The decision to not have a child is perfectly ok. But if you don't want a child, how does it make sense to engage in the very activity that produces a child, and then deliberately frustrate it?
A better analogy to contraception is a bulimic. She wants all the pleasure of eating without the natural effects of eating, so she stuffs her face and goes in the bathroom and throws it all up.
“But if you don’t want a child, how does it make sense to engage in the very activity that produces a child, and then deliberately frustrate it?”
There is a reason some couples refer to it as ‘making love’ rather than ‘baby creation’...
“A better analogy to contraception is a bulimic. She wants all the pleasure of eating without the natural effects of eating...”
What is next - a ban on artificial sweeteners? Why drink a Diet Coke instead of one with sugar? Oh wait, one with fructose. And can I use a seat belt to defy God’s will in sending me a crash?
It is not defying God’s will to use our brains in choosing what we do and how we do it.
An interesting analogy.
Before my retirement, (20 years ago) I was a counselor for Fertility Awareness, certified for my diocese. We called it Fertility Awareness rather than Natural Family Planning.
My Baptist dentist, and long-time dear friend, asked me to give him and his wife counsel in FA. They had 5 sons and hoped someday to have a daughter. :-)
I told him that I may be able to provide some insights, but that, since we know and ask that God’s will and his will alone be done, that all I could do was provide some helpful insights. Nine months later, a large bouquet of roses was delivered to my door with a card that said: “It’s a girl!”
Because of my dentist’s interest in FA ever after that, he mentioned the teaching to friends of his at a nearby large Protestant (founded by Baptists) Bible College.
Subsequently I received a call from the psychology professor at that college who taught Family Life courses. He asked if he could meet with me and, of course, I agreed.
He and his wife ended up taking instructions in FA from me and a few weeks later asked me to come and give an overview of FA to his class. But he cautioned me that the dean told him that I could come and give a talk on the method but that I was not to mention anything about Catholic belief or doctrine.
I agreed.
So I prepared a presentation using numerous Scriptural references based on the spiritual Bridegroom and his Bride the church. My presentation was entitled “The Covenant of Marriage”.
Thanks be to God, it was very well received by the students.
Afterwards, I received quite a few calls, from students who were in that class, wanting to know more about FA. One couple in the class, already married, came to me for personal help in FA. From there, they went on, on their own initiative, to teach it to other couples. (as for me, I was required to go through a full course and be tested and accepted for certification in my diocese!)
I also received, and have kept as a happy memoir, a letter from the department of Family Life at the college, thanking me for my presentation
There are , indeed, beautiful, Scriptural understandings to give validity to FA.
I, for one, would be so happy to see evangelicals take a second look at contraception and a new look into FA.