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19 minutes ago, poptart said:

I'll ask this here as reddit is a bit too political for my taste now, that and there are practicing Catholics here.  What's the deal?  What's so bad about it?  What's the LDS take?  Thanks!

Past statements here:

https://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Quotes/Birth Control Family Size.htm
 

More recently:

Quote

“Those who are physically able have the blessing, joy, and obligation to bear children and to raise a family. This blessing should not be postponed for selfish reasons.

 

Husband and wife are encouraged to pray and counsel together as they plan their families. Issues to consider include the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life for their children. This blessing should not be postponed for selfish reasons.”


Current:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/birth-control?lang=eng

Edited by SeekingUnderstanding
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10 hours ago, poptart said:

I'll ask this here as reddit is a bit too political for my taste now, that and there are practicing Catholics here.  What's the deal?  What's so bad about it?  What's the LDS take?  Thanks!

It's not the only reason, but one reason that I have heard Catholics explain why birth control is so bad is because with hormonal birth control it's still possible for an egg to be fertilized, the hormones just keep it from implanting.

So technically hormonal birth control like the pill or an IED can cause an abortion.

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14 hours ago, bluebell said:

It's not the only reason, but one reason that I have heard Catholics explain why birth control is so bad is because with hormonal birth control it's still possible for an egg to be fertilized, the hormones just keep it from implanting.

So technically hormonal birth control like the pill or an IED can cause an abortion.

Simply put – no, birth control is not an abortion-inducing drug. Pregnancy beginswhen a fertilized egg is implanted in the wall of a person’s uterus. Different methods of contraception work in different ways, but they all prevent pregnancy.  

For example, the combination hormonal pill(“the Pill”) uses estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation and thicken the cervical mucus. By preventing ovulation, there is no egg released from the ovaries to be fertilized. Furthermore, the thickening of the cervical mucus makes it hard for the sperm to enter the uterus and reach an egg. Through both of these mechanisms, fertilization is prevented and pregnancy never occurs.

 

Hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) work similarly to the pill while the copper IUD kills sperm before they can reach the egg. Even emergency contraception, commonly referred to as the “morning-after pill,” acts by preventing pregnancy, not ending a pregnancy that has already begun.

 

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8 hours ago, Lazarus 61 said:

My understanding is that it is not good for a husband and wife to interfere with their usual reproduction process if the only reason for the interference is a material/monetary concern.

 

23 hours ago, ksfisher said:

The decision about how many children to have and when to have them is extremely personal and private. It should be left between the couple and the Lord.

 

23 hours ago, ksfisher said:

This is the official position of the church. 

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9 hours ago, Raingirl said:

Simply put – no, birth control is not an abortion-inducing drug. Pregnancy beginswhen a fertilized egg is implanted in the wall of a person’s uterus. Different methods of contraception work in different ways, but they all prevent pregnancy.  

For example, the combination hormonal pill(“the Pill”) uses estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation and thicken the cervical mucus. By preventing ovulation, there is no egg released from the ovaries to be fertilized. Furthermore, the thickening of the cervical mucus makes it hard for the sperm to enter the uterus and reach an egg. Through both of these mechanisms, fertilization is prevented and pregnancy never occurs.

 

Hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs) work similarly to the pill while the copper IUD kills sperm before they can reach the egg. Even emergency contraception, commonly referred to as the “morning-after pill,” acts by preventing pregnancy, not ending a pregnancy that has already begun.

 

From what I’ve been told, Catholics believe that pregnancy begins with a fertilized egg. Not implantation. 

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1 minute ago, bluebell said:

From what I’ve been told, Catholics believe that pregnancy begins with a fertilized egg. Not implantation. 

Just because someone believes something, doesn’t make it true. The Catholic church is very much against contraception, so it ignores/misinterprets science. And as is stated above, the pill prevents eggs from being released, so there isn’t even an egg available to fertilize. The IUD also prevents fertilization. I’ve known Catholics who believe if you’re on the pill that you are actually having an abortion every month. 
 

I’ve also found members of our church to be very ignorant about birth control.

