There can be no two opinions about the necessity of birth control.
But the only method handed down from ages past is self-control or
Brahmacharya. It is an infallible sovereign remedy, doing good to
those who practice it.
Mahatma Gandhi.[1]
Anti-Life Philosophy.
The rhythm method is demanding because it requires a couple to
surrender their love life in exchange for a sex life.
Selig Newbardt and Harold Schulman.[2]
Only ignorant Catholics depend on "rhythm" anymore. This
method is so primitive and unreliable that it can hardly be referred to
as "family planning."
There is absolutely no need for modern women to slavishly and
mindlessly hew to outdated religious dogma when there are far more
effective means of birth control available for their use.
Introduction.
The Sexual Revolution, which swept the Western world in the early
1960s and still endures, ushered in an unprecedented age of total sexual
freedom. This 'Revolution,' partially inspired by the advent of a
"safe and legal" contraceptive the birth-control pill has
profoundly and permanently altered our society.
Unfortunately, the price of any freedom is always steep. The
philosophy of the Sexual Revolution is, by its nature, uncontainable. It
cannot be isolated. It has inevitably spilled over into other areas,
and, as a result, a virtual state of ethical and moral anarchy now
reigns supreme in our land.
The United States is currently suffering from the highest rates of
abortion, venereal disease, child abuse, murder, rape, infanticide,
alcoholism, and drug abuse in its history.
What is the answer?
Pope Paul VI clearly outlined the solution to our country's problems
in his prophetic Humanae Vitae more than two decades ago.
Our society, if it even wants to escape the prison it has built for
itself, must attack the roots of the Sexual Revolution, just as
we attack the roots of a fire that is out of control. We must learn
sexual self-discipline and sacrifice as individuals. Ultimately, if
enough persons are willing, a counter-revolution will eliminate
abortion, infanticide, and all of the other evils that now afflict our
land.
This chapter examines the various viewpoints regarding natural family
planning (NFP), and describes its methods, advantages, disadvantages,
and resources for learning.
Is Natural Family Planning
Biblical?
Introduction.
The "rhythm" method is dead. In its place are the sympto-thermal
and ovulation methods of natural family planning, which use natural
signs to pinpoint the fertile times in a woman's cycle. The natural
methods of birth regulation offer many profound advantages over the
artificial methods, as described later in this chapter. However, there
is considerable disagreement as to whether or not natural family
planning methods are Biblical and worthy of Christian living. This
chapter examines both sides of this delicate and critical issue.
The basic question is this: Can the various methods of natural family
planning be used in accordance with God's plan, or are they just another
expression of the "contraceptive mentality," to be lumped
together with artificial means?
The Definition of Contraception.
By definition, any attempt to prevent conception is called
"contraception." Any jams, jellies, rubber goods, or other
man-made items for the purpose of avoiding conception are methods of
"artificial contraception." Therefore, the natural methods of
family planning are properly classified by some individuals as a form of
"natural contraception."
These methods, including the Billings and sympto-thermal methods (STM),
make use of the natural rhythms of a woman's body to plan or prevent
childbearing. By contrast, artificial contraception uses human
technology to override or forcibly inhibit the woman's natural processes
by chemical or mechanical brute force.
The Two Views.
No more than 15 percent of Christians in the United States use a
method of natural fertility control. There is a growing debate among
Catholic and fundamentalist NFP users as to whether or not the method is
in accordance with God's plan for our fertility.
The following paragraphs examine both sides of this interesting
debate.
View #1: NFP is Not in
Accord With God's Plan.
Introduction.
Many religious people of all faiths believe that even natural family
planning is the first step towards giving in to the "contraceptive
mentality."
The "contraceptive mentality" takes the critical first step
of classifying unplanned pregnancies as "contraceptive
failures." When a child who is by his very nature an infinitely
valuable gift from God is looked upon as a failure, the natural human
impulse is to remedy the failure with abortion. This is, of course, the
important psychological link between contraception and abortion.
Our Purpose and the Purpose of Sex.
As a species, human beings seem to have lost sight of our role and
purpose on this earth. God created the universe and everything in it for
His pleasure not ours! He created us to give Him
glory, not just to re-create the world and its natural laws to make our
lives easier and more pleasurable.
After all, the word "Lord" means "absolute,
unquestioned despot" in the Greek and Hebrew translations. The
Lord's rule is absolute but, unlike human despots, His mercy and justice
are also absolute. By definition, everything that God does is
infinitely good and just. Our opinions regarding His actions are
therefore completely irrelevant.
These most basic and logical truths are utterly alien to the
utilitarian anti-life philosophy so prevalent in the world today. If a
believing Christian should try to discuss these concepts with an
agnostic, or, sadly, even with an average churchgoing 'Christian,' he
will most likely be dismissed as a kook or a religious fanatic or will
be met with an uncomprehending stare.
According to Scripture, God views sex as having only one purpose:
Procreation of more individuals to give Him glory. He told us in Genesis
to "Go forth and multiply" for the sole purpose of giving Him
glory. There is no real virtue in simply deciding to have a lot of kids,
because any animal or insect can breed indiscriminately. The virtue lies
in giving ourselves and our procreative power over to God's control and
letting Him do with us what He wills.
The pleasure related with intercourse is not the purpose of
sex it is merely an associated benefit. However, man's utilitarian
nature has turned this relationship on its head now, the only purpose of
sex is pleasure, and procreation is a 'dreaded complication' to be
avoided at all costs.
God's Plan for Babies.
Scripture says that the Lord knew us before we were even born. God's
plan has been in existence since the beginning of time. Every little
baby, born or unborn, has an important place in this plan. More
specifically, God would not allow a baby to be conceived unless He had a
purpose for that baby. Therefore, if we use any form of artificial or
natural contraception, we are denying God His purpose and we are saying
"NO!" to His plan.
