A catholics belief on contraceptive vs. abortion

[juliet_c]

Hi catholics out there, is it true that catholics do not practice artificial contraception?

I know the religion does not allow abortion, but not so sure on the contraception part. I mean, no matter what, even artificial contraception also not 100% safe, let alone natural contraception!!

I don't want to be a mother pig with a football team of piglets! my husband is a catholic, I am going to be baptised soon.

I personally feel that I would want to have artificial contraception too. Any advice from catholics out there? :idea:

[PJ]

Catholics are not suppose to use artificial means of contraception. (but many do despite this ,and yes Catholics have abortions too -not shocking)

But personally I feel the "church" needs to stay out of any decision a woman makes concerning her body...I mean REALLY, who are they to preach to us about something like that when they have bigger issues going on such as hmmm let me think...MOLESTING CHILDREN!

I think you and hubby should make the decision that's best for the both of you.

[bella]

It is true Catholics don't practise artificial contraception.. but I can't speak for all protestants.

It's because the Catholic church teaches that pple should respect life. And children are a gift from God. And some birth control pills actually 'abort' the foetus because of the low dose of 'whatever chemical'. Like when fertilisation takes place, the 'baby' is already alive. But morning after pills dislodge the fertilised egg, causing it to be unable to cling the the womb & thus aborted.

But ultimately, I do agree with what PJ said...the final decision lies with you and your husband.

[jpatokal]

Catholic doctrine doesn't apply to just morning-after pills and abortion, but all attempts to prevent making babies (the Pill, condoms, ...), with the sole exception of the rhythm method. Some background with several viewpoints:

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=612455

But unless your husband is the Pope, what you two do is your decision...

[prodigy]

Sharing my 2 cents worth.

Pills, contraceptives, etc are unnatural and affect the woman's natural cycle (which is not how we were created by God)..so I guess anything that changes the natural cycle is frowned upon. I think during MPC that it's not supposed to be up to Man to dictate when life shld be or shld not be created.

I've also read that many Catholics in many countries use contraceptives . So if u choose to use them for whatever reasons, you're definitely not alone. I think times have changed and complexities of life has also increased .. so I guess you won't be 'penalised' by the dictation of Catholic teachings.

[Orang]

The entire issue centres on the fact that the Church is pro-life. This is a very wide topic, which includes abortion and contraception. Abortion is as we know it - termination of a pregnancy, therefore the killing of a human life. Contraception, as it suggests, is contra (Against) the conception of life. The decision is ultimately yours, as we all have a choice, but we are responsible for making our choices as informed as possible. There is much to read up on the Catholic position of these issues, and you can find them in any good Catholic bookshop or Catholic websites. If you are wanting the teaching straight from the Vatican, then you can try the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which can be found on the Vatican website on http://www.vatican.va - the encyclical Humanae Vitae is also a good starting point
Peace.

[Sharon]

Juliet_C

I am a Catholic woman and I was also concerned about the same things before I got married .... But I now discover the wisdom of the Church teachings.

You don't have to end up with a football team. I know that *I* won't.

The Catholic Church encourage the Natural Family Planning (NFP) method (not to be confused with the hopeless and outdated Rhythm Method) and it is proven to be very effective as a natural way of family planning.

I have used NFP effectively for 2.5 years and will continue to do so. And you can use NFP to ACHIEVE pregnancy, besides preventing it. And because it teaches you to understand your own female body, some women become alert to unusual changes in their bodies and is quick to detect some woman's illness and then seek cure early.

What's more.. no smell of rubber, no stupid drugs to damage your body. NFP is simply wonderful! Anyone can benefit from it, not just Catholics.

I can assure you, in tests, NFP is already shown to be VERY EFFECTIVE, comparable with condom use, at 99% effectiveness. It is so easy to use, blind women have also successfully used NFP.

Because NFP involves the participation and coorperation of both husband and wife, it helps couples to foster closer bonds. It has been reported to improve the relationship of many couples.

You can sign up for NFP training courses. Check this with your parish. If you are Singaporean, and you are intending to attend the Marriage Preparation Course, the staff there will arrange the course for you.

I hope that you will discover the wonders that NFP can give to you and your marriage life. Give it a try!!

If you have any more questions about Contraception, many Catholics can help you at these Catholic forums:

http://forum.catholic.org/
http://www.catholic-forum.com/cgi-files ... cboard.cgi

You can also read up these useful websites on NFP :
http://www.ccli.org
http://www.fertilityuk.org/
http://www.billings-centre.ab.ca/
http://www.familyplanning.net/index-stats.html


God bless you!!!
Sharon,
Holy Cross Church, Singapore