immaculata Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 A guy at work and I just recently had a debate over contraception/NFP.. (He wanted to know where in the Bible contraception is condemned) Here's excerpts from the first email I sent him.. He then asked why NFP is any different from contraception, since they both have the same goal, but I lost that email and I can't remember how I refuted that. I'm gonna tackle these one at a time, starting with contraception.. To answer your question directly, there is only one place in the Bible where contraception is explicitly discribed- Gen. 38:6-10. Onan is killed for 'spilling his seed' - in other words, contracepting. He did this because he didn't want to raise the offspring of his dead brother's wife. In Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the Levite law gives a very mild punishment for refusing to raise your dead brother's children- spitting on his face or something like that.. But Onan was killed because he went beyond that law- he used contraception. Now obviously, the Church doesn't base it's entire position on one passage. While there aren't any other verses dealing directly with contraception, there are several that describe the sancity of human life and the holiness of the marriage bond. Pope Paul VI wrote an excellent encyclical entitled "Humane Vitae" which condemns all forms of contraception (including sterlization and the Pill). He explains it a heck of a lot better than I ever could, and you can read it at: http://www.ewtn.com/library/ENCYC/P6HUMANA.HTM. Basically, ever since the Fall, human beings have fractured the union of husband and wife. In marriage, sex is meant to be sacred- a sign of the covenant they have made with each other. Intercourse is a complete self-giving to the other, holding nothing back. We imitate God's complete self-sacrificing love for us. Not only does sex bring pleasure (duh) and unity to husband and wife, but it also gives us the amesome opportunity to be co-creators with God! We are given the chance to help bring a new life, a new soul into the world. Most people don't understand what an amazing gift this is, the chance to be open to life. Getting back to the Fall.. when contraception is used, it places a barrier (both physical and emotional) between husband and wife. This destroys the unity that sex is meant to bring. I know girls who say, "Sex means so much more when we don't use condoms." Why do ya'll think that is? When a couple uses contraception, they're saying "I love you for what you can give to me." The partner is turned into a mere object used for their own selfish pleasure. You're not respecting the woman's fertility or her ability to bring life into the world. A lot of people say, "Well, okay, I can see that.. but what if a couple can't afford to have any more kids?" and then I say, "Well then stupid, use NFP!" (not exactly in those words, of course!) I don't know how familiar you are with Natural Family Planning, but to make a long story short.. a woman has natural cycles of fertility. Most of the time she's infertile, but for one week each month, she ovulates and releases an egg which can then be fertilized. When this is about to happen, her body gives off several signs. The most noticable are a change in her Basal Body Temperture, and a thickening of her mucas. (Gross, huh?) With NFP, a woman tracks her BBT and the consistancy of her mucas. When her BBT rises a few degrees, she knows she is in a fertile cycle and she and her husband abstain from having intercourse until her BBT goes back down to normal. NFP rocks for several reasons: Number one, it respects the way God made our bodies. He's a pretty smart guy, and he realized that ya'll can't be having babies every time ya have sex.. NFP is respecting the woman's body and her fertility and using it in the way God intended. Consider this example: two women want to lose weight. One diets and exercises, while the other chick pigs out on whatever she wants and then makes herself vomit after every meal. The first woman respects the natural purpose and effects of eating. The second girl is perverting and circumventing the natural results of eating. We praise the first woman for her will power, but look down on the other girl for not having any self-control. The bulemic chick is stealing the pleasure of eating, but preventing it's natural consequence. So why do we condemn this eating disorder, but support sexual bulemia?!?! Anyway, next reason NFP rocks.. The period of abstainence. My American Lit teacher, Mr. Laird, frequently quoted in class, "You can marry the best looking man or woman in the world, and they can be GREAT in the bedroom.. but eventually you're gonna have to talk to them, and you better hope to GOD that when they open their mouth, moths don't fly out!" (yes, Mr. Laird is quite a character..) NFP requires open communication between husband and wife- something that is severely lacking in today's relationships. During the times when the couple can't have sex, they have to *gasp!* actually find something else to do!!! (oh no!) This builds a loving relationship based on other things besides physical pleasure. There is a 2% divorce rate among couples who use NFP, as compared to a 50% national average rate. IMAGINE THAT! NFP couples aren't just in it for the sex.. To close, I'm gonna quote one of the awesomest dead guys of all time, G.K. Chesterton.. "With birth control, there is no birth and no control." For you sola-scriptura freaks, there isn't a verse in the Bible that says "Thou shalt not contracept!" But the Bible does teach about the sancity of human life, which the Church works diligently to uphold. (For a girl who doesn't even have a boyfriend, I sure know a lot about sex! hahahaha..) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 wow you go girl!! i hear ya sister!! lol...that was a great post!!! thank you so much for sharing.... God BLess! +JMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 (edited) Immaculata & Littleflower - Thanks to both of you for your responses. I'm still searching for a ccl in my area, but I don't think there is one. I'm in Edited by moderator: personal info . I'm not giving up though, and I've talked to my husband about NFP and he's pretty receptive to the idea (he hates condoms, and well *so do I*). So I'm still looking. If anyone can find something out there for me, let me know. Thanks. Edited May 26, 2006 by Lil Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 i will certainly be keeping you in my prayers...... don't give up! keep searching! God is waiting to bless you with the greatest gift on earth! the gift of life, the blessing of children, it is thru them that we know that we have been fruitful and accepting to God's will...God wants you to enjoy his gifts that are granted thru the sacrament of marriage that show the manifestation of His gifts and love.....ask him to lead you and your husband to wisdom, guidance and strength to trust Him.... God bless and keep us updated, if there is anything, we are here! +JMJ :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessinoelw Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 (edited) Immaculata & Littleflower - Thanks to both of you for your responses.� I'm still searching for a ccl in my area, but I don't think there is one.� I'm in Edited by moderator: personal info and there's one in Butte and one in Helena.� I'm not giving up though, and I've talked to my husband about NFP and he's pretty receptive to the idea (he hates condoms, and well *so do I*).� So I'm still looking.� If anyone can find something out there for me, let me know.� Thanks. There are two Billings Method Instructors in Edited by moderator: personal info , one in Edited by moderator: personal info . The Billings Method is a very simple, mucus-only method. That's the method we started out with. If there are no CCL instructors in your area you can always order the Home Study Course from their Web site. That's how we learned CCL's method. You send your charts to CCL Central for review while learning. Here are the Billings Instructors info: Edited by moderator: personal info Edited by moderator: personal info --Jessica (CCL Teacher) Edited February 20, 2012 by Lil Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 BUMP!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Thanks Jessica! I really appreciate it. Phatmassers rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 keep us updated....we have you and your husband in our prayers.... God bLess! +JMJ :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 oh yeah and your completely right about phatmass and jessica!! Jessica does Rock!! thanks jessica, your too cool! God bLess!! +JMJ :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 (edited) JMJ - I just sent that lady an email asking her for some more info in my area. Hopefully she responds soon and mails me some info. I'm kind of getting excited and my husband is hopefully to not have condoms around anymore!!! Thanks!! p.s. JMJ, my name is Edited by moderator: personal info , too, so that last post got kind of confusing!!! Hee Hee Edited May 26, 2006 by Lil Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 (edited) JMJ - I just sent that lady an email asking her for some more info in my area.� Hopefully she responds soon and mails me some info.� I'm kind of getting excited and my husband is hopefully to not have condoms around anymore!!!� Thanks!! p.s. JMJ, my name is Edited by moderator: personal info , too, so that last post got kind of confusing!!!� � Hee Hee well you too Edited by moderator: personal info im' glad to hear, i hope everything works out and it will, just have trust and obedience and you will be blest! +JMJ Edited February 20, 2012 by Lil Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 I'm so excited!!! I emailed that lady and....there's a general information meeting on Monday the 25th!!! And what's even better is that my husband will finally be at home and he can come with me! I've kinda explained to him what NFP is and does and he's a little grossed out by the whole mucus thing, but he's excited about the benefits!! :D Thanks everyone for your help! I'll keep everyone posted on how things are going! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleflower+JMJ Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 (edited) ALRigHT Edited by moderator: personal info !!! keep it up your doing great!!! thanks for updating us!! we are keeping you and your husband in our pryaers! ;) Edited May 26, 2006 by Lil Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Thanks JMJ, I really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessinoelw Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Some people like the term "cervical fluid" better than "mucus." It's comparable to the term "seminal fluid" for the guys...stuff. --Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now