Some Christians allege that using contraception is not an important
issue, because if God really wants a baby to be born, He will arrange
for it to be born when the couple is not using contraception, or allow
that particular baby to be born to another couple. But this same curious
Hinduistic logic can be used to support abortion and even infanticide
and other types of murder.
If members of the pro-life movement adopt this attitude, they really
shouldn't care how many babies are killed in abortuaries, because God
will compensate by having the babies He wants born given to non-aborting
couples. The same logic could be applied to murder. We really shouldn't
care if people are killed in robberies or war or acts of terrorism. If
God allows individuals to die, then they have obviously fulfilled their
roles in His plan.
In fact, why should we even bother praying? God knows what we want.
He knows that we adore Him. Why even bother having churches or organized
religion?
The fallacy of this reasoning is obvious, because every baby
is a part of God's plan. By the use of contraception and abortion, we
are making God conform to our plan, instead of the other way
around. The logical conclusion of this line of reasoning is that even
natural family planning is entirely contrary to God's plan, and is
really no different from any other method of contraception.
The inevitable conclusion of this line of thinking is that even
natural family planning is immoral.
Contraception = Genocide.
This equation may appear extreme to many believers, but consider the
logic behind it.
Most artificial contraception (with the exception of the barrier
methods) is abortifacient. In the Scriptural sense, the killing of a
person is not only murder, it is genocide, because you kill that
person's descendants as well.
In this country, we are already into a 'second generation' of
abortion those women who legally aborted their children 20 years ago not
only killed those children, but their grandchildren who would have been
born last year, this year, next year and the year after that. In fact,
little preborn girls and boys who were killed in 1973 would be entering
their childbearing years now.
Therefore, abortion and all methods of contraception including
natural family planning are not only murder, they are genocide in
the Scriptural meaning of the word.
View #2: NFP is in Accord
With God's Plan.
Introduction.
The above paragraphs examine the view that any form of contraception
(including NFP) is contrary to God's plan. The following paragraphs
discuss the philosophy that natural family planning is the only form of
'contraception' that does follow God's plan.
The various methods of natural family planning are entirely
acceptable to all of the major faiths. However, there are many
Christians and Moslems who believe that even NFP users are victims of
the "contraceptive mentality," and that every act of
intercourse should be completely open to procreation.
The answer to this view is discussed in the preceding paragraphs.
Attitude of the Church.
Artificial contraception is unacceptable to many Christian and other
faiths. The Catholic Church and a number of small Protestant and Jewish
denominations teach that the only truly acceptable method of birth
regulation is natural family planning.
Basically, the rationale for this attitude is quite simple: For 1,900
years, all of Christianity stood united in its condemnation of
artificial birth control. Only since 1930 have artificial means been
allowed by some churches.
We must ask ourselves the fundamental question: Which teaching is
truly the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the teaching that has endured for
more than 1,900 years or the technology-based fad that is now only 60
years old?
Common sense should reveal the answer to any person who is being
honest with himself.
The Catholic church has always allowed the use of infertile periods
to space children for serious reasons. Pope Pius XII, in his Encyclical
on Christian Marriage, states that there are only three conditions
by which a couple may consciously limit the number of children they
have;
• poor health;
• inadequate finances at the present time, or
• the couple already have as many children as they can properly care
for.
Some people may equate these exceptions to those that are commonly
used by anti-lifers to justify artificial contraception and even
abortion. However, married couples who take the time and trouble to
learn natural family planning only to practice a contraceptive anti-baby
lifestyle whose focus is their own convenience are extremely rare.
Couples who learn NFP generally have good communication and a high
degree of self-discipline. If it is the couple's intent to contracept,
the artificial means are much easier to use.
For a more detailed history of the Christian Church's attitude
towards artificial contraception, see Chapter 98, "Catholic Church
Position on Contraception," and Chapter 104, "Scripture on
Contraception."
The Uniqueness of Woman.
God instructed us as a species to go forth and multiply. Why,
therefore, did He make human women unique among all females? Women are
the most infertile mammals on earth in terms of total percentage of
fertile time. Every Christian believes that God does everything for a
purpose. Why, therefore, did He create woman with a fertile/infertile
cycle?
There is a solid Biblical reference supporting periodic abstinence.
Leviticus 15:19,28 recalls that the Jews prescribed two weeks of
abstinence at the beginning of a woman's cycle because she was
considered to be 'unclean' during this time. This also meant that sexual
relations would be resumed at the time of maximum fertility, and insured
the survival of the tribes of Israel.
The critical difference between NFP and artificial contraception is
this: With artificial means, a person is deliberately interfering with
the natural cycle of fertility. With NFP, one is accommodating this
cycle and learning about it. The person acts within God's plan as He
designed the human body. If God had meant every act of intercourse to
result in a baby, he would have designed men and women to achieve this
result.
NFP and the Contraceptive Mentality.
It is, of course, still possible to use NFP and be a victim of the
contraceptive mentality. As St. Augustine wrote in his work The
Morals of the Manichees;
Is it not you who used to warn us to watch as much as we could the
time after purification of the menses when a woman is likely to
conceive, and at that time refrain from intercourse, lest a soul be
implicated in the flesh? From this it follows that you consider
marriage is not to procreate children, but to satiate lust. Marriage,
as the marriage tablets themselves proclaim, joins male and female for
the procreation of children. Whoever says that to procreate children
is a worse sin than to copulate thereby prohibits [the purpose of]
marriage; and he makes the woman no more a wife than a harlot, who,
when she has been given certain gifts, is joined to man to satisfy his
lust. If there is a wife there is matrimony. But there is no matrimony
where motherhood is prevented; for then there is no wife.[3]
Many childless fertile couples have an NFP method perfected to the
point that they have successfully avoided children entirely. Many such
couples are unbelievers, and simply use NFP in order to "be
natural."
