoned and logical answer in some respects. I understand perfectly BUT and it is a huge BUT , in Catholic areas where the woman are not respected sexually and have baby after baby there surely needs to be mercy and kindness…and realism. Fine in the US, where there is civilisation , but even here in Ireland many RCs are using contraception freely. Many overseas aid workers, like my family, see the effects on women of not being allowed to use contraception, Of the very real human suffering .

The phrase that keeps coming to mind is " In Thy wrath remember mercy"

OH and please do not think that there is anything personal here; at my age approaching 80 and after a chaste life, But I care deeply about the humanity of others,

You sound like you have a sincerely merciful heart, but this is the same attitude that is used to justify abortion and euthanasia, the only difference is the act isn’t as icky" and unpalatable on the surface.

We can not sin under the guise of mercy. We cannot do evil in order to achieve good.

 

[AdamP88]

Ah now you insult me somewhat… and misjudge me also.

I have problems seeing this , where condoms only are concerned, not chemicals, as a well reasoned and logical answer in some respects. I understand perfectly BUT and it is a huge BUT , in Catholic areas where the woman are not respected sexually and have baby after baby there surely needs to be mercy and kindness…and realism. Fine in the US, where there is civilisation , but even here in Ireland many RCs are using contraception freely. Many overseas aid workers, like my family, see the effects on women of not being allowed to use contraception, Of the very real human suffering .

The phrase that keeps coming to mind is " In Thy wrath remember mercy"

OH and please do not think that there is anything personal here; at my age approaching 80 and after a chaste life, But I care deeply about the humanity of others,

I don’t see your point. How is contraception in any form a compassionate response to anything?
The justification you are using for contraception is, as another poster said, the same one often used to justify abortion in the name of the mother’s “health”.
The difference lies in the nature of the method being employed. Artificial contraception says: I don’t want this part of you and I couldn’t be bothered abstaining or working at NFP. I’d rather you take carcinogenic drugs or used a device that corrupts the marital act.
NFP says: I love you and I’m willing to work with you and your body’s natural pattern and trust in God, who is at the centre of our marriage.

I didn’t insult you at all. I am merely calling out your opinion for what it is. A lack of understanding, unfortunately far too common among Irish catholics. I also never implied there was anything personal.

Out of curiosity, how is it relevant how many Catholics use contraception? That doesn’t make it right.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

I believe there is a an exemption for those who are forced to use a medication for a medical reason other than contraception, which has the secondary effect of being a contraceptive. (Of course any mental jump roping to try to justify that when it is not in fact needed would be known to God and still be a sin)

My wife and I just had our first baby, and are thrilled. That being said I am freaked out at the possibility of having another quickly. Don’t get me wrong I am very open to more children, even a large family despite our limited means, but just want them spaced out some in between. It has taken some courage to put our foot down and tell others (like her OB) and ourselves that we will not be using contraceptives when it is so easy, accepted, and tempting to use. But we have decided no matter what we will be faithful. When it comes down to it there is no way to talk your way out of it. The Church has, in its proper authority, deemed contraceptive to be immoral and that is that.

Yes,the sin of contraception is an intention not a simply use of a device or a method.

 

[lemongrass80]

Can anyone give me the logic why Catholicism considers contraception a sin. A well known Catholic on YouTube made sense with his argument on YouTube.

Because the church wants as many catholic babies as possible.

 

[kptrs]

Because the church wants as many catholic babies as possible.

No, that’s not true. Please do not buy into this stereotype of Catholics which is completely inaccurate.

 

[AdamP88]

No, that’s not true. Please do not buy into this stereotype of Catholics which is completely inaccurate.

Well…it’s not completely untrue.

The bible does instruct us to be fruitful and multiply.
And in Jer 29 the Jews are commanded not to “decrease” in their exile.

In fairness we are probably living in the only point in history where fertility is seen as a negative thing.

 

[ShrodingersCat]

Well…it’s not completely untrue.

The bible does instruct us to be fruitful and multiply.
And in Jer 29 the Jews are commanded not to “decrease” in their exile.

In fairness we are probably living in the only point in history where fertility is seen as a negative thing.

As many babies as possible has a bad connotation though. The Church preaches responsible parenthood. If you can’t look after more children properly, having more is unwise.

 

[ShrodingersCat]

Ah now you insult me somewhat… and misjudge me also.

I have problems seeing this , where condoms only are concerned, not chemicals, as a well reasoned and logical answer in some respects. I understand perfectly BUT and it is a huge BUT , in Catholic areas where the woman are not respected sexually and have baby after baby there surely needs to be mercy and kindness…and realism. Fine in the US, where there is civilisation , but even here in Ireland many RCs are using contraception freely. Many overseas aid workers, like my family, see the effects on women of not being allowed to use contraception, Of the very real human suffering .

The phrase that keeps coming to mind is " In Thy wrath remember mercy"

OH and please do not think that there is anything personal here; at my age approaching 80 and after a chaste life, But I care deeply about the humanity of others,

We should be teaching these people NFP, which is a method of spacing children that they can use with NO MONEY and will give them great insights into how their body works. Even condoms cost money.

If the problem is that these women have abusive husbands who refuse to use NFP, then giving the women condoms is surely just masking the fact that they are stuck in an abusive relationship and enabling it in a way? It’s like how paedophiles sometimes use abortion to cover up their crimes.

In the case of AIDS and other diseases, these can still be transmitted with condoms; condoms only reduce the risk. If

 

[AdamP88]

As many babies as possible has a bad connotation though. The Church preaches responsible parenthood. If you can’t look after more children properly, having more is unwise.

I agree. But the problem is that people these days have the opposite problem. They want to get married and have no kids until they’re “ready”.

Obviously we should challenge the false stereotypes of Catholics but at this point in time we need to be encouraging families to have more children.

 

[kptrs]

As many babies as possible has a bad connotation though. The Church preaches responsible parenthood. If you can’t look after more children properly, having more is unwise.

Yeah, that’s what I meant. We’re called to be open to life and to be generous in regards to family size, but that doesn’t mean “as many as possible.” Each couple’s circumstances are unique. For some, one or two children would be a tremendous undertaking, while for others, seven or eight children would be a possibility.

All in all, Catholics are not encouraged to have more children than they can handle. We’re encouraged to plan our families responsibly; we are not required to be Providentialists (i.e. the Duggars).

 

[kptrs]

Obviously we should challenge the false stereotypes of Catholics but at this point in time we need to be encouraging families to have more children.

I don’t think we need to encourage families to have more children. Family size is something that is up to each individual couple to discern.

Rather, I do think we need to encourage our modern society to stop viewing children as an annoyance/burden/impediment to our careers and life goals and to start viewing them as the gifts from God that they are.

 

[Rau]

I don’t think we need to encourage families to have more children. Family size is something that is up to each individual couple to discern.

Rather, I do think we need to encourage our modern society to stop viewing children as an annoyance/burden/impediment to our careers and life goals and to start viewing them as the gifts from God that they are.

Fair enough. But practically speaking, children do impede employment of both parents which is often difficult to do without in the modern world.