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1 hour ago, Raingirl said:

Just because someone believes something, doesn’t make it true. The Catholic church is very much against contraception, so it ignores/misinterprets science. And as is stated above, the pill prevents eggs from being released, so there isn’t even an egg available to fertilize. The IUD also prevents fertilization. I’ve known Catholics who believe if you’re on the pill that you are actually having an abortion every month. 
 

I’ve also found members of our church to be very ignorant about birth control.

I'm not presenting an argument for what is true. I'm explaining the Catholic view of it.

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18 minutes ago, bluebell said:

It was always amusing that they told people, in the handbook, that they should consult with their bishop before surgical sterilization and then didn't let people actually read the handbook so they had no idea that caveat existed.

Unless I am remembering wrong, I think that Handbook #2 was available to be read by the general membership, while Handbook #1 was not. 

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1 hour ago, pogi said:

Unless I am remembering wrong, I think that Handbook #2 was available to be read by the general membership, while Handbook #1 was not. 

But even Handbook #2 was for "administering the church".  It was handed out to leaders but most general membership would never see one in person, and wouldn't think to read it under most circumstances unless they had a calling that required it.  And even then, most would not read the whole thing but just the section that was relevant to them.

I just thought it was funny, some of the stuff that they put in there that seems like it was for general membership but was never presented to the general membership in a way they would easily know about it.

The new handbook is much better.  

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4 hours ago, bluebell said:

From what I’ve been told, Catholics believe that pregnancy begins with a fertilized egg. Not implantation. 

 

4 hours ago, Raingirl said:

Just because someone believes something, doesn’t make it true. The Catholic church is very much against contraception, so it ignores/misinterprets science. And as is stated above, the pill prevents eggs from being released, so there isn’t even an egg available to fertilize. The IUD also prevents fertilization. I’ve known Catholics who believe if you’re on the pill that you are actually having an abortion every month. 
 

I’ve also found members of our church to be very ignorant about birth control.

Life begins at conception while pregnancy at implantation? 

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On 3/2/2022 at 9:29 PM, poptart said:

I'll ask this here as reddit is a bit too political for my taste now, that and there are practicing Catholics here.  What's the deal?  What's so bad about it?  What's the LDS take?  Thanks!

https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Birth_Control

Quote

The general handbook of instructions for Church leaders has the following instructions concerning birth control: "Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have a great responsibility not only for bearing children but also for caring for them through childhood…. Married couples should seek inspiration from the Lord in meeting their marital challenges and rearing their children according to the teachings of the gospel" (General Handbook, 11-4).

Interpretation of these general instructions is left to the agency of Church members. One of the basic teachings of the Church, however, is that spirit children of God come to earth to obtain a physical body, to grow, and to be tested. In that process, adults should marry and provide temporal bodies for those spirit children. For Latter-day Saints, it is a blessing, a joy, and also an obligation to bear children and to raise a family.

One of the cornerstones of the gospel is agency or choice. Latter-day Saints believe that everyone will be held responsible for the choices they make. Many decisions involve the application of principles where precise instructions are not given in the General Handbook of Instructions or in the scriptures. The exercise of individual agency is therefore required, and Latter-day Saints believe that personal growth results from weighing the alternatives, studying matters carefully, counseling with appropriate Church leaders, and then seeking inspiration from the Lord before making a decision.

Church members are taught to study the question of family planning, including such important aspects as the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life. If, for personal reasons, a couple prayerfully decides that having another child immediately is unwise, birth control may be appropriate. Abstinence, of course, is a form of contraception. Like any other method, however, it has its side effects, some of which may be harmful to the marriage relationship.

Prophets past and present have never stipulated that bearing children was the sole function of the marriage relationship. They have taught that physical intimacy is a strong force in expressing and strengthening the love bond in marriage, enhancing and reinforcing marital unity.

Decisions regarding the number and spacing of children are to be made by husband and wife together, in righteousness, and through empathetic communication, and with prayer for the Lord's inspiration. Latter-day Saints believe that persons are accountable not only for what they do but for why they do it. Thus, regarding family size and attendant questions, members should desire to multiply and replenish the earth as the Lord has commanded. In that process, God intends that his children use the agency that he has given them in charting a wise course for themselves and their families.

