Natural Family Planning International

From an email message to my husband:

I’m a Pro-Life Catholic convert as of a few years ago, and would like to talk to Protestants, as someone who understands them, about Birth Control.  But, I don’t know of a single Protestant denomination that opposes birth control, do you? Or do you know of even a single Protestant church that teaches opposition to birth control?  Let me know.

I have dedicated my life to LIFE. I became a Catholic mostly for that reason from being a lifetime Protestant.  John, there is no subject on earth, and never has been more important than protecting and promoting life, because it is the premier way to serve the Father, Son and Holy Spirit….

Hey, I’m not even happy about the approval by the Catholic Church of “Natural” Birth Control. I see no biblical, or Church tradition, that supports it. Maybe there is something somewhere, but I have never found it. Maybe you could enlighten me on that as well. I feel that our stance on “Natural Family Planning” undermines our Pro-Life message considerably. Maybe you could inform me how what I surmise is not true. I’ve read and studied Humanae Vitae repeatedly and am still puzzled.
Founder

JOHN’S RESPONSE:

Dear Founder,
I am not aware of any Protestant denomination or geographic church that opposes unnatural forms of birth control, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.  In my booklet, “Birth Control and Christian Discipleship,” you will find several anti-birth-control quotations from Protestant leaders in response to the acceptance of contraception by the Federal Council of Churches in 1931.  And just last year or in 2010, the president of the big Baptist seminary in St. Louis said some things much more favorable to Catholic teaching on this issue and critical of the massive and unthinking Protestant acceptance starting in 1931.

Until the middle of the 19th century, there was no alternative between contraception and non-contraceptive pregnancy-avoiding strategies.  The idea of a limited fertile time in the female cycle didn’t occur to scientists until about 1850, and the Vatican rather quickly approved the concept of periodic abstinence during the fertile time.  The reality didn’t come about for another 80 years.

I suggest that you read our NFP manual to get a balanced approach.  Most of what counts on this subject is in Chapter 1.  We encourage couples to use ecological breastfeeding as a natural baby spacer.  If and when the time comes that they have a sufficiently serious reason to avoid pregnancy, that’s the time to use systematic NFP.

At the top of the first page of each chapter you will find a quotation that adds flesh to the teaching of Humanae Vitae.

Thanks for writing.  Hope to hear from you again.

Peace,
John Kippley

P.S.  This is the month of May which is traditionally thought of as a special Marian month and thus a time to emphasize praying the rosary.  I have compiled an expanded rosary title The Seven Day Bible Rosary: Different Mysteries for each day of the week.  I have found that converts have a particular appreciation for this form of praying the rosary. To find out more, visit www.sevendaybiblerosary.com .