Perhaps the best example of an NFP/ contraceptive mentality link is
provided by the Neofeminists. The Federation of Feminist Women's Health
Center sand the Fertility Awareness Network (FAN) recommend NFP solely
to avoid the deleterious physical effects of the artificial methods.
They recommend abortion as a backup for method failure.
In one sense, the use of no contraception at all (including NFP) is
identical to using artificial birth control. In both instances, the
woman is always available for sexual relations. In both cases, she is
literally at the disposal of her husband and must bear the total burden
of responsibility for childbearing.
As a practical matter, the approaches of using no contraception at
all and employing artificial methods might be for those people who don't
want to be bothered with a period of abstinence and/or who don't want to
take the time to learn about a woman's natural cycle of
fertility/infertility. This may be a particular danger to women who are
totally dominated by their husbands, or to couples who are ignorant of
biology or the Church's teachings regarding reproduction.
Spiritual Leaders Speak.
It is interesting to read what two of the greatest spiritual leaders
of our century Mahatma Gandhi and Pope John Paul II have to say about
the use of contraception.
The two quotes below are worthy of study, since they brilliantly and
concisely summarize the physical, emotional, and spiritual arguments
against the use of artificial contraception.
Sex urge is a fine and noble thing. There is nothing to be ashamed
of it. But it is meant only for the act of creation. Any other use of
it is a sin against God and humanity. Contraceptives of a kind there
were before and there will be thereafter, but the use of them was
formerly regarded as sinful. It was reserved for our generation to
glorify vice by calling it a virtue. The greatest disservice
protagonists of contraceptives are rendering to the youth of India is
to fill their minds with what appears to me wrong ideology. Let the
young men and women of India who hold her destiny in their hands,
beware of this false god and guard the treasure with which God has
blessed them and use it, if they wish, for the only purpose for which
it is intended.
I suggest that it is cowardly to refuse to face the consequences of
one's acts. Persons who use contraceptives will never learn the value
of self-restraint. They will not need it. Self-indulgence with
contraceptives may prevent the coming of children but will sap the
vitality of both men and women, perhaps more of men than of women. It
is unmanly to refuse battle with the devil.
Mahatma Gandhi.[1]
... theological reflection is able to perceive and is called
to study further the difference, both anthropological and moral,
between contraception and recourse to the rhythm of the cycle: It is a
difference which is much wider and deeper than is usually thought, one
which involves in the final analysis two irreconcilable concepts of
the human person and of human sexuality. The choice of the natural
rhythms involves accepting the cycle of the person, that is the woman,
and thereby accepting dialogue, reciprocal respect, shared
responsibility and self-control. To accept the cycle and to enter into
dialogue means to recognize both the spiritual and corporal character
of conjugal communion and to live personal love with its requirement
of fidelity. In this context, the couple comes to experience how
conjugal communion is enriched with those values of tenderness and
affection which constitute the inner soul of human sexuality, in its
physical dimension also. In this way, sexuality is respected and
promoted in its truly and fully human dimension, and is never
"used" as an "object" that, by breaking the
personal unity of soul and body, strikes at God's creation itself at
the level of the deepest interaction of nature and person.
Pope John Paul II.[4]
The Advantages of Natural
Family Planning.
The natural methods of fertility regulation offer many advantages
over the artificial, man-made methods, as listed below.
THE ADVANTAGES OF NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING OVER THE ARTIFICIAL
METHODS
(1) NFP does not interfere with the natural reproductive processes
that God has designed (as described in previous paragraphs).
(2) NFP avoids the use of mechanical devices or powerful hormones
which may cause serious side effects.
(3) When learned and used properly, NFP is among the most effective
methods of nonpermanent birth control known to man.
(4) NFP is free.
(5) NFP strengthens marriage and family.
(6) NFP is aesthetic.
(7) Finally, NFP, in contrast to all methods of artificial method
of birth control, allows women to learn about their bodies and work with
them, rather than remaining ignorant and subduing them with chemicals.
These advantages are described in more detail in the following
paragraphs.
Advantage #2: NFP Has No
Side Effects.
The most commonly-used methods of birth control are, to put it
bluntly, killers. Condoms commonly break and allow the transmission of
AIDS and other deadly venereal diseases. The intra-uterine device (IUD)
has killed scores of women, not to mention the fact that all IUDs are
also abortifacient. The birth control pill has killed more than ten
thousand women due to cardiovascular and other complications over
the last twenty years, and have been labeled "unavoidably
unsafe" by the Courts.[5]
Death is only one of the very long list of severe side effects that
even Neofeminists recognize as part and parcel of artificial birth
control: Stroke, severe bleeding, sterility, repeated miscarriages, loss
of vision, headaches, infections, and so on.
Even one of the original inventors of the birth control pill, Dr.
Carl Djerassi of Stanford University, acknowledges that what the world
needs is a "jet-age rhythm method" that can be used to avoid
all of the ill effects of his and other birth-control methods.[6]
Natural family planning not only is free of side effects, but it
allows women to know and 'read' their bodies so well that they may be
able to detect certain diseases and injuries to their reproductive
systems early. The ability to track symptoms and anomalies can save
lives in the case of certain cancers.
Finally, NFP can do one thing that no method of birth control can
ever do; it can help a couple get pregnant. In fact, many
infertility centers begin their investigations of a couple by teaching
them the basics of natural family planning and having them observe the
woman's cycles for several months in order to time intercourse for
periods of maximum fertility.
Advantage #3: NFP Is
Effective.
The only 100 percent effective methods of birth control are
abstinence, homosexuality, and complete castration (or hysterectomy).
