Religion, Reproduction, Contraceptives, and Homosexuals

[Lord Fafnir]

evilweevil

Lord Fafnir

evilweevil

Your comment about Catholics not being allowed to use contraceptives is basically right, though. In having sex, the man and woman should be committing their whole self to the other person and by using contraceptives, it's like saying "I love you forever and ever and ever, and I'll give you my whole body ... except my reproductive system .. ahm, no, that's just for me. AHAHAH!" It's the same for premarital sex -- that's giving the other person all of yourself, except your future.

So, uhm, yea. heart

I... don't see the connection between keeping something from someone and using contraceptives. I find it hard to believe any woman would ever see her mate putting on a condom and say "oh I see how it is, we can have sex but I'm not allowed to share all the possible STD's we may have and risk having children which would greatly effect the direction of our lives." Sure, you should know and respect your mate well enough to know if they have STD's or not, but having children as a result of not using contraceptives may not be a good option. You can give someone your future by respecting the fact they don't want children just yet.

Well, the Catholic church doesn't say a couple should just have sex whenever and if children are conceived that, well, that was God's will, yay. In fact, the Catholic Church strongly advocates the rhythm method -- basically knowing when the woman's body is most fertile and only having sex when it is really unlikely to get pregnant. Yes, this method is rather unreliable if one doesn't completely understand the way a woman's body works, but it CAN work as a pretty reliable birth control method. Also, there are programs dedicated to teaching this method -- like Natural Family Planning.

I actually know two married couples, one married for 3 years, the other for 7 or 8, who ONLY rely on the rhythm method. Since they pay very close detail to the woman's body (and I know at least one of the couples took the Natural Family Planning course), both couples have had no children. So, yes, other birth control methods might be more reliable and let the couple have sex more often, but this also works.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue, and I don't plan on really having to think about it for a while, so all of this is the official Catholic teaching, which doesn't necassarily coincide with what I believe.

But I have to go now, so I won't be able to post again for about 4 more hours, btw.

I haven't heard of them advocating this, but it sounds pheasible. I'd make the argument "but I want sex noowwww... not in two weeks" but I don't think that would make me a very good Christian (good thing I'm not trying too hard).

[Lord Fafnir]

evilweevil

Also, I personally am assuming that if two people are using the Natural Family Planning method and following these rather strict Catholic doctrines, they have probably remained virgins until marriage, as the Church teaches. Therefore, there wouldn't be any STDs, unless they were passed from the parents. So, in this instance, I don't think it relates. And if one of the couple DID have sex before marriage, and had an STD, I'm really not sure what the church would proscribe then. In order to have any children, then, the other would get the STD, so the Church might say "oh well, still no condoms or whatnot" since it would probably be assumed the couple would try to have children.

But that's just a guess. If you're really interested in what would be done in that instance, I can look it up in my catechism when I get home, or ask my priest if it's not in the catechism. AND if you just can't wait, you can always look online at http://www.vatican.va and search the online catechism there. heart

Thank you.