Another Perspective on Contraception

I'm so excited that I got 13 comments on my last post!! And that everyone is thinking about this topic. One of the professors at Devry has 6 children and I've copied his thoughts below. He puts his faith into action. I've known him for about 7 years and has never complained about having too many kids or them being too much work. To him, they are a blessing. He has the right attitude - one that I'm working on :).

So what can I say? I am a “cradle” catholic - born and raised in the catholic faith. With my children growing – my oldest now 14 – I need to address this issue with them. It’s for them that I am most concerned but right on the heels of that I must say God loves each and every child and what is happening in America and all over the world with abortion (and thus most forms of contraception) is the second greatest evil that world has ever known. The concentration camps held only a small fraction of the dead that have fallen to our practices since Roe V. Wade and the abortion numbers don’t even begin to estimate the number of chemically induced abortions due to abortive contraception methods. BTW Roe – who brought the case – is now one of leading prolife advocates in the US.

My personal experience and thoughts on birth control have indeed been tempered by the teachings of the church – doesn’t it sound better to say ‘family planning’??? Did God give us the intellect and tools to help us plan a family? Absolutely. Does he want us to do so without killing? Absolutely. This is not a social question or a health question. If you truly believe life begins at conception then anything we do that stands in the way of that life coming to fruition as God intended places our souls at risk, more so if we knowingly lead others along that path. Parents, health professionals, and public policy makers have great responsibility. Now, I am not saying everyone who uses contraception or has promoted abortive methods has sinned. Sin involves the intention as well as the action. One must know what they are doing is wrong for it to be a matter of sin.

My aunt Rose is the group that did not realize the contraception methods she was using were abortive. To this day they have not had children but they wanted them very badly. She was pregnant once and only after she lost the child did she come to find out the her birth control methods may have played a roll. Can God grant a child to a couple using birth control? Yes – unfortunately things do not always work out for those children conceived during the contraceptive use. She still blames herself but again at the time she did not know that what she was doing could harm the baby – she is one of the gentlest people I know which is why I think this still hurts for her today.

So what do/will I tell my children and what do Kathy I practice? I will (do) tell my children that the availability of pornography on the internet and the sexuality that they see on TV and elsewhere is dangerous. When one begins to only think of sex and not the person or relationship involved not to mention the potential for children then one has gone astray. Sex should not be selfish or casual and thought of as without consequence. Only in a real loving relationship can it truly be experienced for all that it is – which I would dare say – includes an openness to God and his plans. The true potential and meaning come to fruition only in marriage. Not “I think we are going to get married” but the true commitment it takes to raise a family.

So how does one plan a family? God knows that there are times when we would like to postpone a pregnancy but what he asks is an openness to his will too. He also knows that there are couples who desperately want a child or children. If a woman’s fertility can be tracked and ovulation predicted reliably then that’s really all you need. Men are typically always fertile so that part doesn’t matter too much. Abstain during fertile times and you can prevent pregnancy as reliably as any of the artificial birth control methods. Don’t abstain during fertile times and you are likely to conceive – some couples more than others :). Kathy & I use the sympto – thermal method to track her fertility. IF it is practiced as prescribed it has 99.7% rate of accomplishing your goal – either to conceive or prevent pregnancy. Now, I know, Kathy and I have 6 kids so you might be thinking – yeah right, but, we planned on a big family 4 – 5 children and we were trying for a sister for Becca. We did get a little lax and so Sam came along but it really wasn’t the method’s fault and do you know what? Sam is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. It would tear me apart not to have him in our life.

So… our computers all have net nanny on them, the natural family planning methods are now high tech – software can be found at www.ccli.org/software - and accepted by medical professional as 99.7% reliable, and when our temporary stay here on earth is done this is one question I hope I won’t have to worry about HIM asking.