Even abortion and all forms of sterilization fail on a regular basis.
Natural family planning, if learned and used properly, is as
effective as any other method of nonpermanent birth control. The condom
and diaphragm have a surprise pregnancy rate of from five to ten per 100
woman-years. The pill and IUD pregnancy rates range from two to seven
per 100 woman-years. NFP has a method effectiveness of only one to two
surprise pregnancies per 100 woman-years.
A summary of the information in Chapter 99, "Contraceptive
Effectiveness and Use," is given below.
METHOD EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS FOR WOMEN OF
CHILDBEARING AGE
Method
Effectiveness
Birth Control
Method
(per year)
Sexual
sterilization
98.7%
Natural family
planning
98.0%
Birth control
pill
96.2%
Condom
95.5%
Intrauterine device
(IUD)
94.6%
Cervical
cap
93.1%
Diaphragm
86.0%
Reference. Robert A. Hatcher. Contraceptive
Technology, 1986-1987 (13th Revised Edition). New York: Irvington
Publishers, 1986, page 139. Also see Kim Painter. "'Disturbing'
Data on Birth Control Failure." USA Today, July 13, 1989,
page 1D.
Advantage #4: NFP is
Cheap.
As Figure 128-1 shows, artificial birth control costs an average of
about $200 a year, compared with about $5 a year for NFP (for books,
classes, and charts).
FIGURE 128-1
COMPARATIVE ANNUAL COSTS OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS
Annual Cost of Contraceptive Method
Method of
Contraception
Direct
Indirect
Total
Natural Family
Planning
$ 5.00 $
0.00
$ 5.00
Condoms
85.00
0.00
85.00
Diaphragm or cervical
cap
120.00
25.00
150.00
Sponge
250.00
25.00
275.00
Birth control
pill
200.00
300.00
500.00
Intra-uterine
device
200.00
400.00
600.00
Definitions.
Direct costs are those costs that are borne by the couple or by an
insurance company. Indirect costs are those costs that are borne by
society in general, i.e, sicknesses, injuries, and legal costs caused
by the respective contraceptive methods.
References: (1) A. Torres and J.D. Forrest.
"The Costs of Contraception." The Alan Guttmacher Institute's Family
Planning Perspectives, November 1983, pages 70 to 72. (2) Janet
Filips. "NORPLANT." The Oregonian, January 20, 1991,
pages L1 and L4.
Some people might think that this the artificial methods represent a
real bargain: What's $200 for a year's 'protection?' Besides, insurance
will pay for the IUD or pill.
But this $200 is only the direct cost of artificial
contraception. It has been estimated that the costs of injuries and
litigation caused by various artificial birth control methods average
more than five billion dollars per year! Add to this the costs of
lost time and productivity due to sickness and injury, and the real cost
to society per couple on artificial contraception runs as high as $40
per month.
These costs are summarized in Figure 128-1.
Advantage #5: NFP
Strengthens Marriage and Family.
Contrasting Divorce Rates.
Recent comprehensive studies have concluded that two-thirds of
all marriages that now take place in the United States will end in
divorce or separation.
Contrast this abysmal failure rate with that of married couples who
use natural family planning: The divorce/separation rate among couples
who use NFP is less than one in eight. NFP can't take credit for
all of this huge discrepancy, of course, but it undoubtedly contributes
to marital fidelity and endurance substantially by fostering an
atmosphere of knowledge, communication, intimacy, and willingness to
sacrifice for each other.
How NFP Helps. How exactly does NFP strengthen marriage? It increases
the husband's respect for his wife's fertility. It allows the couple to
share equally the responsibility of deciding whether to have a child and
whether to make love, thereby not dumping the entire responsibility onto
the wife, which understandably causes her to become resentful. The wife
appreciates being able to avoid the side effects of artificial birth
control.
Additionally, since it is more effective than other methods of birth
regulation, and since the couple are generally pro-life to start with,
the bitter struggles over abortion are completely avoided.
Finally, a regular period of abstinence has been decisively shown to
help strengthen marriages by obliging couples to show their affection in
other ways for a few days every month, thereby improving vital
communications skills.
Of course, a person infected with the anti-life mentality thinks that
this last point is ridiculous and moot, because he basically believes
that both animals and humans are simply slaves to their hormones and
have no self-control.
Two such persons are abortionists Selig Newbardt Harold Schulman, who
claim that "The rhythm method is demanding because it requires a
couple to surrender their love life in exchange for a sex life."[2]
Such arrogant and sloganistic statements are typical of the willfully
ignorant attitude of doctors who make their living off of crippling the
fertility of women and men through abortion and artificial
contraception.
Setting the Example for Teens.
NFP also sets the example for teenagers. Father Paul Marx of Human
Life International likes to say that "Contracepting parents beget
fornicating teenagers." This is mere common sense. Teenagers are
not stupid. You can't live in the same house with someone and keep even
your most intimate secrets from them for 18 years. Teens see what is
going on in the family and they know their parent's attitudes.
Teens correctly reject the hypocritical attitude "Do as I say,
not as I do." If parents use artificial contraception, there is
absolutely no way that their admonitions to avoid premarital sex are
going to carry any weight at all with their children. However, if
parents demonstrate love and affection for each other through the use of
NFP, this message will shine bright and clear, in a manner that is
unmistakable to your teenagers. It will also help parents and their
children strengthen and nurture their Faith for obvious reasons.
Reason #6: NFP is
Aesthetic.
Of all of the methods of natural or artificial contraception, only
NFP allows the couple to make love as God and His nature intended. Some
NFP teachers derive great amusement from reading 'lovemaking manuals'
that attempt to incorporate condoms, diaphragms, and various messy jams
and jellies into the act of making love.
