Catholic theology question

[NCRedding]

The various threads going leave me with a question. Why does the Vatican not allow birth control.

 

[Crankyshank]

Because sex is for procreation.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Because the church is ruled by males. Birth control is artificial and would not allow natural conception to take places in effect interfereing with God's will.

Another question why was it that women who had given birth needed to get "churched" years agi before they could receive communion. They were considered unclean. Go figure.

 

[becka]

My understanding from my Catholic friends is that using contraception means that you are not "open to life". I never quite understood that line of thinking because several of my Catholic friends use NFP in order to not get pregnant so since they are actively trying to not have another baby I don't see how that makes them more "open to life" than someone like myself who does use "artifical" contraception.

I don't think I am going against God's will by using contraception. Surely God is powerful enough to override the pill or a condom if he really wants me to have another baby. I think I am just as "open to life" as my Catholic friends because I am willing to accept another child as the result of having sex even if my contraception fails. JMHO....

 

[MrsKreamer]

The Catholic religion believes that the sole purpose for sex is to procreate within a marriage. So if you use artificial BC (in or outside of marriage) defeats that purpose. You can use natural family planning. This method is almost as effective as the others. You document the tempeture changes in your(woman's) body which lets you know when you are ovulating. If you want to get pregnant you would specifically have sex at this time or if you don't want to get pregnant, you don't have sex at this time. I haven't used this method but I know many woman who do and are very happy with it.

 

[MrsKreamer]

Because the church is ruled by males. Birth control is artificial and would not allow natural conception to take places in effect interfereing with God's will.

Another question why was it that women who had given birth needed to get "churched" years agi before they could receive communion. They were considered unclean. Go figure.

What do you mean by "churched" ?

 

[NCRedding]

So would a vasectomy or a tubal ligation be against the teaching of the church?

 

[JennyMominRI]

So would a vasectomy or a tubal ligation be against the teaching of the church?
yes

 

[Crankyshank]

Absolutely! A big Catholic no-no!

 

[Deb in IA]

So would a vasectomy or a tubal ligation be against the teaching of the church?

Yes indeed. In fact, birth control pills, condoms, IUD's, etc. are all against the teachings of the Church. The only Church-approved form of birth control is the rhythm method . . .

 

[MrsKreamer]

So would a vasectomy or a tubal ligation be against the teaching of the church?

Yes b/c it is an artificial means of birth control. The Church pretty much believes if you medically should not have children then refrain from sex.
Not all Catholics believe this, nor do they practice it.

Please let's not turn this thread into bashing the Catholic Religion. To each his own right?

 

[MrsKreamer]

Yes indeed. In fact, birth control pills, condoms, IUD's, etc. are all against the teachings of the Church. The only Church-approved form of birth control is the rhythm method . . .

Not the rhythm method...it's called Natural Family Planning. It is about tracking your cycle.

 

[WDWMom]

I remember asking my mom about my baptism once and she said she wasn't there. When my DH became Catholic and we were going through classes I ask why. I was told because women were thought to be "unclean" during the time of bleeding and since women bleed after birth, they did not go to the Baptism. Never thought to ask my mom if she had to go to mass during her period. Probably since you were not to talk about it back then. Well, not that long ago, I'm only 38.

 

[Cruise04]

At one time they considered birth control a "pre-cursor" (I believe I'm using that word right) to abortion.

 

[MrsKreamer]

I remember asking my mom about my baptism once and she said she wasn't there. When my DH became Catholic and we were going through classes I ask why. I was told because women were thought to be "unclean" during the time of bleeding and since women bleed after birth, they did not go to the Baptism. Never thought to ask my mom if she had to go to mass during her period. Probably since you were not to talk about it back then. Well, not that long ago, I'm only 38.

Wow I have never heard of this. But I have only been around since Vatican II. I guess they have since changed this.

 

[brerrabbit]

As an ex Catholic now converted to Methodist this is how it was explained to my by my priest. When a man has sex, beit with a women, another man, by himself, etc. he spills the seed of life. According to the Catholic doctrine that my priest taught us the seed of life is very important and intended only to create life. Therfore, using this belief having sex with anyone other than your wife (defined by the Catholic church as being the woman you married in the church) would mean spilling the seed in an unholy way. Men should only spill their seed with their wife and if the result is pregnancy then it was meant to be according to god. Accordingly the idea of having a vasectomy might be a sin because of other beliefs but would not be a sin according to the beliefs that make other forms of contraception a sin. Only after the vasectomy when the man had sex with his wife would it be considered sinful because at that point you could not concieve a child ( as long as the procedure worked) and therefore that sex with your wife would be considered sinful forever more.

