![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/572\/2018\/02\/Fam1212-6401.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Church: couples can postpone or stop having children, for appropriately serious reasons.<\/p>\n
The following occurred in the combox of my recent article for National Catholic Register<\/em>: \u201cSex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0 First, I replied to a nice, sensible comment, in agreement (her words in green<\/span>). Then I responded to a very judgmental person, who made out that I was a virtual pro-abort and modernist. His words will be in blue<\/span>. I don\u2019t take kindly to being lied about, nor to aspersions cast upon my wonderful wife, Judy. After I explain more of what we have done in our lives, and what we\u2019ve gone through, I think anyone can see why these particular calumnies were altogether worthy of the stern rebuke that I gave them.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
The best natural spacing of births is God\u2019s plan through a type of natural breastfeeding called ecological breastfeeding.\u00a0 And it requires no abstinence.\u00a0 Pleasure was mentioned in this article.\u00a0 The breastfeeding relationship is usually very pleasurable and strong between mother and baby.\u00a0 They do not want to be separated.\u00a0 In essence, they are one biological unit as during pregnancy.\u00a0 Two published research papers demonstrated that American mothers who do eco-breastfeeding on average went 14 to 15 months postpartum without menstruation.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
I totally agree, Sheila. My wife Judy did that with our four children. I met you and your husband once at a conference. We bought one of your excellent books. You are two of my heroes.<\/p>\n
\u201ctaad\u201d<\/span>: So did the Catholic Church change God\u2019s command, \u201cBe fruitful, and multiply?\u201d Since when are we suppose to deliberately not have children? Armstrong, you are doing the modernist creep in order make the church more relevant in the \u201cmodern\u201d world. You use some of the same terminology the pro aborts use to justify abortion. You fail to mention that the health care people these days, will tell women not to have more children for many reasons they would consider serious, but in reality are not. I have found this, we can always find 101 reasons to be selfish. Contraception and even natural family planning can and are done for selfish reasons, while all the time using so called serious reasons to justify it. Come on now, quit this stuff! This is more moral relativism.<\/span><\/p>\n
And here is a little history, it is a great teacher. Many, many of the Saints were the last in the line of a large family. Many, many priests came from large families. And we wonder why we have no vocations? These priests saw first hand the hard sacrifices their parents had to make to raise a large family. Pope Saint Pius X, came from a very poor family. How many saints would have been without, if these good people did not have the many children they did, even in not just serious financial reasons. In fact many of the saints were born in dire situations. I thank God, my parents didn\u2019t use their serious financial problems, to limit the lives they cooperated in bringing into the world. I was number 6, and my dad was unemployed for six months. He always said if you trust, God provides for all your needs. Not you wants. My dad and mom never did anything to frustrate the plans of God.\u00a0 God bless them for that!<\/span><\/p>\n
Now I can add \u201cmodernist\u201d and \u201cperson who reasons like a pro-abort\u201d to the list of insults received as an apologist online these past 22 years. That\u2019s fascinating, seeing that I was arrested five times in the rescue movement, sat in at 25 rescues, went through three trials, and spent jail time.<\/p>\n
Of course NFP can be abused and used wrongly, just like anything else. I have a 1000-word limit in my articles here. I can\u2019t deal with every detail. I have about 30 papers and dialogues on contraception on my blog<\/a>, and probably 50 on the pro-life issue. Contraception was the first thing I changed my mind about, on the road to becoming a Catholic, in 1990. I was already strongly pro-life.<\/p>\n
You spout legalistic sewer bilge about spacing and sensible limiting of children (under the proper circumstances). Blessed Pope Paul VI makes it very clear that there are legitimate<\/strong> <\/em>reasons to do that, in Humanae Vitae<\/em>. If the choice is between his wisdom and your bitter, condescending\u00a0 judgmentalism and warped reasoning, I go with him.<\/p>\n
Now, let\u2019s take my wife Judy\u2019s case (since you assume that you \u201cknow\u201d so much about my motivations and reasoning). She breastfed, as I noted above. She had six miscarriages, before and after our four children. She also had some very difficult pregnancies (lots of bed rest, difficult deliveries, etc.), and she had severe postpartum depression, almost to the point of being suicidal. I also have never made much money, since I have devoted my life to defending Holy Mother Church, in full-time apologetics (but we\u2019ve always had enough to pay all our bills and have very excellent credit and a minimum of debt).<\/p>\n
Your father said, \u201cif you trust, God provides for all your needs.\u201d Yes<\/em><\/strong>! My life and 16 years of full-time apologetics ministry gives testimony to that. He absolutely does! It doesn\u2019t follow that we could never space or limit children, due to the serious reasons I have described. God gave us a will to either follow or reject Him, and He also gave us a brain, to be prudent and wise, and not act stupidly.<\/p>\n