It is an enduring contradiction that the very people who stress the
"natural" aspects of their lives mess up their bodies with
artificial drugs and devices and cannot allow even the most intimate
aspect of their existence to be truly natural.
It is also ironic in the extreme that the same Neofeminists who
squawk so loudly and so consistently about "controlling their own
bodies" seem eager to surrender control of their
reproductive systems to powerful hormones and IUDs. Strangely, the IUDs
(for a further touch of irony) often resemble the twisted coathangers
that the same Neofems use as a symbol for their pro-abortion sentiments.
Breastfeeding and Natural
Family Planning.
Another important part of the NFP philosophy is ecological
breastfeeding, which is making use of what God has given us for obvious
purposes. In ages past, 'educated' women tended to look down their noses
at breastfeeding, thinking that such an activity was reserved for
backward, ignorant peasant women. However, in the last twenty years, a
dramatic breastfeeding revolution has taken place in the United States.
Three times as many babies are being breastfed now than there were in
1970. Many women now allow their children to wean themselves at the age
of two or three instead of forcing the issue.
As the mother's educational level increases, she is much more likely
to breastfeed her babies. Figure 128-2 shows that college-educated women
in the United States breastfeed their infants at a rate three times
higher than women who did not complete high school.
FIGURE 128-2
BREASTFEEDING PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES
Percent of Babies Breast-Fed 3 Months or More
Mother's Education
1970 1972
1974 1976
1978 1980
Did not complete high school
6.0
6.8
5.6
9.6
5.5 16.4
Completed high
school
7.3
7.2
12.0
20.1
23.1 25.8
Completed
college
20.4
22.1
31.6
43.7
42.5 50.8
All
Babies
10.6
10.8
15.0
25.7
28.5 32.6
Reference: Bureau of the Census, United
States Department of Commerce. National Data Book and Guide to Sources. Statistical
Abstract of the United States, 1989 (109th Edition). Table 92,
"Breast-Feeding By Characteristic of Mother and Birth Year of Baby:
1970 to 1981."
For information on breastfeeding, contact one of the following
organizations. The Couple to Couple League also has information on
natural child spacing through breastfeeding.
Couple to Couple League
3621 Glenmore Avenue
Post Office Box 111184
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-1184
Telephone: (513) 661-7612
La Leche League International
96616 Minneapolis Avenue
Post Office Box 1209
Franklin Park, Illinois 60131
Telephone: (312) 455-7730
The La Leche League has many chapters listed in local phone
books.
Nursing Mothers Counsel
Post Office Box 50063
Palo Alto, California 94303
International Association of Parents and Professionals
for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth (NAPSAC)
Route 1, Box 646
Marble Hill, Missouri 63764
Telephone: (314) 238-2010
NAPSAC provides both alternative childbirth and breastfeeding
information.
Why Not Natural Family
Planning?
Introduction.
If natural family planning boasts all of the great advantages
described above, why is it not more commonly used?
There are three basic reasons: Ignorance, laziness, and money.
Curiously, NFP practitioners will probably agree with a writer for
the Feminist Womens Health Centers, a chain of abortion clinics, as she
summarizes the real reasons why NFP is not more widespread;
Fertility Awareness poses a big threat to the hormonal
contraceptive industry. If women are given the choice of the Pill or
implants with their side effects, lack of STD protection, expense, and
reliance on doctors; or Fertility Awareness, with or without barrier
methods, which seems the more logical choice? Both have the same
effectiveness (98.5 - 99.2 percent). Fertility Awareness costs nothing
to use, has no side effects, and puts reproductive responsibility
firmly in the hands of the user.[7]
Ignorance.
NFP does not fit at all into the anti-life philosophy. Pro-abortion
organizations like Planned Parenthood prefer to contemptuously and
dishonestly dismiss this highly scientific method as "rhythm,"
even though they know better. This pervasive propaganda frightens women
into believing that natural family planning is a backward and
ineffective method of conception control.
It's a different story for the doctors. Despite their many years of
education, they are appallingly ignorant about NFP, and there is really
no excuse for this lack of knowledge. They are either too busy or too
lazy to learn about NFP. Many doctors arrogantly believe that women are
just too stupid to learn NFP.
Laziness.
NFP takes some time and effort to learn about twenty hours of study
and charting. In this age of instant gratification and instant
everything, the equation "FAST = GOOD" is an almost inviolable
law. If any effort is required, the method is summarily disqualified.
Most American women would rather take a long-term gamble on their health
than put a short-term effort into learning about their own bodies. And,
sadly, many or most men couldn't care less about which method of
contraception their wives use, just so long as they aren't
inconvenienced, and have access to her at all times.
As Erma Clardy Craven says, "Women are being seen as wombs to be
deactivated rather than human beings with lives to be
fulfilled."[8]
The Profit Motive.
The contraceptive manufacturers and most obstetricians would have the
public believe that artificial birth control is the way to go. The
manufacturers say this because they are making huge amounts of money off
women who willingly and ignorantly drug their reproductive systems and
the profits from the sale of these drugs amount to more than five
billion dollars per year!
Would an intelligent person believe an American Tobacco Institute
study concluding that smoking is good for you? Yet when many doctors are
faced with a choice between an easy twenty bucks for a five-minute birth
control pill prescription or teaching NFP for several hours for the same
money, greed usually wins out.
Natural Family Planning
Resources.
Couple to Couple League.
There are several national organizations that promote Natural Family
Planning. The Couple to Couple League instructs in the most up-to-date
methods in device- and chemical-free natural family planning. CCL also
distributes information on Planned Parenthood, the hazards of unnatural
birth control, chastity, parenting, and related medical news. The group
has an extensive reading list of books and pamphlets.
Two of CCL's best pamphlets summarize the advantages of NFP and are
suitable for distribution in schools, churches, or meetings of any kind.
