According to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute only 2 percent of American Catholic women rely on the natural family planning methods sanctioned by the Catholic church while 98% use contraceptive methods which are banned by their religious leaders.

The data shows that when it comes to birth control the practices of Catholic women in America are very much like the rest of the population and pretty much disregard the teachings of their own church on the matter.

Response:  This is an area that Protestant churches have declined to rule on except when it comes to abortion. So it would be easy for me as a Protestant ordained minister to be rather critical of the Catholic church in this matter. The stats show that their teaching has been almost entirely unsuccessful in this area and may actually end up encouraging members to disregard even more weighty teachings of the church.

To their credit Catholic leaders have taken the more consistent view towards contraceptive methods which end up potentially destroying or dislodging fertilized eggs considering them to be tantamount to abortion. However they also have banned other methods which merely prevent fertilization.

Maybe it is time for the American Bishops to re-visit their stand on the various methods. I realize that their own positions in this matter may be largely determined by the Vatican. At least maybe some guidelines could be forthcoming from Catholic leaders which define which methods are the most problematic and which are less offensive or sinful in their view?

Anyway the matter obviously needs to be addressed and I would counsel by brothers in the Catholic church to find ways to help American women to be more faithful to their teachings.             *Top

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