Although NFP is definitely "green"-that's not at all the reason we use it. It's just an added bonus. Anyone whose remotely aware of current birth control research knows that the pill is linked to breast cancer and so much more. Yuck. With so many risk factors for cancer being unavoidable, it boggles my mind that anyone would ingest a daily pill that puts them so at risk.
Birth control is also poisoning our environment. My hubby, the fish scientist, has read several studies indicating the harmful effects that oral contraception is having on our nation's water supply and its aquatic life. But it's not only the fish that are being affected, this study links birth control to declining fertility in men! Wonderful-so we take a pill to keep us from having children and by the time we're done with it we won't be able to have children!
It doesn't take someone with a degree in medicine or biology to know that the pill is harmful. Just spend five minutes googling-seriously-five minutes. It'll blow your mind.
The Catholic Church's teaching on NFP is so misunderstood. We've all heard the phrase "Keep God out of my bedroom!". But those people forget Who invented sex. Why would we keep the CREATOR of sex completely removed from our bedrooms? Surely God has a plan for sex and that plan is found in the beauty of the Theology of the Body.
If you're totally unaware of what NFP is, here's a great intro written by a fellow blogger. If you want to learn even more, search for a Creighton Practitioner or a Teaching Couple.
So many have said it better than I can ever say. And I'm overwhelmed by the importance of this post, knowing it might be the first (and only) mention of NFP some people might ever come by. What if I don't say it correctly? What if I come across the wrong way? What if, what if, what if...
What if I never say it? That's the question that should really bother me.
Ted and I use NFP because we trust that God's plans for our family are better than our own.
We use it because we completely respect each other's bodies and would never, ever ask each other to hide, remove, or hinder any part of our God-given fertility.
We use it because the knowledge of a woman's cycle is POWERFUL! Don't believe me? We have NFP to thank for Hannah.
We use it because it demands love, communication, and unity-all things we strive to foster in our marriage.
We use NFP because we value life and would never risk ending the life of a tiny human through the use of contraceptives.
We use it because we obey the teachings of the Church that we have chosen to be a part of. Choosing Catholicism is choosing NFP.*
And yes, we use it because it's green. Freedom from cancer risks, environmental effects, and having to shell out money for that nasty crap are all just one big green bonus to the awesomeness of NFP.
Can it be hard at time? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Without a doubt.
*I should add that Catholic do not HAVE to practice NFP. We are obviously free to throw the charts out the window and just "see what happens". If a couple wishes to avoid a pregnancy for a just reason NFP is the only acceptable way of doing this.
I can't say enough great things about NFP! I LOVE it! And I think it must be providence that led me to your post right now, because I have Kimberly Hahn's book: "Life-Giving Love: Embracing God's Beautiful Design for Marriage" on my lap, thumbing through pages and thinking "I need to re-read this, it is so awesome!" Highly recommend to anyone looking for more reading material on NFP! AND I need to email you about stripping cloth diapers...I think I used too much detergent!
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt!!!! AMEN sister:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I think you did the subject of NFP proud! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat if you never said it... I'm glad that you did! I would love to be a part of dialogue between infertile NFP adherents and the fertile NFP adherents. It use to confound me that there are couples who can [or do] choose to regularly engage in relations during Phase 2, but I know that it has to be much more complex than that. Regardless, you said it best with your 1st proclamation about having faith in God, infertile or not, for giving you the grace and blessings in His time. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYeah! My former ob wanted me to go on the pill for 3 months to "restore my fertility" after Madeleine turned 1 and we were interested in trying again. I told him no and then told him to write in my chart to never ask me that again. Then I switched doctors. Then we conceived John Paul the next month. If we had listened to him, the world would be a much sadder place.
ReplyDeleteAmen sister! Love this.
ReplyDeleteI love the line "We use it because we obey the teaching for the Church that we have chosen to be a part of. Choosing Catholicism is choosing NFP" Love it. I quoted you (and linked back to you) in my blog, I hope you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteFor me this is just so true. And as someone who is just learning it as she goes along, sometimes it's the only reason that I have, though I am beginning to appreciate all the other parts.
Kaitlin, what a nice post! I've seen a lot of posts about NFP this week and I've thought about doing one of my own, but like you were, I'm a little nervous to touch on the subject.
ReplyDeleteBut I wrote a post a while back about being open to life and why my husband and I have decided not to use NFP (not to use anything to "plan" our family at all) in the foreseeable future, and someone jumped all over me thinking that meant that I was against NFP, so maybe I should write a post about the blessings of NFP to clarify that I in fact do not oppose it at all!