They are entitled "Good News About Natural Family Planning"
and the more detailed "The Case for Natural Family Planning."
CCL is also always recruiting for NFP instructors and publicists. If
you are interested in attacking abortion and the anti-life mentality at
their roots, NFP teaching is the place to volunteer.
CCL's newsletter, published six times yearly, is available for a $15
annual donation. It provides detailed information from scientists on the
latest NFP information. A list and order form may be obtained by writing
to or calling the
Couple to Couple League
3621 Glenmore Avenue
Post Office Box 111184
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-1184
Telephone: (513) 661-7612.
CCL also publishes the CCL Family Foundations, a bimonthly
newsletter which covers the technical and 'how-to' aspects of natural
family planning and information on teen sex clinics, chastity, and
Planned Barrenhood. Subscriptions are available for a $15 donation.
Write to CCL for subscription information.
References: Natural Family Planning.
[1] Mahatma Gandhi, quoted in Father A.S. Antonisamy. Wisdom for
All Times: Mahatma Gandhi and Pope Paul VI on Birth Regulation.
Family Life Service Centre, Archbishop's House, Pondicherry 605001
India. June 1978. Quotes are taken from D.G. Tendulkar (Editor). The
Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Volumes 2 and 4. Published by the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
[2] Selig Newbardt, M.D., and Harold Schulman, M.D. Techniques of
Abortion. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. 1977 (Second Edition),
Page 123.
[3] St. Augustine, quoted in a letter from Jean Louise Crocco of
Chicago, Illinois entitled "The Morals of the Manichees." Fidelity
Magazine, February 1989, page 6.
[4] Pope John Paul II. "The Role of the Christian Family in the
Modern World (Familiaris Consortio), November 22, 1981, Section
32.
[5] Warren Hern. Abortion Practice. Philadelphia: J.B.
Lippincott Company, 1990, 340 pages. This is a standard in the field, an
authoritative work by one who should know: Arch-abortionist Warren Hern.
This book is frequently quoted in the malpractice trials of
abortionists, and will be of great interest to pro-lifers who are
interested in the mechanics and the effects of abortions of every type.
This book has been used as the model for instituting and operating
countless abortion clinics. Particularly interesting is the last chapter
on community relations. Every serious pro-life activist should read this
book in order to get a "feel" for the anti-life, pro-abortion
mentality.
[6] Dr. Carl Djerassi, quoted in "Lawsuits, Feminists, and
Right-to-Lifers Create "Birth Control Backlash." The
Wanderer, January 24, 1991, page 8.
[7] Suzanne Cooper Doyle. "Fertility Awareness: Reclaiming
Reproductive Control." WomenWise (publication of the New
Hampshire Federation of Feminist Women's Health Centers), Summer 1991,
pages 6 and 8.
[8] Erma Clardy Craven, quoted in ALL About Issues,
July/August 1980, page 5.
Further Reading: Natural Family Planning.
Nona Aguilar. No-Pill, No-Risk Birth Control.
New York: Rawson, Wade Publishers, 1980. 235 pages; paperback,
hardback. Reviewed by Edward F. Keefe in the Spring 1980 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning, pages 81 to 84, and by Rose
Fuller on pages 177 to 179 of the Summer 1986 issue of the same
publication. This book extols the virtues of natural family planning
while explaining the "shocks" to the system of sterilization
and the various methods of artificial contraception. A good 'theory'
book.
Howard M. Bahr, Bruce A. Chadwick, and Darwin L. Thomas (editors).
Population, Resources, and the Future: Non-Malthusian Perspectives.
Brigham Young University Press, Provo, Utah 84601. A general
examination of the myths associated with overpopulation and big
families. This book also examines some of the Draconian population
control policies of the past, present, and those seriously proposed for
the future.
Evelyn Billings, M.D., and Ann Westmore. The Billings Method:
Controlling Fertility Without Drugs or Devices.
Richmond, Victoria, Australia: Anne O'Donovan Press, 1980. 255
pages. Reprinted by Random House, New York, in 1981. Reviewed and
discussed in detail by Edward F. Keefe, M.D., in the Summer/Fall 1981
issue of the International Review of Natural Family Planning,
pages 170 to 185.
John J. Billings, M.D. The Ovulation Method: Natural Family
Planning (Fourth American Edition).
Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1978. Order from: Life
Issues Bookshelf, Sun Life, Thaxton, Virginia 24174. Telephone: (703)
586-4898. A set of instructions, charts, and stamps for those who would
like to learn the Billings Ovulation Method of natural family planning.
Reviewed and discussed by Edward F. Keefe on pages 171 to 180 of the
Summer 1979 issue of the International Review of Natural Family
Planning. A very detailed critique of the Billings Ovulation Method
compared to the Sympto-Thermal Method.
Father James Tunstead Burtchaell and eight married people. Marriage
Among Christians: A Curious Tradition.
Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. 1977. Reviewed by Mary R.
Joyce in the Fall 1978 issue of the International Review of Natural
Family Planning, pages 274 and 275. Essays on the essential nature
of commitment in Christian marriage.
Child and Family.
This quarterly magazine is produced by the National Commission on
Human Life, Reproduction, and Rhythm and is available from 244 South
Wesley, Oak Park, Illinois.
Larry and Nordis Christenson. The Christian Couple.
Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1977. 185 pages. Reviewed by John
G. Quesnell in the Winter 1977 issue of the International Review of
Natural Family Planning>, pages 387 and 388. The authors of this
book meet the difficult questions and problems of marriage, including
artificial contraception, head-on.
Ciba Foundation Symposium 45 (new series). Breast Feeding and
the Mother.
