Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:39 PM Jun 2014

Pope blames ‘culture of comfort’ for intentionally childless marriages

Well alrighty, then. I guess the childless friends and family in my circle -- whose reasons for deciding to remain childless are varied and personal -- are just a bunch of selfish twits who would rather have fancy homes and trips around the world. (Well, even if they did, so what?)

But let me get the rules straight here because they're getting a bit complicated. According to Francis or the church or Jesus or whoever supposedly made up these rules, if you do want a child but haven't been able to conceive, in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination and surrogate mothers are out. Gays might want to be parents but that's also a no-no, plus they shouldn't even think of adoption. Single motherhood is definitely not what God had in mind, as a child is supposed to be the fruitful manifestation of the love between one man and one woman.

Got that? Glad we finally have that all settled.

http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2014/06/pope-blames-culture-of-comfort-for-intentionally-childless-marriages/
Pope blames ‘culture of comfort’ for intentionally childless marriages
By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis blamed a “culture of well-being” and comfort for convincing married couples that a carefree life of world travel and summer homes was better than having children.

He said married couples should look at how Jesus loves his church to learn how to be faithful, perseverant and fruitful in their vocation...

... Couples who deal with infertility or loss can still look to Jesus and “draw the strength of fruitfulness that Jesus has with his church.”

However, “there are things that Jesus doesn’t like,” he said, such as married couples “who don’t want children, who want to be without fruitfulness.”

MORE at http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2014/06/pope-blames-culture-of-comfort-for-intentionally-childless-marriages/



43 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Pope blames ‘culture of comfort’ for intentionally childless marriages (Original Post) theHandpuppet Jun 2014 OP
Right... sakabatou Jun 2014 #1
It's almost like he doesn't realize how different the world was 2000 years ago.... Marrah_G Jun 2014 #2
Well, it only took the Catholic Church 450 years to apologize to Galileo, Arugula Latte Jun 2014 #19
awesome Marrah_G Jun 2014 #34
If we take this all literally: Jesus was a childless 30-something who traveled KurtNYC Jun 2014 #37
The earth could really use LondonReign2 Jun 2014 #3
Very dissapointing statement, especially from him. mylye2222 Jun 2014 #4
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. When he changes the actual dogma, msanthrope Jun 2014 #7
Right--if you make mothers poorer through stigmatization and lost opportunity, they msanthrope Jun 2014 #5
Interesting he doesn't extrapolate economics issues Cerridwen Jun 2014 #6
Oh, Well ... chemenger Jun 2014 #8
Finances Rider3 Jun 2014 #9
Dear Pope Fuck You Signed Married and Childless Exposethefrauds Jun 2014 #10
This message was self-deleted by its author ismnotwasm Jun 2014 #11
Rather an ironic opinion.......... Amaril Jun 2014 #12
LOL RainDog Jun 2014 #13
That was my reaction: Ehrm, Pope? Are you sure that "Do what I say and not what I do" Squinch Jun 2014 #22
Just what the world needs ... GeorgeGist Jun 2014 #14
I'm reminded of the supposed letter to an advice columnist SheilaT Jun 2014 #15
That reminds me... theHandpuppet Jun 2014 #16
I've got news for the Pope. Le Taz Hot Jun 2014 #32
I've seen it first hand theHandpuppet Jun 2014 #40
Culture of "there's no reason to have a kid if you don't want one" gollygee Jun 2014 #17
Why anyone listens to these religious creeps in big hats is beyond me. Arugula Latte Jun 2014 #18
more babies = more catholics = more $$ for the pope. as always, follow the money nt msongs Jun 2014 #20
"there are things that Jesus doesn’t like,” such as married couples “who don’t want children" FiveGoodMen Jun 2014 #21
It turns out that Jesus also doesn't like Frosted Lucky Charms. And Squinch Jun 2014 #23
...... Amaril Jun 2014 #43
"Why aren't you people making new tithe-paying Catholics??" ~Pope LadyHawkAZ Jun 2014 #24
I guess Jesus is OK with men in robes who never marry and so MineralMan Jun 2014 #25
Right on ! lumpy Jun 2014 #36
Oh noes!!!111 .... I'm disappointing the Pope (and Jesus, apparently.) 1000words Jun 2014 #26
We don't have kids. Mainly because the world sucks and is over crowded. upaloopa Jun 2014 #27
I fail to understand the pope's insistence on procreation in an overcrowded, underfed world. LiberalAndProud Jun 2014 #28
Exactly. GreenPartyVoter Jun 2014 #31
Says the Intentionally RobinA Jun 2014 #29
The irony of a celibate telling people that pleasure is evil while promoting sex is delicious. Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2014 #30
This from someone who decided at 18 to never have sex for the rest of his life. undeterred Jun 2014 #33
I have children but hey pope go fuck yourself MattBaggins Jun 2014 #35
It's not your choice or your reasoning, Pope Frank. ananda Jun 2014 #38
Yes, couples should have children they really don't want. Throd Jun 2014 #39
I have worked in pediatrics for 40 years. 3catwoman3 Jun 2014 #41
So... peabody Jun 2014 #42
 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
19. Well, it only took the Catholic Church 450 years to apologize to Galileo,
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:37 PM
Jun 2014

