Catholics amaze me. I'm sorry if anyone who reads this is Catholic, but your church leaders have got to be the stodgiest old farts who ever managed to reach a position where they can tell people what to do. Take, for instance, the Catholic church's ban--yes, ban--on condoms. Um...does anyone else fail to see the logic behind that? Apparently, condoms are "evil" and the only method two people should use to avoid pregnancy while still having sex is to not have sex at all. Now, this doesn't really seem like a good plan to me. People will have sex. It's what people do. Telling them that they can't use condoms will only result in one thing: more babies. If they were going to use a condom in the first place, it's obvious that this is something they don't want. Ergo, it would be in the world's favor to allow people to use condoms in order to keep the population level down, especially since the Catholic church refuses to allow single women to adopt. Or something like that.
The Catholic Church will, however, allow limited condom use for couples with HIV/AIDS, to prevent the spread of the disease. Considering that latex condoms are highly effective when it comes to stopping HIV, this seems like a much better idea than mere abstinence. Sex isn't the only way HIV gets around...
At any rate, this is just one more thing I don't like about the Catholic church. Again, I apologize to any Catholics who happen across this. It's just that I prefer to do things my own way. Religion is one thing, complete control of peoples' life choices is another. Of course, the very idea of actually banning condoms is ridiculous. It'll never happen.
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I was raised Catholic...but I honestly don't like associating what i believe with the word 'Catholic'.
I am catholic and I am devout to my religion and my church. Now after saying that I too do not agree with the leaders who are all predominantly white middle European men over the age of sixty. Condoms should be used by anyone not wishing to have a child or contract an STD. On another note, I think we should look at the topic; of the Bush administration and condoms. According to them, we are to learn only abstinence. Above and beyond that they will only give money to struggling African nations if they pledge to spread abstinence only education and eliminate educating the people on condom usage and distributing condoms. Africa has an unbelievable epidemic happening right now with not just HIV/AIDS, but many other STD as well.
Alright. We had a Catholic priest come to our school to explain some tenets of the Catholic religion. Basically the premise went like this:
Ok, there's God and Jesus. Between them is this holy, selfless love which is so copious that it's overflowing. This love overflow is given to humans in the form of the holy spirit.
Now, when a man and a woman have sex, it is supposed to be out of this same kind of selfless love which would oveflow into their potential child.
Therefore, the church is against artificial birth control because it takes away the selfless love and makes it into selfish love.
That's what they said. Now, the way I see it with this selfless love thing: is it wrong to try and pleasure another whom you love with your love? I can understand why the Catholic church would be against prostitution, but why artificial birth control, I'm not sure.
--Mike
I was really pleased to see your comment, I'm glad that someone explained it from the Catholic's point of view.
To explain a little more, sex is a gift that was given from God to be had by a man and a woman within the bonds of marriage. Why marriage? Because in order to prove our love before we can have sex, we accept the ultimate commitment; marriage.
Now, just because the Catholic church prohibits the use of condoms doesn't mean that you can't have sex if you don't intend to have a baby. If that was the case, we would have Catholic families with dozens upon dozens of kids. We have to be open to the possibility of a child. That's where natural family planning comes in. So you can't have sex for a week and a half out of a month. Well, that's a pity. There might be times where your needs are particularly great...That's too bad. Unless you are willing to raise a child, just don't do it.
Oh man, you should see orthodox jewish families! In Judaism, sex is a mitzvah (good deed/commandment). In Orthodox (and conservative), it's a Mitzvah to have children. In Reformed, it's just a Mitzvah to have sex.
--Mike
first off, i'd like to say, I LOVED THE TITLE OF YOUR BLOG... very catchy. two, what a well written argument. a lot of the blogs i've been reading have been very whiny but yours has stuff to back it up. good topic.
This belief is why families were so big in the last generation or two. My mom has 6 brothers and sisters my dad 8. Both raised Catholic. I however do not support this part of the Catholic Church either. I support the bible. And the Bible does not say that you can not use birth control..Oh and it's not just condoms it is ALL BIRTH CONTROL..according to the catholic doctrine
-Hutch
Actually if you listen to the news at all you would have found out that the Catholic church is starting to recognize condoms--in marriage, as preventative measures of an STD. If one person had a partner with an STD and that person contracted it, then moved on to find their "soul mate" or what have you, then using condoms is fine, just as long as they are married.
"Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity--and I'm not so sure about the universe"
-Albert Einstein
The reason the church condemns these is because they send the message that fornication is "okay." I'm not Catholic, but I agree with the church for this reason. Also, your assertion that the Catholic church "completely controls peoples life choices" is wrong, the church makes suggestions and publicly frowns upon things, but has no authority in your or my life.
The objection is to the mere attempt to control lives. And the sad fact is, the Catholic church does have significant sway over the lives of some who have been persuaded that their personal Catholic beliefs necessitate that they obey every word out of the Pope's mouth. Someone with so much power should not utilize it in such a dogmatic fashion. It's ok to personally choose not to use a condom for religious reasons, although I will never understand why. But telling other people to do the same when they look up to you as a leader is taking advantage of them for the imposition of moral doctrine. Even that is not as bad as incorporating that moral doctrine into the operation of the state.
I'm curious about two things:
1) Why do you believe that condoms send the message that sex is "okay"? They encourage safe sex, with the apparent alternative being unsafe sex.
2) Why do you believe that it's wrong to send that message anyway?
Sex is okay. I said fornication, or sex outside of marriage. In the Christian view this IS wrong. Check out 1 Corinthians chapter 7, where you will read that sex is a gift given to the married, and condemns fornication.
So you're a non-Catholic Christian. I can see that. But you still didn't answer the other question. Married couples use condoms too.
I dont condemn condoms in themselves, its the message that it is okay to have sex outside of marriage and not have to worry about consequences, like a baby. Comprende? Or are my simple words still leaking through to holes in your hard head.
Hm. I'm sorry if I sound hard-headed to you, but perhaps you should check what you're saying before you criticize. You have yet to provide a reason why a condom inherently condones extramarital sex, given that married couples use them. Why must the piece of latex be the culprit, rather than the explicit decision to fornicate?
Breath buddy. You need to cool it down a bit. Try and be a little more respectful of other people's beliefs. It is just as hard headed to not allow anyone else to think for themselves and shoving your belief down their throats. As much as we'd like to believe it, just stating your opinion and arguing it probably isn't going to change their minds.
This is a subject in which hundreds of theological and philosophical books have been written: what purpose does religion play in current events? In our country, church and state are expected to be wholly separate, and churches are not expected to opine about certain issues such as condom use. It is not the Church's duty, nor the Church's right, to give its followers its own personal opinions on current events. Doing so runs the risk of creating a massive following which absent-mindedly accepts these opinions as divine truth, when in fact they are not.
Imposing one's beliefs as the truth and debasing the opposing view is often called undemocratic - it suppresses the free exchange of ideas that we have in America.
OK so i can see your reasoning. I am a catholic and very involved in my church, but personally i believe in condoms but i want to explain the church's view or atleast how i interpret it. so here i go. They have this ban to stop people from having sex. because people arent supposed to have sex before marriage so then condoms, inthe since of stoping a pregnancy, would be pointless. catholics believe in gods plan so by using a condom you're interferring with god's plan. (but that one never really made since to be beacuse mary was a virgin but anways) I dont know if that came out rihgt or not but yea haha thats wat the church thinks
It's kinda crazy to me that the Catholic church teaches that people should only have sex to make babies and they wont allow couples to use condoms or any other means of birth control. If I was Catholic, I'd be having a ton of babies!
First of all, no need to apologize to Catholics. This is your opinion and you are entitled to it. I am Catholic; I'd never heard that single women can't adopt. That was news to me. But I learn things about the church all the time.
I have to agree with you. People will have sex. Sometimes I think that sex is the best way to show affection to somebody, and so why would God punish people for it outside of marriage?
Using a condom is way better than having an abortion, so I say to Catholics: choose the lesser of two evils. Either prevent fertilization or kill an already fertilized fetus with risks to the woman's health too. After saying that, I should share that I'm pro choice. Abortion can't be made into a black and white issue.