Orthodox Catholics - question on natural family planning?

As a traditional Catholic with three children of my own I have spoken numerous times with priests on this matter. We should always welcome another child if God wills us to have one. NFP does not guarantee that we will not have children. It is only used when we don't intend to have children due to severe circumstances such as physical health of the mother, financial struggles, and also if you already have a handful of children you have to ask yourself if you are able to manage homeschooling one after another back to back and worrying about their salvation as it is our responsibility to make little saints. If we are having baby after baby, mommy isn't always going to handle it well. It is very stressful once you have more than two children, especially for us homeschooling moms who have a traditional family where the husband is the only one who works to bring the money home and us women are the homemakers. It is a huge responsibility and if we find that having more children will make it difficult to make saints out of the children we already have, then NFP is a possibility.

There are other matters to consider now. For example, I have to have c-sections with every baby and therefore giving birth at home with a midwife is not an option and I am forced to go to the hospital. The Federal Government passed the DNA database last year requiring by law all hospital patients to have their DNA taken for genetic research without the patient's knowledge or consent. I refuse to have my children made into guinea pigs so they can be cloned or put into the system. Therefore if I should have anymore children I will try to risk having them at home. And that is why my husband and I feel it is our responsibility to care for the children we already have and not to intentionally conceive another. Not until this fascist socialist government is overthrown and liberty is given back to the people.

to the answerer above mine. Why is it false to believe that God will provide you with the means to care for every child He blesses you with? I have proof that He has done so for us. Every single time my husband and I conceived a baby he was either unemployed or being forced to resign and take a $10k pay cut and lose our health insurance. God provided us everytime with the means to have a roof over our head, food in our cupboards and clothing and supplies for each child we had. It is proof that God never GIVES you more than you can handle.

And traditional Catholics believe it is a mortal sin to use contraception.

Nfp is not the same as chemical or other artificial means of birth control. It applies the woman's natural cycle of fertility, and occasional abstinence to prevent conception. It is still open to life.

Edit: There are times and situations in married life when having a child could be difficult, so, we are free to use NFP. The only caveat is, we must be open to life if conception occurs. NFP is very effective. I didn't know it is 99% effective. I know it is allowed. It does not compromise sacramental marriage.

People want to have sex without having babies. The bible also says that husbands and wives should not deprive each other except for an occasion of fasting. On-the-other hand, if Christians do not start having babies, the religion will become extinct. and still another issues is that birth control pills do not prevent pregnancy but actually are causing early abortions. There is a lot of prayer that need to go up before the Lord for instructions in this area. Wisdom is the principle thing.

The difference is that NFP relies on the NATURAL, God-given cycles of a woman's body, along with periods of abstinence (which no one can compare to birth control-since when is NOT having sex sinful?).

I am not familiar with this statement that you refer to here.

"The CCC said it is acceptable in "grave" situations."

Allow me first clarify some language.

Most Orthodox Catholics are not in union with Rome and at least some I have spoken to allow chemical contraception.

I believe you are asking about those who ascent or obey the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church or the Magesterium as the legitimate representative of Christ on earth.

Incidentally, many others use natural family planning including Evangelicals, Moslems, as well as agnostics or atheists who don't want dangerous chemicals in their bodies.

The question I hear is when is it licit to use natural family planning according to Roman Catholic teaching?

The secular media often promotes the heresy that practicing Catholics must have as many babies as physically possible.

Some (I have heard this most from) traditionalist Catholics believe in the false doctrine of providentialism - since God will provide for as many babies as they can produce, therefore nfp is not necessary. (Mrs Catholic is a wise exception, and hopefully a majority.)

The Roman Catholic model is would be "responsible parenthood." This is not easy to define - what comes to my mind is the Lord taught us in the gospels not to undertake goals we are not capable of without adequate planning lest we later be considered fools by our neighbors.

My bottom line summary of the position I heard at CCL is the question of whether to have a child at this time is up to the spouses who are called to follow Christ in a spirit of generosity and are challenged against a spirit of selfishness. This is a private matter to be decided by the spouses. I must add that this answer presupposes the couple are growing in the awareness of their duties through the tools the good Lord provides such as Church teachings, spiritual direction, and above all an active prayerlife that constantly asks the Lord his will. By the way, I am no expert, but worked as an order department clerk at an nfp organization.

The encyclical Humane Vitae discusses some aspects of responsible parenthood:

Responsible Parenthood

10. Married love, therefore, requires of husband and wife the full awareness of their obligations in the matter of responsible parenthood, which today, rightly enough, is much insisted upon, but which at the same time should be rightly understood. Thus, we do well to consider responsible parenthood in the light of its varied legitimate and interrelated aspects.

(There is much more to this section & well worth the read. The whole encyclical is easily readable in under 2 hours and free at this website.)

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclic...

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Janet Smith is one of the best spoken authors on natural family planning. Her online artlicles are here.

http://www.aodonline.org/SHMS/Faculty+5819/Janet+S...

And this one is on "The Moral Use of Natural Family Planning" and a quote follows:

"The limits to the obligation to have children

It is never possible to define positive obligations completely, that is, obligations to do something,

since the contingencies and variables of life are so great. Again, it is much easier to define negative

prohibitions that forbid the doing of something. It is always hard to determine when one has met one’s

positive obligations. For instance, when has one given enough to charity? Although it may be difficult to

determine, it is not impossible to determine what limits to what one must give to charity; they are

determined by one’s means and one’s other obligations and are best discerned through reasonable and

prayerful reflection."

http://www.aodonline.org/aodonline-sqlimages/shms/...

The 1st question leading up to a "May or may not" decision on NFP is

1. Who is in control here anyway?

When we "Seek 1st the kingdom of God" in the truest sense of this verse in scripture, we MUST remember the later portion of the same, which is "And all this will be added unto you."

2. Do I have true faith or is it conditional?

CHRISTIANS BE WARNED !!! You have devils to battle and a world to despise!

The world will give you every excuse and reason you need to do or not do whatever you want, but what does God want.

3. Does God really want me to depend on him so completely that I would accept that the act of conceiving a child is his decision and not mine.

4. Do I fully understand the term "Grave circumstances" as stated in the CCC and the scope of each scenario to which it would apply?

And for me, last but most important question.

5. Am I ready to make a conscious, willful act to choose "NOT to conceive?"

It really is your CHOICE. Your choice.

Ask yourself why the One True Holy Catholic Church has SOOOoooo much to say on the subject and realize that "Your choice" may not please God, in fact, it may deeply offend him. when it comes to decisions like these there is no simple answer.

Try these 5 benchmarks when seeking answers to important spiritual questions.

1. There is only prayerful discernment (The Holy Ghost),

2. The Teachings of the Holy Catholic Church (Pre Vatican II preferably),

3. Natural Law (Seek God's voice in his Creation),

4. God's Word (The Holy Bible),

5. And the advice and guidance of those who would spiritually mentor us. (God often speaks to us through people)

If even one of these measures conflicts with another then there is cause to be concerned!!

God is not at odds with Himself. Its all or nothing with God, and always has been! He wants all of you,

Head to toe, inside and out, heart, mind, BODY, and soul. He LOVES you with such a passion that he sacrificed his only Son so that you might learn to know, love, and serve him AND

live happily in heaven with him FOREVER.

Most Christians go about it like so...

"Hey, I have female parts, and you have male parts! We both love God, so lets make whoopie!!!! And nine months from now, we'll do it again!"

... and so on and so forth.

It's easy. Put it in, shake it all about. The rest you leave to professionals.

I think this video will answer all your questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvAwV2VsTvk