Natural Family Planning vs. Artificial Contraception

I know where I stand on it.

1. I've never liked the idea of going on the Pill, for the most basic reason that I'm pretty opposed to being dependent on any sort of drug to get through life on a day-to-day basis. Yes, I understand that in most cases people don't have a choice: they have some serious illness or condition that requires them to be on medication. That's fine. I'm just saying, if I have a choice I'm going to choose not to have to take it. So why would I volunteer to take a Pill every day in order to prevent my body from doing what it is naturally made to do? Personally, I've never been a fan.

2. The Pill (and other artificial means) give people the illusion that they won't have to worry about conceiving.... thus giving them the freedom to have sex whenever they want. No worries! This is the reason I never used anything when I dated Ryan: because I knew that if we were using something, we'd be even more likely to do things we shouldn't have been doing. Without it we were forced to pay a little more attention. We still did things I regret. But if we'd had something more than just our (admittedly lacking) self-control preventing conception... well, we'd have lost ALL our self-control. I don't know what would have happened.

3. What about children conceived when their mothers are on the Pill (or some other means of contraception)? You can argue that they are obviously "meant to be"... that's God defying the laws of science. But look at it another way. If a woman's on birth control it's usually because she "doesn't want" or "isn't ready" for a child. She's actively trying to prevent a child from entering her life. So then suppose she gets pregnant anyway. Is the pregnancy a joyous occasion or a strenuous accident? And this isn't to say she won't adore and sacrifice for her child... but in that case... what if her Pill had worked? Then the child wouldn't be part of her life at all. She didn't think she wanted it so she tried to avoid it. It's paradoxical. I don't think birth control liberates us and allows for sexual freedom, I think it tears away at self-control and promotes pleasure without consequences. But sex exists for a purpose, and pleasure's part of it, but so is reproduction.

4a. I think Creation is best left in God's hands. Obviously, I have to do my part too. I wouldn't go jumping off the Empire State Building and trusting that God would take care of me. You don't test God. If I was testing God, I could go out and have as much sex as I want to now, without any birth control at all, and just say, "Well, if God wants me to have a kid, then I will." I'm not doing that. :P I'm not having sex at all. The only person I'll have sex with from now until the day I die will be the man I marry. That's the first step in doing my part.

4b. The next step is not being irresponsible about it when I do get married. People think that a couple who says they're not planning to use [artificial] birth control is being irresponsible, contributing to overpopulation, not thinking clearly. Because obviously a couple who doesn't use [artificial] birth control is going to end up with eight or ten kids and be looking to all their friends and neighbors for support. Well, that may be somewhat true, but I don't think people have the whole picture. There's a little thing called self-control. A couple who's not on artificial birth control is not stupid: they know that every time they get together, there's the possibility of a child resulting from the union. If it's not in their best interests to have a child right then, Natural Family Planning is just as effective as any of the artificial stuff out there. Basically, when the woman's fertile, you just don't do it. SELF CONTROL. You might still end up with eight or ten kids. You might have eight or ten even if you're on the Pill. :P That's God in the picture.


I don't know if this helps anybody understand or not. When I get married I don't plan to use artificial birth control. I do plan to use natural family planning. I might have one kid. I might have ten. I'd prefer the smaller side, but I embrace the possibility that God might have something else in mind. I don't think that's irresponsible.

I'm not condemning people who disagree with me. But I do wonder whether not using birth control would have had different effects on some people I know.