who had the audacity to be scientifically accurate rather than embrace magical tales.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)
34. awesome
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:54 PM
Jun 2014

Fortunately for him, we will probably have destroyed the environment before the Church figures out about lifespans and over-crowding....and then maybe being fruitful will be important again.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
37. If we take this all literally: Jesus was a childless 30-something who traveled
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 05:18 PM
Jun 2014

and how about the Disciples? childless travelers.

And the Pope -- 1) childless, 2) travels the world and 3) has a summer home which is its own city-state.

 

mylye2222

(2,992 posts)
4. Very dissapointing statement, especially from him.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:42 PM
Jun 2014

Maybe should he try to understand why does people not want to have children.
The werstern world economy, and maybe future stability, is uncertain
Why having kids If you are afraid of their future. ?

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
7. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. When he changes the actual dogma,
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:44 PM
Jun 2014

I'll start believing his press.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
5. Right--if you make mothers poorer through stigmatization and lost opportunity, they
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:43 PM
Jun 2014

will have to get married, or better yet, make their nice babies available for adoption.

Cerridwen

(13,251 posts)
6. Interesting he doesn't extrapolate economics issues
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:43 PM
Jun 2014

to being able to afford a family.

He has made several statements about income equality and such hasn't he? Does he not see how one might lead to another?

Response to theHandpuppet (Original post)

Amaril

(1,267 posts)
12. Rather an ironic opinion..........
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:56 PM
Jun 2014

.....coming from a man who has chosen to be celibate -- and therefore, childless -- for life.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
13. LOL
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 02:59 PM
Jun 2014

It's part of the "what's good for me is not good for thee" mindset.

Anyone who doesn't want children should not have them. The world needs more people to have fewer children. I see people like the Duggars and I want to vomit. They are promoting harm to this planet by promoting overpopulation.

That's not being a "good steward" of this earth.

Squinch

(50,773 posts)
22. That was my reaction: Ehrm, Pope? Are you sure that "Do what I say and not what I do"
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:51 PM
Jun 2014

is the way you want to go with this one?

 

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)
15. I'm reminded of the supposed letter to an advice columnist
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:04 PM
Jun 2014

I've seen where someone on vacation feels terribly sorry for the couple without children. It's really hilarious, because it's clearly ironical, yet pretends the couple who never had to deal with newborns or scruffy teenagers are somehow deprived.

I had two kids and personally I'm glad I did. But whatever reason anyone has for not having kids is valid, and yes, the most important issue I think is that the world is vastly overpopulated already. A lot of our climate change issues directly stems from too many people. Same with the destruction of habitat, pollution, and so on.

There is a limit to the carrying capacity of this planet, and we are already well beyond it in numbers of people already here.

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)
16. That reminds me...
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:32 PM
Jun 2014
People think it is better or easier “to have a puppy, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the puppy. Isn’t this true or not? Have you seen this?” he asked the people in the congregation.

