When I said there are sometimes reasons to postpone pregnancy I wasn't talking about money issues. I was thinking more along the lines of health or mental stability of the woman.
Personal question...do you abstain completely? I mean, are you ever with your husband? You don't have to answer or can e-mail privately if you want. I'm not trying to be judgemental, I'm just curious what you mean. Sex in a marriage is not a sin if you have legitimate reasons for trying to avoid pregnancy. God can make a woman pregnant even if she thinks she is not fertile. The fact that there is no artificial barriers is already showing you are more open than when using ABC.
By the way, just because we live in a wealthy society does not mean everyone is wealthy and should have 10 kids. However, we never would have had kids if we had waited until we could "afford" it! So I do agree with you a little! :o)
No, it's been almost a year since we have been together. We have no legitimate reason not to have more children. We are well educated, quite well off with well-behaved, bright children. Therefore, would be sinful because we are not open to children.
Yhe effort required to keep those kids on the right path is enough for me so I am not in my heart open to more children. I feel awful about my selfish feelings--I know they are not a grave reason not to have more kids. Just because I find it harder to stay up til the kids' curfew is not a good enough reason!
I find NFP to be incredibly hypocritical in many instances. I am not open to children. To use any form of bc would be sinful.
Here is a quote that says it better than I:
NFP used as a long-term or permanent means of avoiding conception involves a sinful disposition. The use of continence as a means of contraception, though, is not in itself sinful. As the late Fr. John Meyendorff noted, "both the New Testament and Church tradition consider continence as an acceptable form of family planning."--J. Meyendorff, Marriage: An Orthodox Perspective (3d rev. ed., St. Vlad. Sem. Pr., 1984), p. 62