Post History
Recently I stumbled across an article by Catholic writer Matthew Walther, entitled The Conservative Case for Teen Pregnancy. With a title like that from a Catholic, I was expecting to see an argum...
#2: Post edited
by
Nathaniel
·
2021-05-08T16:42:45Z (almost 3 years ago)
sp
- Recently I stumbled across an article by Catholic writer Matthew Walther, entitled [The Conservative Case for Teen Pregnancy](https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/teenage-pregnancy-vs-the-success-sequence/). With a title like that from a Catholic, I was expecting to see an argument for early marriage, followed quickly by children, but instead Walther critiques what he calls the "success sequence," the American cultural norm that women should graduate, get a job, and get married before having children.
- Importantly, he argues that the success sequence in the US is "possible only because of artificial contraception" and then writes:
- > I say without hesitation that pregnancy outside wedlock is superior to the success sequence. While fornication is indeed a grave sin against chastity, it is not disordered. It is a natural act, albeit one taking place outside its proper context.
I read this as simply an opinion, not the teaching of Catholicism, but nonetheless based in large part on Catholic doctrine associated with fornication and contraception. Thus my question here is to get at the actual Catholic teaching underlying the argument: **Does the Catholic Church teach that use of artificial contraception within marriage is a more severe/grave sin that fornication?**
- Recently I stumbled across an article by Catholic writer Matthew Walther, entitled [The Conservative Case for Teen Pregnancy](https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/teenage-pregnancy-vs-the-success-sequence/). With a title like that from a Catholic, I was expecting to see an argument for early marriage, followed quickly by children, but instead Walther critiques what he calls the "success sequence," the American cultural norm that women should graduate, get a job, and get married before having children.
- Importantly, he argues that the success sequence in the US is "possible only because of artificial contraception" and then writes:
- > I say without hesitation that pregnancy outside wedlock is superior to the success sequence. While fornication is indeed a grave sin against chastity, it is not disordered. It is a natural act, albeit one taking place outside its proper context.
- I read this as simply an opinion, not the teaching of Catholicism, but nonetheless based in large part on Catholic doctrine associated with fornication and contraception. Thus my question here is to get at the actual Catholic teaching underlying the argument: **Does the Catholic Church teach that use of artificial contraception within marriage is a more severe/grave sin than fornication?**
#1: Initial revision
by
Nathaniel
·
2021-05-07T16:00:42Z (almost 3 years ago)
Does the Catholic Church teach that use of artificial contraception within marriage is a worse sin that fornication?
Recently I stumbled across an article by Catholic writer Matthew Walther, entitled [The Conservative Case for Teen Pregnancy](https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/teenage-pregnancy-vs-the-success-sequence/). With a title like that from a Catholic, I was expecting to see an argument for early marriage, followed quickly by children, but instead Walther critiques what he calls the "success sequence," the American cultural norm that women should graduate, get a job, and get married before having children. Importantly, he argues that the success sequence in the US is "possible only because of artificial contraception" and then writes: > I say without hesitation that pregnancy outside wedlock is superior to the success sequence. While fornication is indeed a grave sin against chastity, it is not disordered. It is a natural act, albeit one taking place outside its proper context. I read this as simply an opinion, not the teaching of Catholicism, but nonetheless based in large part on Catholic doctrine associated with fornication and contraception. Thus my question here is to get at the actual Catholic teaching underlying the argument: **Does the Catholic Church teach that use of artificial contraception within marriage is a more severe/grave sin that fornication?**