The Church is responsible for over population in the Phils.

[gb]

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di lang church ang ma blame oi, asta government na2 ug labaw sa tanan kanang mga couples nga way huna2x kundi biga lang.

[W20/C20/F20]

Our church leaders can be blamed for not being more agressive in promoting the natural method, but they should not be blamed for not promoting methods other than the natural way, owing to the fact that such methods will always be irreconcilable with the church's teachings.

[bisaya70]

Contraception instead creates a mentality and expectation that pregnancy is something that can be, and must be, "controlled." When this proves to be wrong in a given case, the mentality persists and the original aim of "controlling' continues to be thought necessary, whatever it takes - even if the "control" in question has to be exercised by means of abortion - that is, by killing the child who has been conceived.

so when does it stop?
dont blame the church, we the people should be accountable.

[sassy_suzzy]

everyone is responsible for the over population or population in this country. not only the church. everything is interconnected man gud, the church, the government and the people. the church does not promote methods other than the natural way because that would be opposing the church teachings. the government is not that aggressive on their birth control campaign, but most of all, the people are not responsible enough to use birth control methods nga unta, uso naman na karon... seeing big families, nga tag 8 or 10 kabuok ang anak, maluoy ko. sometimes, the parents are to be blamed, sige panganak bahala na wala'y kaunon.

[splendid moonlight]

as if people even listen to that part of the church's teachings. i mean, really - i never heard of anyone who says she got pregnant because she was told people weren't allowed to use contraceptives.

[jerx d great]

This issue is debatable pa. the church has their own reason why they prohibits the use of contraceptions while science believes that contraception is the key to decrease overpopulation. The church is correct that the use natural method gives value to life and it pevents us from haivng sin..but science contradict in this proposal because marrid persons of today are too abusive...

[expertbytesjp]

it's not overpopulated? are you sure about that? look around you...please, i hope you're not in denial guys...

i'm quite sure we're not overpopulated. it just looks that way because of the unequal land distribution. most rich people own vast tracts of land, and the rich compose of only a small percentage of the population. in other words, the vast tracts of land belong to only a small percentage of the population. the majority or the rest of the population settle with what's left of the land - that's why they sort of look "crowded".

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the church is not the "cause" of overpopulation. it's true that church promotes the whole "go forth and multiply" thing, but it's ridiculous to think that they mean for others to "multiply" so much and eventually cause overpopulation. that just can't be the will of God.

very very very correct

[nopeace]

siguro terrorism could be a solution to over population..

[dairyman]

or WW3..

[dacs]

it's not overpopulated? are you sure about that? look around you...please, i hope you're not in denial guys...and yes, the Church has done NOTHING to help!

Now, you are on denial. Your insistence that the Catholic Church has done nothing to help is simply not supported by facts. Please look awhile and see.

"Successful countries became so, in part, because the growth of the population was at a pace that support services could provide for and, hence, individual wealth could grow more rapidly. Fewer people sharing the national wealth are richer—and so spend more on high value-added products, helping drive the economy up.

We need to reach out to our agricultural lands and help implement a better way to raise crops and livestocks. It is a fact that 1 hectare of land in the 1970s could produce only at least one-fifth of what 1 hectare of land can produce today. Technology and innovation progress more than the demand of the population. We need then to provide support services to transfer these technologies to the hands who need them.

Thailand had 38.9 million people in 1972, the same as the Philippines. Today, Thailand has 60 million people, the Philippines an official 78 million (and probably, almost certainly, considerably more). Thais average US$1,960 per capita, the Philippines is struggling at US$1,020. And it will be another 30 years before the Philippines meets
the Thai’s modest level.

Indeed. Have you look at also the level of AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases of Thailand as compared to the Philippines? Quite sad, really. Their desire to limit their population growth had led to an increase in these diseases - which was never 'predicted' by the endorsers of contraceptive lifestyles.

[size=14px]A fast-growing population is a primary reason.[/size]

Really? Do you mean to say that, if the population decreases, that portion of per capita income (which would have been attributed to these 'extras') would be divided proportionately to the remaining population. I don't think so. Why does Singapore provide incentives to couples who actually bear children? Why does Japan? How about many European countries who do the same?

We have a birthrate of 3.22 (2004 estimate) - a healthy one, God be praised! Our labor force is young. When our labor force grow old, there will be more pensioners than taxpayers. What would that do to our economy?

I know this is a contentious subject and do not wish to discuss the theological view. But the constitution clearly delineates between Church and State because the State must be responsible for the people’s well -being/quality of life. And of all Filipinos, not just Catholics. The Church has the more limited responsibility for the moral values and religious beliefs of its flock. What must be pointed out is what is inevitable if the current rate of population growth continues.

Really? Does the State have more interest on the transcendent, the supernatural, things than the Church? How morally aware are the laws of our government compared to the laws of the Catholic Church? When you ask about the righteousness of an act, is not that a question about morality? As a matter of fact, it is the State who may have the intention of subverting what responsibilities the Church have with its flock. It is the other way around.