Those are ample reasons to space children or decide that four is enough. Will you deign to sit there and judge my wife and I, and many other faithful Catholics? Shame on you. My wife and I have participated in the creation of ten souls: ten persons who will live for eternity. Sadly, we didn\u2019t get to know six of them on this earth, but that\u2019s part of God\u2019s providence, too: deep wisdom and purpose that we can\u2019t fully comprehend.<\/p>\n
The garbage you are spouting makes my job very difficult. No charity, no understanding of real-life situations, ignorance of the true Catholic teaching, while putting forth an arrogant pretense of expertise . . . I have to explain that Catholics who wrongly judge and condemn like you are distorting the faith. If Protestants who are serious about Christianity see the type of bilge that you are spewing out, they will decide not<\/em> to become a Catholic.<\/p>\n
You make out that I am some terribly compromised modernist (Servant of God, John A. Hardon, S. J., who enthusiastically recommended my work, and wrote the Foreword of my first book<\/a>, would strongly disagree). It\u2019s interesting, then, that I know for sure that many hundreds of people have come into the Church, or returned to it, in part (all by God\u2019s grace) because of my writings. I know that because they tell<\/em> me. And it\u2019s probably the case that there are many more out there who didn\u2019t take the time to write. How many people have you<\/em> helped bring in?<\/p>\n
We have four children (three now adults). All are rock-solid Catholics, and we haven\u2019t had the slightest problem with any of them. I\u2019ve been entirely faithful to Catholic teaching since my conversion in 1990, and I have defended it ever since, oftentimes at great personal cost. I fully believe all<\/em><\/strong> that the Church teaches. One of the \u201cperks\u201d of my job as an apologist is to endure the lies and calumnies of people like you. Thanks! Jesus did say, after all, \u201cBlessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account\u201d (Matthew 5:11 (RSV). So I am blessed today, and rejoice, and I will pray for you.<\/p>\n
And I apologize to any non-Catholics (and Catholics still learning their faith) reading what you wrote, and say to them that you do not<\/em> <\/strong>represent what the Catholic Church teaches. Yes, the Church and the Bible teach that many children are a blessing. But not all are able (physiologically or otherwise) to have ten children (or more). Most women (or men) are not that fertile to begin with, and that also was how God made things. Like I said, we had ten, but six of them died. We are called to be open to life. If God had wanted those six children of ours who are in heaven, to live in this world, He could certainly have made that possible.<\/p>\n
We did nothing wrong in this regard, but you have done a great wrong, by judgmentally condemning, and misrepresenting what the Church teaches in a public forum. I hope you will repent of these sins soon, and change your ways. Otherwise, you may find yourself in grave danger of hellfire. Bearing false witness is a mortal sin. That<\/em> is Catholic teaching. Go look it up.<\/p>\n
Related materials on my blog:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Luther and Calvin Opposed Contraception and \u201cFewer Children is Better\u201d Thinking<\/a>\u00a0[2-21-04; published at\u00a0National Catholic Register<\/em>, 9-13-17]<\/p>\n
Biblical Evidence Against Contraception<\/a>\u00a0[5-3-06]<\/p>\n
Humanae Vitae<\/em>: (1968): Infallible Teaching\u00a0Against Contraception<\/a>\u00a0[12-31-07]<\/p>\n
Bible on\u00a0the Blessing of [Many] Children<\/a>\u00a0[3-9-09]<\/p>\n
Protestants, Contraception, the Pill, & NFP\u00a0<\/a>[8-12-11]<\/p>\n
Demographics, Large Families, and Spiritual Revivals<\/a>\u00a0[3-24-12]<\/p>\n
Natural Family Planning (NFP) &\u00a0\u201cContraceptive Intent\u201d<\/a>\u00a0[8-28-13]<\/p>\n
See also:<\/strong><\/p>\n
Is Natural Family Planning a \u2018Heresy\u2019?<\/a> [Catholic teaching as far back as 1853] (Fr. Brian W. Harrison, Roman Theological Forum<\/em>, January 2003)<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Photo:<\/strong> our family: Christmas 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. 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Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Unlimited Children for Catholics? Reply to a Slanderer","description":"Discussion with a person who distorts Catholic teaching on children: making out that Catholics are required never to space or limit children at all. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The Church: couples can postpone or stop having children, for appropriately serious reasons. The following occurred in the combox of my recent article for National Catholic Register: \u201cSex and Catholics: Our Views Briefly Explained\u201d.\u00a0 First, I replied to a nice, sensible comment, in agreement (her words in green). Then I responded to a very judgmental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":15543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[4887,580,579,575,574,4559,4884,276,2015,2014,576,4890,578,577,581,582],"class_list":["post-15537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-issues","tag-breastfeeding","tag-catholic-ethics","tag-catholic-families","tag-contraception","tag-family-planning","tag-humanae-vitae","tag-many-children","tag-marriage","tag-natural-family-planning","tag-nfp","tag-number-of-children","tag-open-to-life","tag-reproduction","tag-responsible-parenthood","tag-sex","tag-sexuality"],"yoast_head":"\n