Contraception

[Paul S]

Therefore intentionally not having sex during fertile times is breaking the bond between unity and procreating since it ensures all martial sex is non-procreative.

God designed the female body to have fertile and infertile times. He did not design the birth control pill.

But, regardless of these arguments, the Church has said NFP is moral, for serious reasons, and artificial contraception is always evil. I trust the Church on this one.

 

[Filia Mariae]

Charlie,

We all know you do not submit to the Church's teaching on contraception. However, when a poster comes here asking for an explanation it is rude and disrespectful to that poster to come back with your opinion of why a given teaching is wrong. They didn't ask why you think it is wrong, they asked for an explanation of the Church's teaching, which is not what you are providing.

 

[Isaiah 53]

My best answer as to why we submit to the Church's teaching came earlier this month. My fourth child and second son was born. Prior to being Catholic I considered (and scheduled) being sterilized. Had I done this I would not have my son. For his whole life, whenever he brings me joy, I will be thankful I did not do it.

His life is more valuable then my 'creature comforts'. The Church is right on the money with her teachings on contraception. It is unnatural and unnecessary.

PAX CHRISTI

 

[colleen]

Isaiah,
That was a beautiful testimony!
Colleen

 

[Servus Iesu]

I share a somewhat negative opinion of NFP. It seems to me that NFP also embraces the contraceptive mentality. In any case, the Church does not advise NFP as a regular state of affairs but only when there is a just cause.

I don't think it is natural (and it seems a bit strange) to be charting and taking body temperatures etc etc. How is there a free sharing of love when the married couple plans their sexual life around a rigorized calendar?

 

[RhetorTheo]

And for some odd reason taking your temperture every day, charting the results and the intentionally avoiding sex during fertile days, thus intentionally withholding the reproductive apects of yourself from your spouse is considered completely passive.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Cosmic Charlie again.

 

[RhetorTheo]

My best answer as to why we submit to the Church's teaching came earlier this month. My fourth child and second son was born. Prior to being Catholic I considered (and scheduled) being sterilized. Had I done this I would not have my son. For his whole life, whenever he brings me joy, I will be thankful I did not do it.

Quite right. And you wouldn't have had him if you were using NFP.

 

[Servus Iesu]

Melkite,

The quote from St. Augustine in your signature would indicate that he opposed what we now call NFP.

 

[3toraiseup]

NFP is not the norm. The Church teaches that it is a licit method to be used for couples who have serious and grave reasons to postpone having another child. That should also be balanced with the Church teaching that parents practice 'Responsible Parenting'. As Catholics, we are not called to make as many babies as we possibly can. Rather, we are called to be generous and open to life all the while discerning how we can be the best parents to the children we already have and those that we might have in the future.

As for NFP being likened to planning a sex life around a rigorized calendar, it is less time consuming to take a temperature than it is to pop a pill every morning or buy a box of condoms. It is also not a large window of days that call for abstinence.

 

[Miss Shelby]

I share a somewhat negative opinion of NFP. It seems to me that NFP also embraces the contraceptive mentality. In any case, the Church does not advise NFP as a regular state of affairs but only when there is a just cause.

I don't think it is natural (and it seems a bit strange) to be charting and taking body temperatures etc etc. How is there a free sharing of love when the married couple plans their sexual life around a rigorized calendar?

Have you used it before or taken any instruction from your parish or diocese on it? I ask, because I have not. And I don't know anything about NFP. But I do know those who have used it and are advocates can explain it's use from their perspective and they do not make it sound as clinical and lacking in marital affection as you just did.

Michelle

 

[EllenMoran]

NFP can be used to conceive as well as avoid pregnancy, so let's not be ridiculous with the "wouldn't have had kids if you would have used NFP" stuff. It's possible to use NFP with a contraceptive mentality, but using it does not mean automatically that the spouses have a contraceptive mentality.

 

[3toraiseup]

I do a lot of posting on a Protestant board on another site to present NFP as a contraceptive alternative where there are many women convicted about the abortificant effects of the pill as well as those with suffering marriages from the hormonal side effects of the Pill. NFP is presented to these women as a moral and natural method to postpone pregnancy without all of the other difficulties contraceptive methods offer. It is amazing the number that come back after learning and practicing the method completely thrilled because they're sex drive has returned, their moods have improved and intimacy between partners has greatly increased because of the freedom from contraception that NFP allows. NFP -- even for Non-Catholics who still have a contraceptive mentality -- is a good thing.

 

[Servus Iesu]

Have you used it before or taken any instruction from your parish or diocese on it? I ask, because I have not. And I don't know anything about NFP. But I do know those who have used it and are advocates can explain it's use from their perspective and they do not make it sound as clinical and lacking in marital affection as you just did.