[size=14px]And that is that there will be 160 MILLION FILIPINOS BY 2030 [/size]

The Philippines, demonstrably, can’t support 78 million. 160 million will be, quite simply, disastrous (over 4 million tons of rice was imported this year).

Please provide your supporting details. We would not swallow your claims - hook, line and sinker - without verification. A number of UN documents claim otherwise.

Better education gives educated parents the capability of understanding the importance of education for their own children and the need to have only those children they can afford. Over time, this leads to lower population growth rates. However, it is very slow.

That has always been the teaching of the Church regarding family planning. Yet, every couple, in renewing their covenant vow (i.e., make love), should always be open to the possibility of life. Abstinence and self-discipline is always encouraged. What does abstinence and self-discipline do to a citizen of our country? Does it improve his person or not?

I wonder what would be fast for you... Abort every time you conceive an 'extra baby'? Have you ever seen an intentionallyaborted child? How about partial-birth abortion (where the child's brain is sucked off before the child was fully delivered - out of her mother's vagina)? It's fast and it's inhumane.

The Philippines is in a population growth crisis, and cannot afford generational change any more than can Africa. And that will be the comparison if population growth doesn’t slow.

Here's a situation. If the population growth slows down - yet not slow enough for you, what would happen? Would you now condemn the 'eaters' (i.e., old people, pensioners, invalid/disabled, handicapped, physically challenged, etc.)? When will the killing stop?

The State should provide the option and accessibility to family planning as a responsibility to the society it serves. It should then be up to the Church to convince its flock not to accept practices they believe go against God’s wishes.

You are saying then that the Church should only act after the State had given the law. If there is truly separation between Church and State, then the State should not interfer with how the Church should go about shepherding its flock. You would like to put a collar to the Church in the guise of the slogan 'separation of Church and State'. Good try but no dice. The Church has a duty to protect its flock from morally evil acts and laws and from things that could potential harm their faith - even if she will be persecuted for doing so.

But the Church should perhaps reflect on why other Catholic countries seem able to allow family planning–or, at least, not try to stop it so vociferously. The home of Christianity, Italy, has a modest population growth (a population growth rate of 0.2% versus the Philippines 2.4%) so why not the Philippines.

Are you sure you are referring to a Catholic country? Rome may be near Italy, but practicing Catholics in Italy obviously do not hold influence in their country's laws. A lot of articles from Italian publications will provide you such insights. The Philippines is different, very different. Our bishops have the hearts of practicing Catholics (ever heard of EDSA Revolution?). Here, the lines have been drawn between the culture of life and the culture of death.

On this issue, the Philippines seems to be at odds with its other Roman Catholic compatriots. It is the world’s fastest growing population, outside of Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan. And the fastest growing Catholic country, although Venezuela comes close, at 2.4% with Mexico and Peru slightly behind (each at 2.0%). Otherwise all other predominantly Catholic countries exhibit growths of a high of 1.7% to negative 0.3% (Hungary). With most below 1%. Catholic countries don’t have to have high growth rates.

Praise God! Children are gifts from God and should never be considered in any other way. Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan are Muslim countries. It is a sad state of affairs that Christians have to kill their children when Muslims valued them more. Their population is growing and, yet, they are prosperous. Yes, Catholics need not have more children. Yet, Catholics do not need to resort to contraception to do so. Abstinence and self-discipline for a better Filipino!

No one can deny that Italy or Ireland aren’t staunchly Catholic—yet their populations are growing at only 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. Even Rome the center of Catholicism is growing at less than half the Philippines rate –1.2%.

I deny that. When you speak of Ireland, you should not forget Northern Ireland --- the Protestant Ireland. Well, I have already told you about Italy. Of Ireland, have you considered the state of affairs in Ireland just a couple of decades ago? Their struggle for independence have resulted to a protracted war with the British government. Ireland then was a warzone. Do you think they recovered that easily?

The logical conclusion is that the Philippine Catholic church could do more to help parents better plan their families—without violating Church strictures on how this should be done.

It is doing more than you could ever think. The plan of action would make for a better Filipino - a Filipino with discipline, compassion, and a sense of personal responsibility of his every action.

If the Church believes people are entitled to a decent life, as I certainly hope it does, then it ought to become a (very) active participant in reducing the population growth rate through methods it accepts.

Did you not say that there should be separation between State and Church. What are you doing then? Can you not separate yourself from the affairs of the Church?

Otherwise it must accept part of the responsibility of the poverty that will remain unavoidable. And provide the jobs and support for that excess poor..."

How about corruption in the government? How much part does it have in the poverty of our people? It seems to me that you put so much blame to the stand of the Church regarding population control that you forget (intentionally?) a very obvious source of poverty. Tsk.

For details regarding the defense of human life:

www.hli.org

www.priestforlife.org