This is apparently unchanged from the original 1992 version.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/birth-control?lang=eng

Quote

Children are one of the greatest blessings in life, and their birth into loving and nurturing families is central to God’s purposes for humanity. When husband and wife are physically able, they have the privilege and responsibility to bring children into the world and to nurture them. The decision of how many children to have and when to have them is a private matter for the husband and wife.

God has a plan for the happiness of all who live on the earth, and the birth of children in loving families is central to His plan. The first commandment He gave to Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). The scriptures declare, “Children are a heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Those who are physically able have the blessing, joy, and obligation to bear children and to raise a family. This blessing should not be postponed for selfish reasons.

Sexual relations within marriage are not only for the purpose of procreation, but also a means of expressing love and strengthening emotional and spiritual ties between husband and wife.

Husband and wife are encouraged to pray and counsel together as they plan their families. Issues to consider include the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life for their children.

Decisions about birth control and the consequences of those decisions rest solely with each married couple. Elective abortion as a method of birth control, however, is contrary to the commandments of God.

Thanks,

-Smac

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3 hours ago, pogi said:

This is a BIG new change regarding surgical sterilization

 

3 hours ago, pogi said:

What a breath of fresh air!!! 

 

3 hours ago, pogi said:

What was once off the table for nearly all members, is now a viable option for birth control

I don't think the church has really changed it's position, just acknowledged that members of the church are going to do what they want to do in this area regardless of what the church says. 

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3 hours ago, Lazarus 61 said:

I did that and was sharing the understanding I now have after going through that experience.  I do not speak for our Lord, not even when I am sharing what our Lord has taught me.

I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about here.

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3 hours ago, pogi said:

Unless I am remembering wrong, I think that Handbook #2 was available to be read by the general membership, while Handbook #1 was not. 

The Handbook was not split into 1 and 2 until 1998 according to Wiki.  The previous version was broken into sections and leaders and teachers, etc. were only given the part relevant to their calling…at least back in the 80s and 90s when I did ward librarian callings.  One ward library I worked in had collected most (all) sections that were given to general membership in a fat binder and I spent the slow times reading this.  It was not complete.  I do not remember having the general guidelines sections that included the medical advice.  There would be no reason to publish that section for a particular calling, so likely would have been included in only the complete editions of the Handbook.  I wonder if anyone can confirm that.

Quote

The document that is identified as the first Church Handbook of Instructions was published in 1899 as a small, 14-page booklet.[1] It primarily contained instructions on how to manage in-kind payments of tithing by church members.[1] The handbook was revised every year until 1910 and approximately every five years thereafter.[1] The book has been variously called the Annual Instructions, the Circular of Instructions, the Handbook of Instructions, the General Handbook of Instructions, the Church Handbook of Instructions, and finally the Handbook.

In 1998, the book was split into two volumes for the first time and was renamed the Church Handbook of Instructions. A new edition was published and released to church leaders in November 2010, with the new names Handbook 1 and Handbook 2. One of the major changes between the 2006 and 2010 versions of the handbook is that the 2010 version "softened the language about gay Mormons" and eliminated statements "that same-sex relationships 'distort loving relationships' and that gays should repent of their 'homosexual thoughts or feelings.'"[7] In 2020, the two-volume handbook was consolidated into a single volume and it was published online in its entirety for the first time.[8] As compared to earlier editions, the 2020 General Handbook has a "softer tone on discipline, [an] emphasis on pastoral care, ... clarity on complex issues and [a] push for greater compassion toward same-sex and transgender members".[8]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Handbook

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2 hours ago, ksfisher said:

I don't think the church has really changed it's position, just acknowledged that members of the church are going to do what they want to do in this area regardless of what the church says. 

If the policy constitutes their official position (which it does), then it has changed.  They are not simply acknowledging that members are going to do whatever they want, they are actually changing their recommendations.  

Edited by pogi
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