New York: Elsevier North-Holland, 1977. Reviewed by Edward F. Keefe,
M.D. in the Winter 1978 issue of the International Review of Natural
Family Planning, pages 357 to 360. A highly technical collection of
symposium papers on breastfeeding that is strongly recommended for
natural family planning teachers.
Couple to Couple League. "A Physician's Reference to Natural
Family Planning."
This pamphlet explains the reproductive system in greater detail,
including the hypothalamic-pituitary relationship, threshold levels of
pre-ovulatory estrogen, and the relationship between the ovaries. This
professionally-done pamphlet is available for 25 cents from the Couple
to Couple League, Post Office Box 11084, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211.
Telephone: (513) 661-7612.
Couple to Couple League.
12-page pamphlet for 25 cents entitled "What Does the Catholic
Church Really Teach About Birth Control?" Order from the Couple to
Couple League, Post Office Box 111184, Cincinnati, Ohio 45201.
Raymond Dennehy (editor). Christian Married Love.
Five excellent and incisive essays on the meaning of Humanae Vitae
for Christian families, by Malcolm Muggeridge, Cardinal Hans Urs von
Balthasar, Louis Bouyer, Jean Guitton, and Father Joseph Lestapis.
J.C. Espinoza, M.D. Birth Control: Why Are They Lying to Women?
Paperback. Order from: Life Issues Bookshelf, Sun Life, Thaxton,
Virginia 24174, telephone: (703) 586-4898, or from Our Lady's Book
Service, Nazareth Homestead, R.D. 1, Box 258, Constable, New York 12926,
telephone: 1-800-263-8160. Reviewed by Eugene F. Diamond, M.D., on page
32 of the February 1983 ALL About Issues. The eugenicists, the
birth-control profitmakers, and the Neomalthusians have concocted an
effective and pervasive propaganda campaign against population. This
propaganda is filled with lies, half-truths, and distortions. Dr.
Espinoza's book exposes the health hazards of artificial contraception
and shows that safe and effective natural family planning is really the
only way to go from a practical standpoint. Also available in Spanish as
El Control De La Natalidad: Porque Les Mienten A Las Mujeres?
Family Foundations.
This bimonthly newsletter is published by the Couple to Couple
League (CCL). Main topics are the technical and 'how-to' aspects of
natural family planning (NFP) and information on teen sex clinics,
chastity, and Planned Barrenhood. Write to Couple to Couple League, PO
Box 111184, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211.
Thomas W. Hilgers, M.D. Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology for
the Natural Family Planning Practitioner.
Creighton University Natural Family Planning Education and Research
Center, 601 North 30th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. 1981, 107 pages.
Reviewed by John J. McCarthy, Jr., M.D., in the Fall 1983 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning, pages 272 and 273. This work
fills a void for NFP instructors who have questions about human
physiology and why the human reproductive system works the way it does.
International Review. Formerly the International
Review of Natural Family Planning
This journal is similar in format and size to The Human Life
Review. It contains essays on natural family planning and other
pro-life issues, including euthanasia, infanticide, and United States
'contraceptive imperialism.' Some of the finest conservative minds of
the past and present have contributed to this journal, including Mother
Teresa of Calcutta and many United States Senators and Congressmen.
Derrick B. and E.F. Patrice Jelliffe. Human Milk in the Modern
World: Psychosocial, Nutritional, and Economic Significance.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. 500 pages. Reviewed by
Edward F. Keefe in the Winter 1980 issue of the International Review
of Natural Family Planning, pages 360 to 363. An encouraging
masterwork on the art of breastfeeding. This book should be in the
library of every natural family planning teacher.
J.S. Jordan and A. Singer (editors). The Cervix.
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1977. 529 pages. Reviewed by
Edward F. Keefe on page 296 of the Summer 1979 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning. This massive volume contains
everything that a natural family planning teacher needs to know (and
much, much more) about one of the three indicators of the Sympto-Thermal
Method the condition of the cervix. This book may be used to answer any
question on the cervix and may also be used to assist in self-diagnosis
of various cervical diseases.
John F. Kippley. "Birth Control and Christian
Discipleship."
1985, paperback, 36 pages, from the Couple to Couple League, Post
Office Box 111184, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-1184, or from Life Issues
Bookshelf, Sun Life, Thaxton, Virginia 24174, telephone: (703) 586-4898.
This superb booklet outlines the history of artificial contraception,
its effects upon the body, the family and society in general, and the
history of traditional Scriptural and Christian opposition to it (both
Protestant and Catholic), until the collapse of the Church's resistance
in the period 1930 to 1970.
John and Sheila Kippley. The Art of Natural Family Planning.
Order from Couple to Couple League, Post Office Box 111084,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, or from Life Issues Bookshelf, Sun Life, Thaxton,
Virginia 24174, telephone: (703) 586-4898. Paperback, 267 pages. The
most comprehensive available 'nuts and bolts' guide to charting cycles,
theology of NFP, and breast feeding. This book has it all, and is
suitable even for physician-run NFP classes. CCL's starter packet
includes the book, basal thermometer, a 20 page practical applications
booklet for self-instruction, a set of 14 monthly cycle observation
charts, and a year's subscription to the CCL newsletter.
Father Ronald Lawler, Joseph Boyle, Jr., and William E. May. Catholic
Sexual Ethics: A Summary, Explanation, and Defense.
1985, 274 pages. Paperback. Order from: Life Issues Bookshelf, Sun
Life, Thaxton, Virginia 24174, telephone: (703) 586-4898. Reviewed by
Father Robert Barry, Ph.D. on pages 346 to 348 of the Winter 1985 issue
of the International Review of Natural Family Planning. A very
clearly written summary of Catholic Church teaching on sexual morality.
Topics include the Bible and sex; formation of conscience; chastity,
virginity, and Christian marriage; and Church teaching on sex.
