Comments on: Responsible Parenthood in a Birth Control Culture, Part Two http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/ Catholic News, Catholic Articles, Catholic Apologetics, Catholic Content, Catholic Information Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: narcolepsy http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33744 narcolepsy Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:54:49 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33744 [...] ?I also mentioned that because we live in a culture that is so birth control oriented, even somehttp://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/Read "mking sure that ppl are clear on the difference btw necrophilia & narcolepsy." at kenyatta [...] [...] ?I also mentioned that because we live in a culture that is so birth control oriented, even somehttp://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/Read “mking sure that ppl are clear on the difference btw necrophilia & narcolepsy.” at kenyatta [...]

]]> By: Dealing With Prostate Cancer. | 7Wins.eu http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33426 Dealing With Prostate Cancer. | 7Wins.eu Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:28:58 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33426 [...] Seeing Pink - IIIMarc Gunther [...] Seeing Pink – IIIMarc Gunther

]]> By: lupus http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33307 lupus Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:21:21 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33307 [...] ?I also mentioned that because we live in a culture that is so birth control oriented, even somehttp://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/Tim Tsui??s Gold Da Minci WarriorOver at San Diego??s Comic Con, Tim Tsui is booth sharing with [...] [...] ?I also mentioned that because we live in a culture that is so birth control oriented, even somehttp://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/Tim Tsui??s Gold Da Minci WarriorOver at San Diego??s Comic Con, Tim Tsui is booth sharing with [...]

]]> By: mkochan http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33214 mkochan Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:50:22 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33214 i have deleted some of the comments as not in keeping with our editorial policy. i have deleted some of the comments as not in keeping with our editorial policy.

]]> By: gk http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33211 gk Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:21:22 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33211 Good discussion everyone. I am impressed to everyone's openness. My wife and I are teaching the second of three class tonight. The two couples we are teaching are wonderful young couples who love the church and love Humanae Vitae. They are open to life. They are good practicing Catholics. NFP is wonderful and leads couples out of the Contraceptive Culture. NFP builds marriage and communication. NFP is blessed by the Church through Humanae Vitae. Go NFP! Go! Good discussion everyone. I am impressed to everyone’s openness.

My wife and I are teaching the second of three class tonight. The two couples we are teaching are wonderful young couples who love the church and love Humanae Vitae. They are open to life. They are good practicing Catholics.

NFP is wonderful and leads couples out of the Contraceptive Culture. NFP builds marriage and communication. NFP is blessed by the Church through Humanae Vitae. Go NFP! Go!

]]> By: LLM http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33210 LLM Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:20:03 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33210 I think it's also important to remember the wonderful benefits of NFP. During the time that a couple is postponing pregnancy for serious reasons, they are able to grow closer and holier in their love through self-sacrifice and self-denial -- my spouse and I even offer up those times of abstinence as a prayer for our future children and for people we know who really need prayers, and so the abstinence becomes a prayerful path to holiness. In my own experience in my marriage, this time of postponing pregnancy is also a time that naturally leads us to become even more excited about having a child, and asking ourselves if our reasons really are serious enough to wait right now. The whole abstinence part of NFP is a natural, built-in incentive to continually rethink your reasons for waiting, and discern during each particular time of fertility if God is still calling you to wait another month or not. That's what I think is so amazing about NFP- the fact that it can lead us closer to God in discerning His will and closer to each other in holiness, too. Plus the times of abstinence help us continue developing a deeper friendship, which creates a strong marriage. In conclusion, I certainly believe that it's possible for people to use NFP wrongly, but I think the very nature of NFP (abstinence, monthly fertility, etc) is meant to really push us in the direction of virtue (self-sacrifice, deepening love and friendship between spouses, discerning God's will, etc.). I have found my own experience of NFP to be truly beautiful and life-giving for my marriage. I think God is absolutely amazing for creating our bodies in such a way that NFP can help us grow closer to Him, and I am SO THANKFUL to the Catholic Church for speaking His Truth in the midst of a contraceptive world. I think it’s also important to remember the wonderful benefits of NFP.

