[Salvation]

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[Salvation]

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[narses]

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[narses]

I thought sex sells, no?

[narses]

This thread is the dead elephant in the middle of the room.

Please consider the points made. Please post your prayers for me and you and all of us affected by the modern destructive sexualized society we have and the horrific impact it has on each of us and our children.

[Puddleglum]

People think there are only two people in a marriage. There are really (at least):

Man

Wife

God

The generations that made the man/wife

The generations that gave the church to man/wife (in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword...)

The generations (the Church) to come from man/wife

Procreation IS evangelizing in its most fundamental form. It is creating new souls within the promise to live the Christian walk and perpetuate the church and preserve its glory. The church’s most aggressive recruiting drive must come from within. I am shocked and amused at the aggressive drives to evangelize to Africa or China or that scummy neighborhood down the street and yet “God only wants two kids from us.” The church is the bride of Christ. Sometimes the bride stops at two kids cuz it doesn’t trust the husband, Christ, to provide for more. Or it has a headache.

[steadfastconservative]

Most couples simply have no idea what they’re getting themselves into when they sterilize their sexual acts.

I disagree. While some couples do not realize what the consequences of practicing contraception will be, almost all Catholics are aware of the Church's teaching that contraception is evil. They are not ignorant of what the Church teaches. Therefore, even if they do not realize that practicing contraception will adversely affect their marriage, they do know that it is objectively evil or, at least, that the Church says that it is objectively evil. Therefore, they are culpable. Catholics who dissent from this teaching are not merely disagreeing with a particular doctrine, they are rejecting the Church's authority. Therefore, it is no wonder that the same Catholics who reject the Church's teaching on birth control also question or reject other Church teachings and not just on matters of morality, such as divorce, homosexuality, abortion, but on matters of faith, such as belief in the Real Presence. Contraception is poison all right but most of those who greedily drink from that cup don't care whether or not this poisons affects their conjugal lives or their faith.

[jude24]

Contracepted intercourse marks a determined “closing off” of the sexual act to the Holy Spirit, to the very life and love of God.

Considering the number of persons born despite contraception, this assertion is dubious.

[Alkhin]

I would suggest that contraception is not ALWAYS used in a manner of self-interest. We had to deliver my child by emergency C-section because of a severely abrupted placenta (the only thing I had done that day was walk around in a mall - and the doctors often encourage walking and exercise for the health of the mother and baby) -and it was discovered that the placenta had grown into the wall of the uterus which meant that when it abrupted, it tore out like tree being uprooted. Which left a lot of damage.

Because he couldnt find the placenta on the sonagram, he opted to use a 'classical' C-section incision. There was no time to consider options - I had lost a LOT of blood and the first that doctor told me that if it was a choice between me and the baby, he was saving the baby. I told the doctor THANK YOU!

Because there was a lot of damage and a bad infection after the C-section, the doctor insisted I get on the pill for a year after I had my daughter. He did not want to take a chance of compromising the integrity of the womb or endangering a life by another pregnancy. As soon as a year was up, I stopped taking the pill.

The pill DOES have its benefits.

[samiam1972]

This particular area of contraception is very near and dear to my heart. My husband and I spent the first few years of our marriage contracepting. I was a cradle Catholic that really didn’t know or understand the Church. Luckily, we got into a group of young couples through the Church and began to learn a lot! When I found out that the pill could be an abortificient I was devastated. Heartbroken! How many potential babies had my husband and I possibly lost?

I went off the pill the next day and was pregnant a month later. I’d like to say that everything was great after that but it wasn’t. We were one phone call away from splitting up after my son was born. It was a very ugly point in our life together. My dad was the strong one and wouldn’t come and get me. He gave me some wonderful advice and we were able to hang on a little longer.

It wasn’t until after our daughter was born that we finally went to Natural Family Planning classes. I truly believe that the knowledge gained from those classes and a renewed faith in God solidified our marriage. It’s not always rosy but it is so much more respectful, kind and loving. I am grateful that we were able to stick together through that rough patch because I can’t imagine ever being with anyone else. He is an amazing husband and father.

That gift we are able to give to each other without barriers of any kind is the best present ever. We are about to celebrate the first birthday of our fourth child and welcome any more children God has planned for us.