Do Catholics promote contraception?

[Flail]

I am told that the Catholic church teaches against contraception yet promotes abstinence in fertile periods for the female...isn't that contraception?

Personally I favor abortion as a women's choice and think it would be acceptable behavior to God under the right circumstances....an unwanted child...single parent...rape....young parent without parenting skills....child with deformity or other problems who would have a life of suffering.....It is a tough subject however, and should be left to the parents and not a group of men in funny clothes.

[Goat]

I am not really familiar with the Catholic religion, do they promote condoms as well or are they also against them?

Condoms are not 'natural'. Therefore, they are on the forbidden list.

There are groups that have been critical against the Catholic Church because they don't even like the use of condoms for disease control , to prevent STD's.

I understand that the Church is against condom use, but shouldn't Catholic Priests be encouraged to use them when having sex with children?

To be truthful, it isn't just the Roman Catholic church that has problems with priests and ministers abusing children. It is just that the RCC has a hierarchy that looked at protecting it's reputation at the expense of the children that makes it stand out more.

In other Christian denominations, the priest who does that has to find their own new congregation, but the original church tends to hush it up because of embarrassment.

In Australia, when it comes to child abuse, one of the 'professions' that is in the profile for looking for child abuses is priest, not just a Roman Catholic priest.

I suspect that people with those inclinations go into priesthood to try to combat their tendencies, and fall off their intentions with the fact they have a lot more opportunity.

[Lux]

I was under the impression that the catholic church frowned upon contraception because sex is supposed to be for reproductive purposes only. But then how can they be OK with the rhythm method, or the pull out method? Regardless of them being natural (and much less efficient than the "unnatural" methods), the ultimate intention is to prevent conception. So how are they any better?

[Goat]

I was under the impression that the catholic church frowned upon contraception because sex is supposed to be for reproductive purposes only. But then how can they be OK with the rhythm method, or the pull out method? Regardless of them being natural (and much less efficient than the "unnatural" methods), the ultimate intention is to prevent conception. So how are they any better?

I believe the answer is 'it's natural' , and it comes 'if god wants to interfer with it, he can'

[McCulloch]

I was under the impression that the catholic church frowned upon contraception because sex is supposed to be for reproductive purposes only. But then how can they be OK with the rhythm method, or the pull out method? Regardless of them being natural (and much less efficient than the "unnatural" methods), the ultimate intention is to prevent conception. So how are they any better?

I cannot know the workings of the Machiavellian minds of the Vatican, but from where I sit, it looks to me that they are good with the rhythm method because it is natural, intuitive and ineffective.

It reminds me of the old joke:
Q. What do you call a woman (man or couple) who relies on the rhythm method?
A. Mom (Dad or parents).

[Lux]

I was under the impression that the catholic church frowned upon contraception because sex is supposed to be for reproductive purposes only. But then how can they be OK with the rhythm method, or the pull out method? Regardless of them being natural (and much less efficient than the "unnatural" methods), the ultimate intention is to prevent conception. So how are they any better?

I believe the answer is 'it's natural' , and it comes 'if god wants to interfer with it, he can'

Can't he make a hole in a condom?

I wonder if there's a significant number of catholics who reject contraception nowadays.

[ChaosBorders]

They promote 'natural' methods.

Abstinence and the 'withdrawal method' are on the approved list.

The natural methods you refer to are derived from Aquinas' natural law. Pulling out is acceptable ONLY IF you don't blow it

Condoms and birth control are not found to be acceptable because the point is to be able to ejaculate without the "natural" consequences and this is a no-no. Sex without the intent to procreate has been looked down upon since 4th century Christianity.

And by Christianity, I am hoping you mean Catholics? Because none of the denominations whose churches I've attended have looked down upon sex between spouses. 1 Corinthians 7 is used as pretty solid support that a married couple should not be going too long without sex.

[fredonly]

For the record, the Amish and the Mormons are also opposed to contraception. The Amish even oppose "calendar based" birth control.

[cnorman18]

There are two, and only two, methods of birth control acceptable to the Catholic Church: (1) Periodic abstinence when the woman is capable of conception, and (2) total celibacy.

Or, as a musician friend of mine put it, "rhythm and blues."

The idea that sex is only for procreation in humans is provably false. Other mammals are only interested in sex when the female is fertile; at other times, they exhibit no interest. Humans, not so. We like sex ANYTIME. If one believes that God designed this arrangement, it should be obvious that sex is intended for pleasure as well as making babies.

Christianity has always had a bit of a bee in its bonnet about sex, as if sexual sins were somehow more heinous than other sins and as if sexual desire and sexuality itself were somehow evil. Weird.

Judaism regards sexuality as a blessing, not a curse - and celibacy as not exactly a sin, but pretty damn stupid. There is no such thing as a Jewish monk or nun.

For the record, many Orthodox Jews have the same attitude toward contraception as Catholics. They tend to have huge families, too.

[Lux]

There are two, and only two, methods of birth control acceptable to the Catholic Church: (1) Periodic abstinence when the woman is capable of conception, and (2) total celibacy.

Or, as a musician friend of mine put it, "rhythm and blues."

The idea that sex is only for procreation in humans is provably false. Other mammals are only interested in sex when the female is fertile; at other times, they exhibit no interest. Humans, not so. We like sex ANYTIME. If one believes that God designed this arrangement, it should be obvious that sex is intended for pleasure as well as making babies.

Christianity has always had a bit of a bee in its bonnet about sex, as if sexual sins were somehow more heinous than other sins and as if sexual desire and sexuality itself were somehow evil. Weird.

Judaism regards sexuality as a blessing, not a curse - and celibacy as not exactly a sin, but pretty damn stupid. There is no such thing as a Jewish monk or nun.

For the record, many Orthodox Jews have the same attitude toward contraception as Catholics. They tend to have huge families, too.

Also, sex is proven to have medical benefits

Apart from the possibility of its resulting in successful pregnancy and childbirth, sex has a wide range of health benefits including relief from stress, more immunity through increased immunoglobulin A, reduced risk of heart attack and of prostate cancer, and sounder sleep.

(Source: Wiki)

And I don't have any facts on this, but I'm still willing to bet that people who have a healthy and active sex life are happier

[Flail]

There are two, and only two, methods of birth control acceptable to the Catholic Church: (1) Periodic abstinence when the woman is capable of conception, and (2) total celibacy.

Or, as a musician friend of mine put it, "rhythm and blues."

The idea that sex is only for procreation in humans is provably false. Other mammals are only interested in sex when the female is fertile; at other times, they exhibit no interest. Humans, not so. We like sex ANYTIME. If one believes that God designed this arrangement, it should be obvious that sex is intended for pleasure as well as making babies.

Christianity has always had a bit of a bee in its bonnet about sex, as if sexual sins were somehow more heinous than other sins and as if sexual desire and sexuality itself were somehow evil. Weird.

Judaism regards sexuality as a blessing, not a curse - and celibacy as not exactly a sin, but pretty damn stupid. There is no such thing as a Jewish monk or nun.

For the record, many Orthodox Jews have the same attitude toward contraception as Catholics. They tend to have huge families, too.

Also, sex is proven to have medical benefits

Apart from the possibility of its resulting in successful pregnancy and childbirth, sex has a wide range of health benefits including relief from stress, more immunity through increased immunoglobulin A, reduced risk of heart attack and of prostate cancer, and sounder sleep.

(Source: Wiki)

And I don't have any facts on this, but I'm still willing to bet that people who have a healthy and active sex life are happier

Having anal sex with children controls birth and is obviously a method approved by the Church.