During the time that a couple is postponing pregnancy for serious reasons, they are able to grow closer and holier in their love through self-sacrifice and self-denial — my spouse and I even offer up those times of abstinence as a prayer for our future children and for people we know who really need prayers, and so the abstinence becomes a prayerful path to holiness.

In my own experience in my marriage, this time of postponing pregnancy is also a time that naturally leads us to become even more excited about having a child, and asking ourselves if our reasons really are serious enough to wait right now. The whole abstinence part of NFP is a natural, built-in incentive to continually rethink your reasons for waiting, and discern during each particular time of fertility if God is still calling you to wait another month or not. That’s what I think is so amazing about NFP- the fact that it can lead us closer to God in discerning His will and closer to each other in holiness, too. Plus the times of abstinence help us continue developing a deeper friendship, which creates a strong marriage.

In conclusion, I certainly believe that it’s possible for people to use NFP wrongly, but I think the very nature of NFP (abstinence, monthly fertility, etc) is meant to really push us in the direction of virtue (self-sacrifice, deepening love and friendship between spouses, discerning God’s will, etc.). I have found my own experience of NFP to be truly beautiful and life-giving for my marriage. I think God is absolutely amazing for creating our bodies in such a way that NFP can help us grow closer to Him, and I am SO THANKFUL to the Catholic Church for speaking His Truth in the midst of a contraceptive world.

]]> By: Claire http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33205 Claire Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:54:02 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33205 Stacey, as Ekbell pointed out, it is very hard for the unmarried to remain chaste in the culture we live in. A college student who is reasonably certain that he will be able to support a family within a couple of years when he gets his degree is not immoral for getting married and using NFP for a couple of years to postpone a pregnancy. And there is also nothing wrong with NFP being a way of life. It is certainly that way for people like me who are infertile and using NFP to try to achieve a pregnancy. The Church allows NFP for serious reasons, and does not dictate what those serious reasons are. It is left to the prayerful discernment of the couple. Only God can judge whether their reasons are serious or not. If the Magesterium came up with specific guidelines about what constitues a serious reason, then Catholics would be obligated to abide by that. But until then, who are we to judge (within reason; of course there are some reasons that are clearly frivolous, such as avoiding a pregnancy so you can afford a 3,000 square foot house and an annual vacation). Couples who use NFP temporarily remain open to life, and God remains in control. Stacey, as Ekbell pointed out, it is very hard for the unmarried to remain chaste in the culture we live in. A college student who is reasonably certain that he will be able to support a family within a couple of years when he gets his degree is not immoral for getting married and using NFP for a couple of years to postpone a pregnancy. And there is also nothing wrong with NFP being a way of life. It is certainly that way for people like me who are infertile and using NFP to try to achieve a pregnancy. The Church allows NFP for serious reasons, and does not dictate what those serious reasons are. It is left to the prayerful discernment of the couple. Only God can judge whether their reasons are serious or not. If the Magesterium came up with specific guidelines about what constitues a serious reason, then Catholics would be obligated to abide by that. But until then, who are we to judge (within reason; of course there are some reasons that are clearly frivolous, such as avoiding a pregnancy so you can afford a 3,000 square foot house and an annual vacation). Couples who use NFP temporarily remain open to life, and God remains in control.

