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JillD Member

| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 768 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 01:58 pm |
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I guess when one puts that much info in the subject lines, not much clarification is needed... 
Is one of the encyclicals a good choice?
They're not Catholic, but would not be entirely opposed to an argument simply because the source is Catholic.
I'll do some surfing, too, but thought someone might know of a REALLY GOOD article or book that would enlighten them. It was the news of the new birth control pill that completely stops a woman's period that got us on the subject. Somehow, that pill sounds inherently unhealthy, but to them it sounds great. No periods! How illusory that luxury surely is.
Jill
____________________ "I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret." Ps 139
"Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men." Ps 140
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CajunRick Network Helper

| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5348 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 02:50 pm |
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JillD wrote: Is one of the encyclicals a good choice?
Humanae Vitae is probably the best source of all.
John Paul II spoke on the issue at a General Audience in 1984. He also wrote a book called Theology of the Body which explains the Church's position on marriage, marital love, and procreation. If you search for "theology of body" at GetFed, Amazon, or any other site, you'll come up with lots of other titles that explain JPII's teaching. EWTN also has a series which you can purchase from their Religious Catalogue.
The Catechism summarizes Church teaching on marriage, fidelity, matrimony, and contraception beginning at paragraph 2331.
There are lots of resources available.
____________________ Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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Ali Member

| Joined: | Sat Jan 6th, 2007 |
| Location: | Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 656 |
| First Name: | Ali | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | JW, finally fully Catholic |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 03:10 pm |
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JillD wrote: I guess when one puts that much info in the subject lines, not much clarification is needed... 
Is one of the encyclicals a good choice?
They're not Catholic, but would not be entirely opposed to an argument simply because the source is Catholic.
I'll do some surfing, too, but thought someone might know of a REALLY GOOD article or book that would enlighten them. It was the news of the new birth control pill that completely stops a woman's period that got us on the subject. Somehow, that pill sounds inherently unhealthy, but to them it sounds great. No periods! How illusory that luxury surely is.
Jill
Any BCP can suppress menstration, if the "off" week is skipped. I've seen it advised on several sites on how to manipulate your menses for trips or to coincide with such and such. With the new pills, as well as the newer IUD's, it's basically the same principle. I use to be highly suspisious of this medicine, but have since come to accept it. Not that I would choose to do so, there is still a level of uncomfortableness with it, but I'm also into herbal and homoepathic remedies and natural health. And that just ain't natural Look at what a women's period is, it is a shedding of the lining of the uterus. With the new pills, they say that it so suppressing your hormones, that there is no longer a lining to shed. Sooooo, that leads a person to think that maybe it's ok. We won't know anything for sure until the upcoming 20-somthings are much older, IMO.
That said, have your dd's look into how BCP's work in the first place. The first line of defense is supressing ovulation. If that fails, and an egg is released, it runs the risk of being fertilized. If it is fertilized, the second line of defense for BCP's is to prevent that fertilized egg (a baby) from implanting in the lining of the uterus. I understood that went against my own personal beliefs before I was Catholic.
By taking a pill every day, you do your body and your partner a great disservice. You don't really get to know yourself. There's a lot going on in there It is very empowering to read your signs and say "I could get pregnant today" It's also healthy to chart your body and see where something is wrong. It's easier to pinpoint problems if you can fall back on a few months of charts to see what was going on a few months ago, and what is out of whack now.
As far as involving your partner, what better way to bring him into your confidence and strengthen your marriage than by sharing your most intimate details of your life? He may be feeling a little lovey, but not tonight honey, or we may have a little extra love in 9 months or so IMO, it helps support the marital bond as well by expressing a little self control every now and then. Knowing that's it's just not there for the taking may make our dh's a bit more patient with us when the time is right.
NFP (Natural family planning) can also bring God into our relationship even more because we are constantly reminded at how wonderfully made we are. Pregnancy is called a miracles, but it's the behind the scenes stuff that is really miraculous.
I honestly cannot say enough about NFP. It may have been a pain somedays, being totally honest here, but it was the best thing I have ever done health wise for myself. I was on BCP for 4 years and charted for 4 years. If given a choice, I would definately chart again over BCP. As a matter of fact, even if birth control of any kind is not an issue, IMO women should still chart. We still have stuff going on in there even if we aren't fertile or our cycles aren't regular or whatever.
I'll let someone else touch on marriage with no intention of children, I think I've rambled on enough for one post, lol. This is one of my passions I would love to teach or assist on a class for this in our parrish. To bad they don't offer anything.
Ali
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Cindy Member
| Joined: | Fri Nov 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| First Name: | Cindy | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Catholic convert |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 03:45 pm |
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Hi Jill,
Christopher West's book is terrific. Shall I send you a copy?
Good News About Sex And Marriage: Answers To Your Honest Questions About Catholic Teaching
Blessings!
Cindy
____________________ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in Truth -- Psalm 145:18
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mrsbmoo Member

| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Virginia USA |
| Posts: | 307 |
| First Name: | Becky | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | former Methodist. RCA, Presbyterian, Holiness, Wesleyan... Catholic as of June ... |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 10:03 pm |
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I actually had my teen daughters read a short book on NFP called Love and Fertility. I think every woman should understand what is going on with their cycle. ALmost any medical intervention has side effects, birth control included. I found that a diaphram gave me urinary tract infections. Birth control pills made me feel great, in many ways, but because I required a higher dose pill, they were bad for my heart in the long run. I have known of several people who had trouble getting pregnant after using the depo shot. My best friend's mom had to have surgery because her IUD "got lost".
I think the other misconception many people have is that if you use NFP you will have 10 kids a year apart, that it can't be trusted. My husband felt this way at first and he had been brought up Catholic. His mother had been given permission by her priest to be on birth control pills after he was born because she had almost died when he got stuck being born. Not sure if that was really valid or not but he told her it was. I had been introduced to it by a Dr during my first marriage and had used it successfully for 10 year before I met my current husband. 10 years with no pregnancies. Look at Rick, he has 1 child. He could be the poster child for NFP. I know many people at church who have 2 or 3 kids. It does not doom you to a enormous family. I am having 5 kids because I always wanted 5 kids, not by any accident.
I suppose these are not very spiritual reasons, that is sort of the practical side. I think the spiritual side is more about selfishness and trust. It can reduce sex to a selfish gratification because you are withholding the fullness of your self. I didn't really see this until I tried to explain to my husband why him using condoms bothered me. Again this was pre-CAtholic times too. When I wanted to use NFP while nursing our 2 year old he again insisted on condoms because he didn't trust NFP but it sure felt like he didn't trust me to be honest about when I was fertile. NFP does force husband and wife to be more in tune with each other and communicate.
____________________ Becky
Wife of Michael(called Moo) and stay at home mom to 5 daughters between 10 months and 17
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mg57 Member
| Joined: | Mon Oct 9th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tolland County, Connecticut USA |
| Posts: | 180 |
| First Name: | mg57 | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Infant Baptised Catholic |
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Posted: Wed May 23rd, 2007 11:04 pm |
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Jill -
I'd agree with the others and also recommend the encyclical Humanae Vitae, and Christopher West resources, also, - not knowing exactly where your daughters are at right now, here's one short, basic article
http://www.godofdesire.com/twelve-principles/principle-03.html
Another, more developed -
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/dem/dem_02contracepfamdecline.html
And, another -
http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/dem/dem_01contraceptionperson.html
And here -
http://www.ccli.org/
Also, an excellent audio program on contraception, host Ralph Martin and guest Dr. Janet Smith -
http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/resolve.asp?rafile=choicesweface505.ra
- For a download of it, go here -
http://www.ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/intro.asp
- type in Janet Smith in the bottom keyword spot under "programs", and then click on "download".
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JillD Member

| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Visalia, California USA |
| Posts: | 768 |
| First Name: | Jill | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | heathen, EvFree, Messianic, LC-MS, Catholic 2007 |
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Posted: Thu May 24th, 2007 01:06 am |
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Thank you all very much for the links, books, articles, and the personal testimonies. Very helpful!
Jill
____________________ "I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are our works! My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret." Ps 139
"Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men." Ps 140
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