Can someone please give me a catholic perspective on the whole contraception issue

[princessosyth]

Very confused. Some friends of ours are devout catholics and do not believe in contraception, in the past they have either used the rthymn method or just let nature take its course. My friend told me today that her dh is booked in for the snip, I thought they had drastically changed their views but she said that a vaestectomy is not considered to be contraception. Is this right? They are very educated people by the way.

not sure how they came to that conclusion. Will watch for an answer (I am a catholic!)

Oh I'm a Catholic too, and can't for the life of me see the difference between a vasectomy and barrier contraception.

Although of course I can't see what's wrong with barrier contraception either...

Am a bad Catholic.

A vasectomy for the purposes of contraception would be considered to be contraception, and therefore sinful within the Roman Catholic Church. If the vasectomy was done for other medical reasosn, then it wouldn't necessarily be sinful. Not sure what other reasons there are for a vasectomy though?!

No, he is definitely booked in for a vasectomy because they don't want any more children. Oh well, if they have convinced themselves that they have gods agreement then its fine with me

I am loving your name FM!! I am a bad catholic too!!!

It's really an 'Allo 'Allo reference (highbrow me!), but works pretty well on these threads too I reckon

I have read that the church has 'blessed' sex between two married people when one is known to be infertile (through natural causes). the rational was that even though the couple were infertile, God could cause a miracle to happen if they had sex, and they could become parents. So in other words, if they were having sex with the intention of getting pregnant, even though they knew it wouldn't happen, it was OK.

Is this couple taking this idea one step further?

Vasectomy is a popular option for Catholics who've completed their families, if my friends and acquaintainces are anything to go by.

Most Catholics are not too literal in their interpretation of the church's teaching on contraception, tbh, and I'm guessing most priests are aware of this, since their pews aren't filled with families of 12+.

I have a sneaking suspicion that vasectomy might seem like a good 'catholic' option because you only have to 'sin' once and then you're good to go. Unlike most contraception which is an ongoing sin, as it were. But strictly speaking vasectomy is certainly contraception, so not sure that's really a valid argument. But I suspect some people might see it as the 'least worst' option.