 

[MrsKreamer]

At one time they considered birth control a "pre-cursor" (I believe I'm using that word right) to abortion.

Well this is possible b/c of how the BCP works. Oral contraceptives work in 2 different ways. They stop ovulation. If an egg does get out and gets fertilized, the BCP prevents it from implanting itself in the uterine lining. Since the CHurch believes life starts at conception, an embryo not being able to implant and thus dying would be a "pre-cursor to abortion"

 

[Crankyshank]

WDWMom, That's actually a fairly common belief in a lot of cultures. Women used to not be able to do a lot of things during that time of the month.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Boy ,I hope this thread stays polite

 

[beattyfamily]

Got this explantion from a Catholic website:

The Catholic Church is not opposed to birth control when it is accomplished by natural means, by self control. She is opposed only to birth control by artificial means, by the employment of pills, condoms, IUD's, foams, jellies, sterilization, non-completion of the act of sexual union--or any other means used to prevent conception from resulting from this act--because such means profane the marital embrace and dishonor the marriage contract. God slew Onan for practicing contraception (Gen. 38:9-10); the word ``onanism'' derives from Onan's deed. In fact, up until the Church of England's Lambeth Conference of 1930, which accepted contraception and thus broke with the Christian tradition, contraception had been considered by all Christian churches, both Catholic and Protestant, to be gravely sinful.

In the New Testament, there is only one instance where sin is punished by God with immediate death, this was the fate of Ananias and Saphira, a husband and wife who went through the motions of giving a gift to God but fraudulently kept back part of it. The Bible says they lied to the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5 : 1-11 ).

In contraception, two people go through the motions of an act of self-giving, but obstruct the natural fruition of their act, i.e., the conception of children, which is the ultimate purpose for which God created sexuality. Sexual union is a gift from God to the married, but by practicing contraception, married couples are accepting the pleasure God built into the act and yet denying Him its purpose, new people. They are in effect mocking God. But ``Be not deceived, God is not mocked.'' (Gal. 6:7). Christ cursed the fig tree which, despite a fine external appearance, bore no fruit. (Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:14). Marriage is God's plan for populating Heaven, yet contracepting couples refuse Him the specific fruit of their marriage, which is children, when they engage in the act which should produce children yet frustrate the natural, God-intended result.

Common sense and conscience both dictate that artificial birth control is not only a violation of the Natural Law but is a perfidious insult to the dignity of man himself. For it implies free reign to physical impulses; it implies total disregard for the fate of the human seed; it implies utter contempt for the honorable birth of fellow humans, those fellow humans who are born as the result of a contraceptive having failed and whose very existence is therefore considered to be an unfortunate ``accident,'' rather than a gift of God; it implies the most extreme selfishness, for no advocate or practitioner of artificial birth control would have wanted it for his or her own parents. Further, contraception undermines the respect of husband and wife for each other and thereby loosens the marriage bond. Worst of all, many ``contraceptives,'' such as the IUD and most if not all birth control pills, work by actually causing an abortion early in the pregnancy; thus, this so-called ``contraception'' is in reality abortion--the killing of a human being--rather than the preventing of conception.

In every age there is some favorite sin which is accepted by ``respectable'' worldly Christians; in our times the ``acceptable'' sin is contraception--a sin which fits in perfectly with the view that the purpose of human life is to attain earthly happiness. The true Christian couple, on the other hand, will realize that God desires them to have children so that these children can come to know Him and love Him and be happy with Him eternally in Heaven. Marriage is God's plan for populating Heaven. How wise it is to let God plan one's family, since He loves children much more than do their earthly parents, and His plans for them go far beyond any plans of these parents. Innumerable stories are told of God's Providence to Christian parents who trusted in Him and obeyed His law. For those who have a true and serious need to space or limit the number of their children, the new methods of natural family planning based on periodic abstinence have proven to be extremely reliable (unlike the earlier ``rhythm'' methods) .