What's the matter with birth control?

[Koldo]

I dislike birth control (unless it's advised by a medical professional) as it prevents our spirit brothers and sisters from coming to earth and getting bodies.

What about their quality of life?

 

[Shades-o-Blue]

What about their quality of life?

What about it? What if one's calling were to suffer in this life, in order to receive an eternal reward in the afterlife?

 

[Koldo]

What about it? What if one's calling were to suffer in this life, in order to receive an eternal reward in the afterlife?

What if one didn't wish for suffering in this life? ( or if one's calling wasn't to suffer in this life )
Shouldn't you ,at least, consider giving those unborn the benefit of doubt?
In which case you would try to grant the best possible well-being to them in this life.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What about it? What if one's calling were to suffer in this life, in order to receive an eternal reward in the afterlife?

Will a person receive less of a reward in the afterlife if his parents wait until they're financially stable to have him?

 

[Father Heathen]

I find it bizarre that people actually think that god would actually desire for us to breed like mindless fruit flies in a race - with no regard to responsibility, sustainability, and quality of life - to overpopulate the planet and to deplete its resources.

And as for birth control "preventing spirit brothers/sisters from entering a physical body", there are approximately 20-40 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate, with 1500 new sperm being produced each second. Think of all those countless spirits not getting a physical body. So the whole notion of birth control denying life is simply silly.

 

[Father Heathen]

What about it? What if one's calling were to suffer in this life, in order to receive an eternal reward in the afterlife?

So god rewards reckless, thoughtless behavior that causes needless and unnecessary suffering? If god gave us the ability to reason, don't you think we should be utilizing it?

 

[Shades-o-Blue]

What if one didn't wish for suffering in this life? ( or if one's calling wasn't to suffer in this life )
Shouldn't you ,at least, consider giving those unborn the benefit of doubt?
In which case you would try to grant the best possible well-being to them in this life.

What if it wasn't within my power to give the unborn the benefit of the doubt? What if it wasn't even my place to decide if one should be given the benefit of the doubt? What if I decided that I wanted that person to be free to pursue his own destiny, rather than sieze control of that person's destiny so that I may have power over that person?

 

[Shades-o-Blue]

So god rewards reckless, thoughtless behavior that causes needless and unnecessary suffering? If god gave us the ability to reason, don't you think we should be utilizing it?

Nope. He rewards the faithful and obedient.

 

[Shades-o-Blue]

I find it bizarre that people actually think that god would actually desire for us to breed like mindless fruit flies in a race...

He doesn't. Whoever gave you that impression? God allows for free agency, and often times that free agency results in a lot of reckless sexual activity.

 

[waitasec]

What about it? What if one's calling were to suffer in this life, in order to receive an eternal reward in the afterlife?

better to have suffered than not suffered at all
especially if it is the only existence one may ever have


the bravery of being our of range

 

[waitasec]

So god rewards reckless, thoughtless behavior that causes needless and unnecessary suffering?

if you're talking about his god...?
:yes:

 

[Nakosis]

It is my understanding that the Catholic church still bans birth control methods. What is the reasoning behind this? And, if you are a Christian, do you or don't you accept that reasoning?

Also, I was curious if other religious traditions banned birth control, and what their reasons were as well.

It just seems to me that we have been quite fruitful, and we have certainly multiplied, to the point where humans are no longer able to be good stewards of the Earth.

Additionally, birth control allows families to better raise children they already have, by better organizing their finances and time. What is the problem with this?

More Catholics get born, more people who hopefully become Catholic. More Catholics more political power.

I heard some minorities view birth control as an attempt to limit the population of that minority.

Used to be children were a benefit, an asset. Now in our society they've become a burden. Families/tribes used to support one another. We don't have that so much any more. I suppose it is much easier government to handle people when there is little family unity.

 

[Father Heathen]

Nope. He rewards the faithful and obedient.

I don't see why he would reward mindless adherence to arbitrary tenets concocted by self-appointed and self-serving middlemen. I think god, having given us minds, would desire for us to use critical thought and rational inquiry, and to examine and question things to separate truth from fiction. Do you not think mortal men have presumed to speak on gods behalf only as a tool for power and control?

 

[Father Heathen]

Whoever gave you that impression?

You did, with your insistence that people squeeze out litters for Jesus regardless of whether or not they're financially stable and in a secure environment. You worry about a single sperm cell even though trillions naturally expire every day.

 

[Katzpur]

Oh, then allow me to clarify: Under no circumstances are any faithful members of the LDS faith to engage in premarital sex. This means abstinence PRIOR to marriage is a must. Abstinence AFTER marriage, is not good, and also absurd.

But I believe you're saying that AFTER marriage, a couple should just basically have as many kids as happen to come. I'm LDS, too, and I think that's every bit as absurd as abstinence after marriage.

 

[waitasec]

I don't see why he would reward mindless adherence to arbitrary tenets concocted by self-appointed and self-serving middlemen. I think god, having given us minds, would desire for us to use critical thought and rational inquiry, and to examine and question things to separate truth from fiction. Do you not think mortal men have presumed to speak on gods behalf only as a tool for power and control?

didn't you know, critical thinking is code for... rebellion against his god

 

[Katzpur]

I'm not convinced yet that your mindset is the typical LDS mindset. It's certainly unlike that of any other Mormon I've ever met.

I'm not sure there really is a "typical" LDS mindset. Generally speaking, LDS couples do have more children than people of many other religions, but that doesn't necessarily translate to their being of a single mindset. My husband and I chose to wait over nine years before we had our two children (and that, I'll tell you, was clearly "atypical" ), but we never felt as if we were sinning by using contraception. Mormonism does teach that there are spirits in Heaven waiting to come to Earth, but the decision as to how many children to have and when to have them is considered to be one between the couple and the Lord.

 

[Katzpur]

I am opposed to contraception if it's not medically advisable or if the married couple can afford to have kids.

So you think parents should have children they don't really want? I knew, from the time I was old enough to conceive, that six or eight kids would absolutely drive me insane. Though I would die for either of my own two grown children, I really don't particularly like kids. I was able to be a pretty good mother to two, but I would have been a horrible mother had I had as many as I probably would have had, had we not used contraception.

 

[waitasec]

i was at miniature golf/arcade yesterday and this little girl with an obvious mental disorder and physical disabilities was pretty much left alone while her "papa" sat by himself and didn't even come to her aid when she needed him...i guess that is what god wants for that little girl...to be ignored by her care taker.

 

[Shades-o-Blue]

But I believe you're saying that AFTER marriage, a couple should just basically have as many kids as happen to come. I'm LDS, too, and I think that's every bit as absurd as abstinence after marriage.

I clarified this further down the thread.