]]> By: staceyjohnson http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33204 staceyjohnson Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:59:56 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33204 Claire, there's obviously a difference between a man who is already married and was once able to support his family but is now having difficulties and someone who is not married yet and cannot support a family. The man who was already married cannot become "unmarried," cannot rid himself of his obligations, and must make some difficult choices about how he is to proceed, but a man who is unmarried has no such obligations, so if he cannot financially support a family, what is he doing going down that road? In fact, I would go so far as to say that a man or woman who is not ready--financially, emotionally, etc--to be married, has no business even dating. As to NFP, sometimes people forget that it is very much like aspirin. Aspirin is wonderful if you have a headache, and is a legitmate way to deal with aches and pains when we have them. But nobody considers aspirin to be a way of life, or takes it regularly for no good reason. The Church allows NFP for serious reasons, but it's not meant to be the norm. Sometimes, NFP becomes a way of trying to maintain control when we should be letting God be in control. "Have a baby" is the default setting, if you will. If there is a serious reason that we believe, after much prayer, that perhaps we should wait, that should, as another poster said, be a cause for sorrow. The primary end (that is, purpose) of marriage is the procreation and education of children. This is what differentiates marriage from any other relationship. Sometimes I think we lose sight of that. Claire,
there’s obviously a difference between a man who is already married and was once able to support his family but is now having difficulties and someone who is not married yet and cannot support a family. The man who was already married cannot become “unmarried,” cannot rid himself of his obligations, and must make some difficult choices about how he is to proceed, but a man who is unmarried has no such obligations, so if he cannot financially support a family, what is he doing going down that road? In fact, I would go so far as to say that a man or woman who is not ready–financially, emotionally, etc–to be married, has no business even dating.

As to NFP, sometimes people forget that it is very much like aspirin. Aspirin is wonderful if you have a headache, and is a legitmate way to deal with aches and pains when we have them. But nobody considers aspirin to be a way of life, or takes it regularly for no good reason. The Church allows NFP for serious reasons, but it’s not meant to be the norm. Sometimes, NFP becomes a way of trying to maintain control when we should be letting God be in control. “Have a baby” is the default setting, if you will. If there is a serious reason that we believe, after much prayer, that perhaps we should wait, that should, as another poster said, be a cause for sorrow.

The primary end (that is, purpose) of marriage is the procreation and education of children. This is what differentiates marriage from any other relationship. Sometimes I think we lose sight of that.

]]> By: davbehav http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33201 davbehav Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:13:46 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33201 This is the first time that I have read the comments and probably the last. I would like to keep my faith simple like a child. That is what Christ prefers. If we can't trust the Magisterium of the Catholic church all is lost. This is the first time that I have read the comments and probably the last.
I would like to keep my faith simple like a child. That is what Christ prefers.
If we can’t trust the Magisterium of the Catholic church all is lost.

]]> By: aurit http://catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113263/comment-page-1/#comment-33200 aurit Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:13:48 +0000 http://www.newcesite.com/2008/08/14/113263/#comment-33200 I am a teacher of the FertilityCare System (Creighton model) and believe that there are other benefits of charting a woman's cycle besides avoiding/achieving a pregnancy. There are many aspects of the woman's gyn. health that can be tracked and treated. I teach in Omaha and have the priviledge of working directly with Dr. Hilgers patients. Most of them are dealing with infertility, but others are dealing with PMS, painful bleeding, cysts, etc. I also believe that it would be beneficial for couples to learn a system of NFP before they are married in the case that they may need to practice it if a serious reason to avoid came up in the future. These methods take months to really learn and would be difficult to become confident in during a stessful time. I am NOT saying that every couple should be charting from before their wedding day until after menopause. However, I feel that NFP really can be a bridge for those who have been stained by this contraceptive culture, not a destination but a bridge. I am a teacher of the FertilityCare System (Creighton model) and believe that there are other benefits of charting a woman’s cycle besides avoiding/achieving a pregnancy. There are many aspects of the woman’s gyn. health that can be tracked and treated. I teach in Omaha and have the priviledge of working directly with Dr. Hilgers patients. Most of them are dealing with infertility, but others are dealing with PMS, painful bleeding, cysts, etc.

I also believe that it would be beneficial for couples to learn a system of NFP before they are married in the case that they may need to practice it if a serious reason to avoid came up in the future. These methods take months to really learn and would be difficult to become confident in during a stessful time. I am NOT saying that every couple should be charting from before their wedding day until after menopause. However, I feel that NFP really can be a bridge for those who have been stained by this contraceptive culture, not a destination but a bridge.

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