Is there a situation in which the Catholic Church would support birth control (contraception)?

Now, I'm not talking about two young people who meet in a bar, decide they like each other, and then go home and be "safe". Here's the situation I mean: Say you have an average family. There good Christians. Go to church every week. Two parents, two kids. Normal, typical, average, loving family. What if however, a third kid would send them into financial crisis. I mean like, on the border of not being able to even get by, or even just getting by, if that. If you know what I mean. In this situation, would the Catholic Church support the use birth control, maybe birth control pills?

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. The Catholic Church does not feel free to change the law of God, as do Protestants.

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) .

'Natural family planning' involves using self-control to regulate sexual activities in harmony with nature. The natural methods of family planning are:

Abstention: not having sex
this method is 100% reliable

Rhythm method: having sex at times of the woman's menstrual cycle when she is unable to conceive
this method is calendar based
its reliability is around 85%

Body function methods: these use other functions of the woman's body, such as mucous patterns and temperature patterns, to determine when the chance of conception is low. The couple only have sexual intercourse during the period of low fertility.
these methods are up to 98% reliable

Natural family planning is not unethical or disobedient to God because:

it uses a mechanism God designed

it is natural because it is based on the natural human property of self-control
self-mastery is a power which God gave only to human beings
they should use self-mastery rather than methods which work against nature

it does not completely prevent conception - the sexual act remains 'open' to the creation of a new life
it does not add anything artificial to the sexual act to change it

Natural family planning alone does not satisfy Catholic teaching about birth control; motivation and purpose are also important.

Family planning must be used responsibly and not for trivial reasons. So while it would be good to use family planning to space out a family's children, it would be wrong to use family planning because a couple would rather spend their money on a new car than caring for a child.

The Catholic church is against the use of artifical birth control including birth control pills. They allow the use of natural birth control methods which leave the possibility of life open, such as the rhythm method (charting). However, the success rate of that method is notoriously low. Hope this helped.

Well, remember this is the catholic church we're talking about. Doing something wrong is ok if it's not too bad, as long as you repent. I think most priests wouldn't really be shocked if someone confesses having used birth control in wedlock when there already are children. They'd just tell the people involved to pray some rosaries and "go out and sin no more", knowing full well that they'll come back with the same confession.

The Catholic church is against the use of any artificial birth control methods (even between married couples), and all sex outside of marriage. Whether they "would" or not depends on who happens to be in charge at the time. I think a future liberal Pope might relax that rule a bit. After all in 1992 they even pardoned Galileo Galilei.

The only way the catholic church will support contreception is if Jesus comes back and says he's sponsoring durex.
It's time that the catholic church changed it's attitude, with all the sexually transmitted diseases and over population you'd think they would change their tune.

Spiritroaming: The rhythym method rarely works, it is possible to concieve during your period and many women have been caught out during it, not only that but pulling out before ejaculation does not work either. And abstaining especially within marriage is just a ridiculous notion altogether, sexual frustration is actually very bad for your health. Backwards moron.

these days most catholics are making their own decisions.the catholics i know don't think god wants them to live in poverty.but, i can't say its the official stand of the church. i say talk to your priest.

If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay....

generally no. but a woman can take birth control for other reasons such as hormone replacement therapy with the side effect being birth control but no one may use any type of birth control for the sole purpose of preventing life.

The catholic church is against abortion and pre marital sex.

no, they would tell them to just not have sex.

<<Is there a situation in which the Catholic Church would support birth control (contraception)?>>

I think you're confused on the subject. The Church does not allow the use of artificial contraception, but it actively encourages the use of natural forms of birth regulation.


<<Now, I'm not talking about two young people who meet in a bar, decide they like each other, and then go home and be "safe". Here's the situation I mean: Say you have an average family. There good Christians. Go to church every week. Two parents, two kids. Normal, typical, average, loving family.>>

In either case, the use of artificial contraception would be wrong. It doesn't matter if it's two drunk and horny morons in a bar or "straight and narrow" husband and wife.


<<What if however, a third kid would send them into financial crisis.>>

This argument is used by people who:
1) Don't have ANY children of their own, and
2) Are not the head of any household, ie don't know anything about family budgeting.

The addition of one more child into a family, in and of itself, won't through a family into financial chaos. You said this family was a "normal, typical, average, loving" family. Such a family will find a way to make it work financially because they love ALL their children and make whatever personal sacrifices they need to in order to provide for their children.

Don't believe the "economic catastrophe" argument. It's entirely fallacious.


<<I mean like, on the border of not being able to even get by, or even just getting by, if that. If you know what I mean.>>

Yes, I KNOW. I made it work when the third child came along. So can every "typical, average, loving family".

Any family who cries "financial chaos" is not typical, not average, unloving.


<<In this situation, would the Catholic Church support the use birth control, maybe birth control pills?>>

Good God NO, the Church would not support the use of artificial birth control in this situation!

The Church is against birth control because various popes have worried that it will lead to the idea of sex without any consequences and men will start using women for irresponsible sex all the time.

I'm Catholic, and although I don't support premarital sex, I honestly think that birth control in a wholesome situation like the one you described would be fine.

Pope John Paul I actually spoke of a massive reform of the Vatican and allowing birth control, but he died after a term of only 33 days...

I predict that a future liberal pope will relax the birth control stance because of how it would dramatically reduce abortions.