Catholic mum answers, "isn't NFP just Catholic birth control?"

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I’d only add that the main audience for “look like you’re enjoying this” is your children.

We only have two, but I felt I’d done something right when we stopped our car so a mother with a bevy of small children could cross in the crosswalk, and one of my small children said, “Wow, look at all those kids! What a lucky mom!”

We got a lot of comments about “double trouble” and “I’m glad it is you and not me” about our twins. My response was usually along the lines of “oh, no, four times as much fun” or “it is not always easy, but we are very lucky.” This is not to say we’ve never said “on the days we’d sell them, there wouldn’t be any buyers,” but that all in all they know we appreciate the blessing that they are.
 
EasterJoy said:

“I’d only add that the main audience for “look like you’re enjoying this” is your children.”

Exactly. If your kids’ takeaway from watching you at home is, “Look at mom dragging her cross around,” it’s going to be a hard sell to get them to give you grandchildren.
 
One of the commentors below the linked article had it spot on, 100% correct…

“NFP is not contraception, but it is absolutely birth control”
 
godisgood77 said:
One of the commentors below the linked article had it spot on, 100% correct…

“NFP is not contraception, but it is absolutely birth control”
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Short of just closing ones legs, birth control is always implemented by artificial contraception, and there is nothing whatsoever natural about watching ones cycle like a hawk.

I’m afraid I remain one of those awkward individuals here who view NFP as artificial contraception 😃
 
NekoNecro said:
Short of just closing ones legs, birth control is always implemented by artificial contraception, and there is nothing whatsoever natural about watching ones cycle like a hawk.

I’m afraid I remain one of those awkward individuals here who view NFP as artificial contraception 😃
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You are not awkward, you use your capability to reason very well.
There is nothing natural about sticking a thermometer to woman’s orifices every day.
The fertility is being treated as a disease by NFP.
 
Jaaanosik said:
You are not awkward, you use your capability to reason very well.
There is nothing natural about sticking a thermometer to woman’s orifices every day.
The fertility is being treated as a disease by NFP.
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I’d strongly disagree. Nothing is being done to alter the body, one is only tracking what the body does, the way people trying to lose weight step on a scale. The thermometer is taken orally, just like when you are sick. I don’t know what is unnatural about those things.

You are most grievously wrong in suggesting that fertility is being treated as a disease. This is quite the opposite, actually. Our sexuality and fertility are gifts from God, and they are so highly valued, we do not abuse either of them with NFP.

Contraception literally means hindering the act of conception. Having relations on a day where the odds are low doesn’t really fall into this group, but taking pills, using spermicidal gels, etc certainly would.
 
Mumbles140 said:
I’d strongly disagree. Nothing is being done to alter the body, one is only tracking what the body does, the way people trying to lose weight step on a scale. The thermometer is taken orally, just like when you are sick. I don’t know what is unnatural about those things.
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Putting a condom over the penis doesn’t alter the body either, but it is done for exactly the same purpose as NFP.
Mumbles140 said:
You are most grievously wrong in suggesting that fertility is being treated as a disease. This is quite the opposite, actually. Our sexuality and fertility are gifts from God, and they are so highly valued, we do not abuse either of them with NFP.
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It’s still a method of avoiding conception. Contraception is by definition undertaking a method of avoiding conception.
Mumbles140 said:
***Contraception literally means hindering the act of conception. Having relations on a day where the odds are low ***doesn’t really fall into this group, but taking pills, using spermicidal gels, etc certainly would.
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It actually kind of does. You’re attempting to reduce the chance of pregnancy either way.
 
For the Catholics who say think that NFP and artificial contraception are the same,

Could you tell us if you are married or single, in your fertile years or not, and if you are using artificial contraception or NFP or are celibate. I’m very curious on how your stand on this issue affects your day to day life.
 
Mumbles140 said:
I’d strongly disagree. Nothing is being done to alter the body, one is only tracking what the body does, the way people trying to lose weight step on a scale. The thermometer is taken orally, just like when you are sick. I don’t know what is unnatural about those things.

You are most grievously wrong in suggesting that fertility is being treated as a disease. This is quite the opposite, actually. Our sexuality and fertility are gifts from God, and they are so highly valued, we do not abuse either of them with NFP.

Contraception literally means hindering the act of conception. Having relations on a day where the odds are low doesn’t really fall into this group, but taking pills, using spermicidal gels, etc certainly would.
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Exactly what you said: “just like when you are sick”.
NFP treats the fertility “just like when you are sick”.
 
NFP and artificial birth control can’t be the same thing, because NFP principles are also widely used (particularly in the non-Catholic world) to achieve pregnancy. In fact, I would say that in practice, most users of NFP principles are using it to have a baby.
 
It’s funny although I tried my best to follow NFP I always had in the back of my mind some of the points being raised here. I mean, is it fully trusting in God? In some way you are trying to control how many children you have. I always conceived when we thought it was safe. :D. I have 6 children and don’t do anything to prevent concieving and I’ll in my early 40’s. Very interesting topic!
 
NekoNecro said:
It’s still a method of avoiding conception. Contraception is by definition undertaking a method of avoiding conception.
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Abstinence (ie not having sex) is a method of avoiding conception. I think you need to rethink your “definition”. By your definition, I’m contracepting right now!

You can’t be contracepting if you’re not having sex.
 
underacloud said:
Abstinence (ie not having sex) is a method of avoiding conception. I think you need to rethink your “definition”. By your definition, I’m contracepting right now!

You can’t be contracepting if you’re not having sex.
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Exactly, which is contrary to the purpose of marriage (by the Catholic definition anyway).

It’s one of the reasons I jumped off the anti-contraception bandwagon. Whatever we do to intentionally evade pregnancy, be it via abstinence or the pill is still an intentional act of evasion, contrary to the nature of intercourse and marriage.

Unless you’re leaving it down to chance every time you have intercourse, you are on some level contracepting.

Penny, the only reason I haven’t answered your question (if it was aimed at myself and Jaaanosik) is because I am not a practicing Catholic. Would you still want me to elaborate?
 
underacloud said:

“By your definition, I’m contracepting right now!”

Hey, you! Stop that right this minute!
 
NekoNecro said:

“Whatever we do to intentionally evade pregnancy, be it via abstinence or the pill is still an intentional act of evasion, contrary to the nature of intercourse and marriage.”

Do you have an obligatory marital intercourse schedule you could share with us? Because even a really frisky married couple is spending literally 99% of the time not having sex. Are they committing an “intentional act of evasion” during the 99% of the time when they are sleeping, working, cooking, doing dishes, changing diapers, or putting kids to bed?
 
Xantippe said:
NekoNecro said:

“Whatever we do to intentionally evade pregnancy, be it via abstinence or the pill is still an intentional act of evasion, contrary to the nature of intercourse and marriage.”

Do you have an obligatory marital intercourse schedule you could share with us? Because even a really frisky married couple is spending literally 99% of the time not having sex. Are they committing an “intentional act of evasion” during the 99% of the time when they are sleeping, working, cooking, doing dishes, changing diapers, or putting kids to bed?
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If we go by the current literal interpretation of contraception then yes it is. Of course we can’t have sex all day every day, but to intentionally avoid sex for days, weeks, months or however long to avoid pregnancy is still a method (albit a rather extreme one) of contraception.

This logic that has lead to the condemnation of condoms, the pill and such just doesn’t hold up in this light, it’s neither practicable, practical, and is no better or worse than abstinence or NFP. It’s all the same, just a different implementation with the same intent; avoiding conception.
 
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