Michelle

I'm not married. Considering the Priesthood...

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Have you used it before or taken any instruction from your parish or diocese on it? I ask, because I have not. And I don't know anything about NFP. But I do know those who have used it and are advocates can explain it's use from their perspective and they do not make it sound as clinical and lacking in marital affection as you just did.

Michelle

Ya know, I'm not claiming NFP is bad, or ineffective or even overly burdensome. I don't have anything against NFP.

I just do not understand how NFP doesn't break the unity/procreative bond since actions are being taken to ensure no sex is procreative.

The Church can say it doesn't, but a careful reading of Humane Vitae seems to indicate otherwise.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

Ya know, I'm not claiming NFP is bad, or ineffective or even overly burdensome. I don't have anything against NFP.

I just do not understand how NFP doesn't break the unity/procreative bond since actions are being taken to ensure no sex is procreative.

The Church can say it doesn't, but a careful reading of Humane Vitae seems to indicate otherwise.

Do you think your misunderstanding of the teaching is helping this person come to understand the Church's position? Are you being helpful? Or are you taking this opportunity to dissent again?

Anyway, the simple answer is that not having sex is never a sin when both parties consent to abstaining. You are getting wrapped up in the "action" word and using any thing someone does as an attempt to thwart God's plan. I'll spell it out for you again...read this slowly...

Taking actions to work within God's design is not sinful. Take actions to get around God's design is sinful.

 

[RhetorTheo]

NFP can be used to conceive as well as avoid pregnancy, so let's not be ridiculous with the "wouldn't have had kids if you would have used NFP" stuff. It's possible to use NFP with a contraceptive mentality, but using it does not mean automatically that the spouses have a contraceptive mentality.

Is it possible to use NFP to avoid pregnancy without a contraceptive mentality? Define "contraceptive mentality" or "contraceptive intent." Do these mean intending to avoid pregnancy while recognizing that your technique has a failure rate?

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

I agree. Using NFP to get pregnant, as opposed to using it with a contraceptive intent and effect, is fine. But if he used NFP with a contraceptive intent, he would not have his son just as if he used condoms, the Pill, or some other form of birth control.

We aren't required to have as many kids as humanly possible. We are required, however, to respect how God set up the body and work within his rules.

 

[RhetorTheo]

Contraception means sex for the sake of sex without regard for Gods plan, respect for your partner, turning your partner into an object to satisfy your own desires.

How does this not happen if you are using NFP to avoid pregnancy? You are subordinating the primary end of procreation to satisfying lust, and that shows disrespect and turns the partner into an object.

It shows no respect for the person as an individual and a true partner and trivializes the act of sexual union to a mere act with no thought of responsibility.

Please explain how this does not apply equally to use of NFP as it does to artificial contraception.

If God is trying to give you a child we shouldn't be trying to thwart Gods plan nor interfere with His graces He wishes to bestow upon us.

Under your reasoning, God wants the people to have 1-2 children by using NFP, and they are instead having 1-2 children by using artificial contraception. So they aren't thwarting God's plan to give them children, they are simply using a different method. Or do you believe that, for some reason, God wants all people to have large families except for those who use NFP?

Contraception is intrinsicly about self gratification. With NFP you care more about how it effects the other person than how it effects yourself. Self gratification takes second place to your partner and Gods plan, showing the respect each deserves.

Please explain this. People who use artificial contraception care about their own self-gratification, but those who use NFP care about their partner's gratification? What is it about NFP that causes people's goals to switch like this?

Or perhaps by "how it effects the other person," you mean pregnancy. You don't want your partner to catch the "disease" of pregnancy, and avoiding pregnancy is more important than satisfying desires, unity, and all other ends of the marital act combined?

 

[D'Ann]

Please get a audio and book from Christopher West... "Theology of the Body"... it is awesome and explains this aspect of our Catholic faith in a very good way.

 

[RhetorTheo]

I share a somewhat negative opinion of NFP. It seems to me that NFP also embraces the contraceptive mentality. In any case, the Church does not advise NFP as a regular state of affairs but only when there is a just cause.

I don't think it is natural (and it seems a bit strange) to be charting and taking body temperatures etc etc. How is there a free sharing of love when the married couple plans their sexual life around a rigorized calendar?

Let's say that there is a couple where the wife will die if she gets pregnant again. They truly (and perhaps desperately!) want to have more children. They use NFP not because they don't want children (they very much do), but to prevent the wife's death. In that case, they might not have a contraceptive mentality. I would call that a grave reason.

This is very different from using NFP to avoid having more children, but saying "I am open to life because if my method of birth control fails, I will love the child." Most ABC users will happily accept the child of an "accident." It is not an openness to life, but a contraceptive mentality.