I thought the section brought many key facts to the table. It talked about how parents should have control over their children and that it is up to the parents to decide how they can best provide for their children--whether it being to have more children or to stay with a small number of them, or maybe none (though probably not because it contradicts the previous section). In the end it is God's will that makes the ultimate choice of what is the best number of children that a family can provide for.
This topic stood out to me because of the family that my work is adopting for Christmas. It was a single mother that has four kids and another one on the way and is in no position to fully support all her children. Because of this, her kids are going to be the ones suffering and feeling the hardships of her poor decisions. So many times parents keep having children that frankly they cannot provide for, physically and monetarily. In the cases of many highly religious families with high reproduction rates, they often say the decision is up to God to decide how many kids they will have and they do not believe in birth control. If they truly cannot support their family, God would not have brought it upon them, they say.
I think the Pope has a valid point in the responsible parenthood sentiment. For the sake of the kids the families are raising, I sincerely hope the parents make sure they are in a position to best provide for whatever amount of kids they want to have. Parenting style is all different and it depends on the person how many kids they can raise. Some are okay with only having one child and others benefit from having many children--to an extent. Nowadays don't we all find a family of 19 (like the reality series 19 Kids and Counting) odd? I know I pity those siblings.
When it comes down to it, it is up to each individual parent to see how they can best provide for their family with the number of kids they plan on having. It enables them to be responsible parents so their kids can grow up in the best possible way and hopefully the cycle continues through the generations.
If he's an honest guy, the Pope hasn't had a lot of sex during his years of Priest and Popehood. I would find it ridiculous to have a calculus teacher who has never done math in his life. I find it just as ridiculous having a man who has never had sex tell me how easy it is to master self control when it comes to sex, what effects it will have on my body and why it is best for me to abstain until marriage and then abstain during marriage if I don't want children. I am also a woman. I feel as though if the Pope were to have sex it would be a different experience for him as a male. I would also feel more comfortable taking advice and support on being a responsible parent from someone who has been a parent---to their own children, not the "entire Catholic Church". Should the Pope embark on sexual relations or child rearing I honestly believe his opinions would be greatly affected. I'm not buying his pure state of mind because he has no earthly attachments like us sex-having, baby-caring, unmarried sinners. There are more of us than there are Popes and Priests and Cardinals and Bishops---which isn't to say all of them are abstaining either, it is simply saying there is no natural order to things whatever label you place upon someone. I find it interesting you used the phrase "the number of kids they plan on having", but did not reference Planned Parenthood. It is named that way for a reason, I think many people who use Planned Parenthood are attempting to be responsible parents, but certainly they are not the responsible parents the Pope is speaking of. Technology---as in contraceptives---has changed how people have sex. What was once one of the safest modes of protection now has alternatives---responsibility is contextual and historical, as are we as sex-having, baby-caring, unmarried humans.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea of responsible parenthood, but I feel like there were some flaws in the arguement. In Humanae Vitae, the original purpose for sexual intercourse was stated to procreate children; this was the sole purpose of "marital duties." Then later it condemns any type of contraceptives, but not all types of birth control. The Pope said it was okay for those couples who abstained during certain times of the month when reproduction would occur from having sex. "And when the infertile period recurs, they use their married intimacy to express their mutual love and safeguard their fidelity toward one another. In doing this they certainly give proof of a true and authentic love." I think that this married intimacy contradicts the idea of procreation and therefore birth control, responsible parenthood, etc. Parenthood is a big responsibility and I think two people should take more caution to make sure that if they do bring a child into this world, they can properly care for him/her. But, the Church should not necessarily be telling you why or how to go about this.
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