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What should a married Christian do when not ready to have children?

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  • #31
    Originally posted by MaxVel View Post
    That doesn't seem to address my question. But never mind.
    It addresses the relevance of your question.
    Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

    Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
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    I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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    • #32
      Originally posted by Ana Dragule View Post
      What should a married Christian do when not ready to have children? Or I suppose anyone really if they are married and not in a position to have kids at the time?
      Oh, and keep in mind that marriage grants sexual consent, so go forth and be fruitful and multiply.

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      • #33
        I haven't posted in a while, and this may be off topic. If so, I apologize. I take issue with the idea that the primary purpose of marriage is to produce children. While having children is ONE purpose of marriage, it is not the sole or even primary purpose. The primary purpose of marriage is to teach us. It is, IMHO, the closest we can get to understanding the Trinity. Two persons living as one. The Bible doesn't use this idea on accident. The relationship between husband and wife bears a striking similarity to the relationship of the Father and the Son. Additionally, it prepares us and helps us understand what it means to be the Bride of Christ. Marriage is about relationship, childbearing is a secondary benefit.

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        • #34
          Originally posted by Alsharad View Post
          I haven't posted in a while, and this may be off topic. If so, I apologize. I take issue with the idea that the primary purpose of marriage is to produce children... Additionally, it prepares us and helps us understand what it means to be the Bride of Christ. Marriage is about relationship, childbearing is a secondary benefit.
          Which is incidentally the benefit that allows for the propagation of the species.

          Marriage creates a special relationship, yes, but the relationship is primarily for the children.

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          • #35
            Originally posted by Alsharad View Post
            I haven't posted in a while, and this may be off topic. If so, I apologize. I take issue with the idea that the primary purpose of marriage is to produce children. While having children is ONE purpose of marriage, it is not the sole or even primary purpose. The primary purpose of marriage is to teach us. It is, IMHO, the closest we can get to understanding the Trinity. Two persons living as one. The Bible doesn't use this idea on accident. The relationship between husband and wife bears a striking similarity to the relationship of the Father and the Son. Additionally, it prepares us and helps us understand what it means to be the Bride of Christ. Marriage is about relationship, childbearing is a secondary benefit.
            There is more to this view of sentimentality than of sacramentality. Marriage is not sacramental primarily because a relationship of self-giving love images the Trinity. There is no clear reason under this view that the norms of exclusivity, heterosexuality, etc., should apply, not least since we are to love one another (not just our spouses) as Christ loved us.
            Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

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            • #36
              Clearly paprika has never read theology of the body. The marital family has many function s primitively woman created so that man should not have to live alone. But you also have misunderstanding of Catholicism on appropriate marriage sexuality between a husband and wife the appropriate planning and spacing of children by using natural methods and the recognition of marriages that are made in later years parents who cannot or for circumstances or vocational reasons do not have children but choose other ways to serve. Catholicism recognizes marriage with or without children sacramental and understands that conjugating need not result in children in all circumstances for all people. Some can some can't. Older couples or couples with children from previous marriage may not be able to have children any more and are fine in their circumstances. I suggest that you have misunderstood the position of the Church entirely. Read about marriage reproduction the natural spacing of children and sexuality between spouses. Start with the Catechism.
              A happy family is but an earlier heaven.
              George Bernard Shaw

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              • #37
                I haven't read Theology of the Body either (but it's on my shelf, waiting patiently to be read).
                Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                sigpic
                I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by Catholicity View Post
                  Clearly paprika has never read theology of the body... I suggest that you have misunderstood the position of the Church entirely. Read about marriage reproduction the natural spacing of children and sexuality between spouses. Start with the Catechism. Start with the Catechism.
                  Clearly you have not read my posts carefully: I am in no way speaking for the Catholic Church, nor describing its position.

                  If you do disagree with the position I am setting forth you are free to demonstrate how it is wrong.

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                  • #39
                    Or simply ignore it.
                    Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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                    • #40
                      Originally posted by Jedidiah View Post
                      Or simply ignore it.
                      It must be great having a habit of ignoring uncomfortable views.

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                      • #41
                        Nothing uncomfortable, Pap, just old hat.
                        Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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                        • #42
                          Originally posted by Paprika View Post
                          Which is incidentally the benefit that allows for the propagation of the species.

                          Marriage creates a special relationship, yes, but the relationship is primarily for the children.
                          Just so you have a understanding of my position, I have been married for 15 years and have three children that I love dearly. My relationship with my wife is for me, not for my children. They may benefit from it, but I am the one who receives the joy from my wife. I am the one who enjoys her company, her affection, and her intimacy. This is for me and my benefit and for her and her benefit. A marriage is about the people that are in it, not for the children that may or may not come of it. In my opinion, the primary purpose of marriage is to edify each other and bring glory to God in our love and humble submission to each other.

                          Originally posted by Spartacus
                          There is more to this view of sentimentality than of sacramentality. Marriage is not sacramental primarily because a relationship of self-giving love images the Trinity. There is no clear reason under this view that the norms of exclusivity, heterosexuality, etc., should apply, not least since we are to love one another (not just our spouses) as Christ loved us.
                          Scripture paints a pretty clear picture of who qualifies to be married. It is sacred because it was ordained by God as such. In any case, this isn't a long-winded explanation, I wanted to object to the statement that marriage is about having and raising children. I am not really concerned that a one-paragraph idea didn't fully explain or make a compelling case for the biblical standards of marriage. It was simply an idea (and a rough one at that) that I threw out against a statement that seems wrong in my experience and in my understanding of scripture.

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                          • #43
                            Originally posted by Alsharad View Post
                            Scripture paints a pretty clear picture of who qualifies to be married. It is sacred because it was ordained by God as such. In any case, this isn't a long-winded explanation, I wanted to object to the statement that marriage is about having and raising children. I am not really concerned that a one-paragraph idea didn't fully explain or make a compelling case for the biblical standards of marriage. It was simply an idea (and a rough one at that) that I threw out against a statement that seems wrong in my experience and in my understanding of scripture.
                            I didn't flesh my own ideas out, either. I hope to do so in more detail sometime in the next few days, but for now, I'll just say that I think that the marital act-- in which the married couple, through an act of love, can create a new life-- is where the sacramentality of matrimony is most clearly displayed. It's not that the loving relationship is live-giving for the spouses, but that it can be wondrously and miraculously life-creating. It is because the married couple, through the act of sexual union, can participate in God's creation in a special way that married love has a special place and theological significance.
                            Don't call it a comeback. It's a riposte.

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                            • #44
                              Originally posted by Jedidiah View Post
                              Nothing uncomfortable, Pap, just old hat.
                              Just one would expect: you're safe in your little bubble.
                              Last edited by Paprika; 05-13-2015, 03:13 AM.

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                              • #45
                                Originally posted by Alsharad View Post
                                My relationship with my wife is for me, not for my children... A marriage is about the people that are in it, not for the children that may or may not come of it.
                                How self-centred.

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