“And in the end, this marriage will end in old age in solitude, with the bitterness of bad solitude.”


That reminds me. I have a furchild calling for her Fancy Feast.

Le Taz Hot

(22,271 posts)
32. I've got news for the Pope.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:51 PM
Jun 2014

Having children does NOT guarantee that people won't "end old age in solitude." Any questions? Go to any convalescent home. Most of the people there have children and all too many are never visited by those same children. Just shoved to the side and forgotten.

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)
40. I've seen it first hand
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 05:27 PM
Jun 2014

It's heartbreaking. When my wife's mother went to an assisted living facility, we visited her every day. I made her lunch every day, ran any errands for her, and in the evenings we'd both go over, even if it was just to chat. It never occurred to us that this was anything special or out of the ordinary and neither was it just an obligation. On the other hand, there were many elderly there who hadn't had a single visit for MONTHS -- just been left there to die by their kids. It broke my heart.

But my wife and I are a gay couple -- in some of the retirement homes run by religious organizations (and there are a lot of them), we wouldn't even be welcome. For you see, we don't qualify as a "real" family.

gollygee

(22,336 posts)
17. Culture of "there's no reason to have a kid if you don't want one"
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:33 PM
Jun 2014

is more like it. We don't have to populate the earth. It's already populated.

FiveGoodMen

(20,018 posts)
21. "there are things that Jesus doesn’t like,” such as married couples “who don’t want children"
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:48 PM
Jun 2014

Let him point to where Jesus said that.

Squinch

(50,773 posts)
23. It turns out that Jesus also doesn't like Frosted Lucky Charms. And
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:54 PM
Jun 2014

centipedes skeeve him. It's in the Bible. Seriously.

MineralMan

(146,192 posts)
25. I guess Jesus is OK with men in robes who never marry and so
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 03:57 PM
Jun 2014

don't have children, but who tell others how they must reproduce. Odd, that. And then there is the problem with those same guys messing with children sexually. Jesus doesn't seem to punish them, either.

I'm really confused about this religion stuff. I'm glad I chose atheism and not to reproduce. Jesus? Well, best of luck to him. He doesn't seem to have been around much lately...

 

1000words

(7,051 posts)
26. Oh noes!!!111 .... I'm disappointing the Pope (and Jesus, apparently.)
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:05 PM
Jun 2014

Make like a good Catholic, Frank, and forgive me.

upaloopa

(11,417 posts)
27. We don't have kids. Mainly because the world sucks and is over crowded.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:08 PM
Jun 2014

I am glad I don't have a kid or two who has to make it in our corporate oligarchy.
Even a thing like GMO foods and our obesity problem caused by what kind of food is available and the life styles we live is reason enough to not want to throw another person into the mix.

LiberalAndProud

(12,799 posts)
28. I fail to understand the pope's insistence on procreation in an overcrowded, underfed world.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:15 PM
Jun 2014

If these are spiritual values, I do not see their connection to morality. YMMV.

RobinA

(9,878 posts)
29. Says the Intentionally
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:24 PM
Jun 2014

childless man who lives in a gigantic mansion with servants to do everything, who travels the world and probably has any number of places to stay in the summer. Jeez, dude...buy a clue.

 

Tierra_y_Libertad

(50,414 posts)
30. The irony of a celibate telling people that pleasure is evil while promoting sex is delicious.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 04:37 PM
Jun 2014

Kind of like a nutritionist selling twinkies while condemning sugar.

ananda

(28,783 posts)
38. It's not your choice or your reasoning, Pope Frank.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 05:20 PM
Jun 2014

People have all kinds of different reasons for remaining childless,
most of them good from my experience.

It's none of the pope's business. Period.

3catwoman3

(23,815 posts)
41. I have worked in pediatrics for 40 years.
Tue Jun 3, 2014, 07:58 PM
Jun 2014

People who do not want children should most definitely NOT have them. Furthermore, I have seen plenty of parents who thought they wanted kids, but don't have the necessary skill sets and shouldn't have had them.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Pope blames ‘culture of c...