Questions from a non-Catholic about a Catholic ceromony

holyguacamole79 · September 2014

PrettyGirlLost said:
And if the couple chooses not to have kids, gets married, never has kids, and never divorces who is going to seek the annulment?

It's in the best interest of any organized religion to compel the followers to have children. . . otherwise who will carry on the faith in future generations? So, there's an inherent logic in this requirement.

Nobody would seek the annulment, and most would hope that would be the case. The fact remains that a key aspect of Catholic theology of marriage is the openness to having children.

It honestly has nothing to do with wanting to pass the faith on to future generations. Marriage is a sacrament that foreshadows the love of the Trinity. The love of God and Jesus is life-giving and results in the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the love of husband and wife should be open to that same life as well. It's actually a really cool teaching.

PrettyGirlLost · September 2014

sarahbear31 said:

PrettyGirlLost said:
And if the couple chooses not to have kids, gets married, never has kids, and never divorces who is going to seek the annulment?

It's in the best interest of any organized religion to compel the followers to have children. . . otherwise who will carry on the faith in future generations? So, there's an inherent logic in this requirement.

Nobody would seek the annulment, and most would hope that would be the case. The fact remains that a key aspect of Catholic theology of marriage is the openness to having children.

It honestly has nothing to do with wanting to pass the faith on to future generations. Marriage is a sacrament that foreshadows the love of the Trinity. The love of God and Jesus is life-giving and results in the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the love of husband and wife should be open to that same life as well. It's actually a really cool teaching.

I think it does have a ton to do with perpetuating the religion, though. Hence the Quiverfull mentality of some fundamentalist Christian faiths.

Sure, the teaching isn't going to come out and say it in such a way, and the teaching as you have described it is very symbolic and is quite beautiful. But I have always interpreted that as allegorical. Jesus used allegories and parables all of he time to teach things to people.

Also, it's worth noting that these are issues that would never have even occurred to the people who wrote the Bible, because at that time the medical technology just didn't exist (BC).

holyguacamole79 · September 2014

as an aside, Catholics don't ascribe to the quiverfull mentality.

PrettyGirlLost · September 2014

sarahbear31 said:

as an aside, Catholics don't ascribe to the quiverfull mentality.

Oh I know. That's an extreme interpretation of the Old Testament, "Be fruitful and multiple" edict.

banana468 · September 2014

PrettyGirlLost said:

sarahbear31 said:

PrettyGirlLost said:
And if the couple chooses not to have kids, gets married, never has kids, and never divorces who is going to seek the annulment?

It's in the best interest of any organized religion to compel the followers to have children. . . otherwise who will carry on the faith in future generations? So, there's an inherent logic in this requirement.

Nobody would seek the annulment, and most would hope that would be the case. The fact remains that a key aspect of Catholic theology of marriage is the openness to having children.

It honestly has nothing to do with wanting to pass the faith on to future generations. Marriage is a sacrament that foreshadows the love of the Trinity. The love of God and Jesus is life-giving and results in the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the love of husband and wife should be open to that same life as well. It's actually a really cool teaching.

I think it does have a ton to do with perpetuating the religion, though. Hence the Quiverfull mentality of some fundamentalist Christian faiths.

Sure, the teaching isn't going to come out and say it in such a way, and the teaching as you have described it is very symbolic and is quite beautiful. But I have always interpreted that as allegorical. Jesus used allegories and parables all of he time to teach things to people.

Also, it's worth noting that these are issues that would never have even occurred to the people who wrote the Bible, because at that time the medical technology just didn't exist (BC).

It didn't exist but women have always had cycles with fertile and infertile periods. NFP has been successfully taught to women with no access to technology.

PrettyGirlLost · September 2014

banana468 said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

sarahbear31 said:

PrettyGirlLost said:
And if the couple chooses not to have kids, gets married, never has kids, and never divorces who is going to seek the annulment?

It's in the best interest of any organized religion to compel the followers to have children. . . otherwise who will carry on the faith in future generations? So, there's an inherent logic in this requirement.

Nobody would seek the annulment, and most would hope that would be the case. The fact remains that a key aspect of Catholic theology of marriage is the openness to having children.

It honestly has nothing to do with wanting to pass the faith on to future generations. Marriage is a sacrament that foreshadows the love of the Trinity. The love of God and Jesus is life-giving and results in the Holy Spirit. Likewise, the love of husband and wife should be open to that same life as well. It's actually a really cool teaching.

I think it does have a ton to do with perpetuating the religion, though. Hence the Quiverfull mentality of some fundamentalist Christian faiths.

Sure, the teaching isn't going to come out and say it in such a way, and the teaching as you have described it is very symbolic and is quite beautiful. But I have always interpreted that as allegorical. Jesus used allegories and parables all of he time to teach things to people.

Also, it's worth noting that these are issues that would never have even occurred to the people who wrote the Bible, because at that time the medical technology just didn't exist (BC).

It didn't exist but women have always had cycles with fertile and infertile periods. NFP has been successfully taught to women with no access to technology.

Oh that's a good point!

artbyallie · September 2014

There may not have been very effective BC, but they (meaning people in general, not specifically Catholics) sure as hell tried. Douches, abortifacient herbs, and even barriers were all used since at least early recorded civilization.

/historynerd.

JBee85 · September 2014

Amarantineyes said:

My fiance has contacted a local church - we're living in Seattle, but will be getting married in my hometown, Baltimore, so that my grandmother is able to attend (extremely important to me, as my grandfather, who I was extremely close to along with my grandmother, passed away last year. I need her to be able to be there.)

You should talk to me. The church I'm getting married in is with the Arcdiocese of Baltimore.

IrishPirate60 · September 2014

And I'm in Seattle if you need local help. See your email.

lovesclimbing · September 2014

artbyallie said:

There may not have been very effective BC, but they (meaning people in general, not specifically Catholics) sure as hell tried. Douches, abortifacient herbs, and even barriers were all used since at least early recorded civilization.

/historynerd.

I am not Catholic but to add to this, Genesis 38 talks about a guy essentially using the pull out method "he wasted his seed on the ground" (NASB) to keep from having children. And it worked.

happy2016 · October 2014

Bumping cause it is such an interesting thread to read

Questions from a non-Catholic about a Catholic ceromony

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