John J. McCarthy, Jr. The Ovulation Method.
Human Life and Natural Family Planning Foundation, 1978. 55 pages.
Reviewed and discussed by Edward F. Keefe on pages 180 to 183 of the
Summer 1979 issue of the International Review of Natural Family
Planning. A relatively uncertain and tentative introduction to the
Ovulation Method of natural family planning.
Margaret Nofziger. A Cooperative Method of Natural Birth
Control.
Tiebock Publishing Company, Summertown, Tennessee 38483. 1979, 114
pages. A lavishly-illustrated beginner's guide to the general concepts
of natural family planning.
Pope John Paul II. Theology of the Body.
Daughters of St. Paul publishers. This set of four volumes is a
serial catechesis which outlines in painstaking detail the basis of
Catholic thought on the life-related subjects. Generally for those who
want to really dig deep into the Church's answer to the
contraception/abortion mentality.
Volume 1: Original Unity of Man and Woman. 184 pages.
Volume 2: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart. 305 pages.
Volume 3: Theology of Marriage and Celibacy. 374 pages.
Volume 4: Reflections on Humanae Vitae. 96 pages.
Father Paul J. Quay. The Christian Meaning of Human Sexuality.
115 pages. Order from Ignatius Press, 15 Oakland Avenue, Harrison,
New York 10528, telephone: 1-800-528-0559. Using Scripture and the
writings of distinguished (conservative) theologians, Father Quay
explains the understanding of human sexuality that divine revelation
offers us. This book is written for Christian adults who want to know
what kinds of sexual behavior are right and wrong and who want to gain
true insight into why such behavior is right or wrong.
Roman Catholic Church, Apostolic Letters and Encyclicals.
The Daughters of St. Paul publish numerous useful Catholic documents
in pamphlet form, including the Canadian Bishops' "Statement on the
Formation of Conscience," and the Vatican's "Instruction on
Bioethics." Write to: Daughters of St. Paul, 50 St. Paul's Avenue,
Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, 02130. The Daughters of St. Paul
have available the following apostolic letters and encyclicals, among
others;
• Humanae Vitae ("Of Human Life"), July 25,
1968, Pope Paul VI.
• "Educational Guidance in Human Love and Charter of the Rights
of the
Family" (Outlines for Catholic sex education), 62
pages.
• "On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering," 58 pages.
Roman Catholic Church, Vatican Pontifical Council for the Family. Marriage
and Family: Doctrine and Life.
180 pages. Order from: Ignatius Press, 15 Oakland Avenue, Harrison,
New York 10528, telephone: 1-800-528-0559. Proceedings of the third
annual conference applying Catholic teaching to the problems of marriage
and family life. Subjects covered include the road to salvation as a
couple, the family's mission and place in God's plan, and the real
difference between artificial contraception and natural family planning.
J.N. Santamaria, M.D. and John J. Billings, M.D. Human Love and
Human Life: Papers on Humanae Vitae and the Ovulation Method of
Natural Family Planning from the International Conference, University of
Melbourne, 1978.
Melbourne, Australia: Polding Press, 1979. 274 pages; paper,
hardback. Reviewed by Carman Fallace in the Fall 1980 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning, pages 271 to 274. Proceedings of
the largest-ever conference on natural family planning, which covered
nine full days.
Mary Shivanandan. Natural Sex.
New York: Rawson, Wade Publishers. 1979, 274 pages. Reviewed by
Lester B. Anderman on pages 183 to 185 of the Summer 1979 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning. A rather muddled review of
natural family planning that includes many inaccuracies. The theory and
nontechnical basics of natural family planning are covered in this book,
but not in enough detail to allow a couple to begin charting cycles.
Ingrid Trobisch and Elisabeth Roetzer. An Experience of Love:
Understanding Natural Family Planning.
Fleming H. Revell, Publishers, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1981. 160
pages. A lot of information of cycle charting, given in a question and
answer format.
Vatican Pontifical Council for the Family. Marriage and Family:
Doctrine and Life.
180 pages. Order from: Ignatius Press, 15 Oakland Avenue, Harrison,
New York 10528, telephone: 1-800-528-0559. Proceedings of the third
annual conference applying Catholic teaching to the problems of marriage
and family life. Subjects covered include the road to salvation as a
couple, the family's mission and place in God's plan, and the real
difference between artificial contraception and natural family planning.
Rudolf F. Vollman, M.D. The Menstrual Cycle.
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1977. 193 pages Reviewed by
Stephen P. Boyers and John R. Marshall in the Winter 1977 issue of the International
Review of Natural Family Planning, pages 388 and 389. A compendium
of information compiled from 31,645 menstrual cycles of 691 women.
Mercedes Arzu Wilson. The Ovulation Method of Birth Regulation:
The Latest Advances for Achieving or Postponing Pregnancy Naturally.
New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980. 201 pages, hardback; softback.
Reviewed and discussed in detail by Edward F. Keefe, M.D., in the
Summer/Fall 1981 issue of the International Review of Natural Family
Planning, pages 170 to 185.
Father Anthony Zimmerman, Francois Guy, M.D., and Father Dionigi
Tettamanzi (editors). Natural Family Planning: Nature's Way, God's
Way.
Human Life Center, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota
56321. Paperback. Order from: Life Issues Bookshelf, Sun Life, Thaxton,
Virginia 24174. Telephone: (703) 586-4898. The body of this book
consists of 53 short articles on NFP that show (1) that it works, (2)
how it works, and (3) why it works. The book also includes the texts of
the 16 ecclesiastical documents most pertinent to NFP, including Humanae
Vitae. An excellent text for answering questions on the technical
and moral aspects of natural family planning.
© American Life League BBS — 1-703-659-7111
This is a chapter of the Pro-Life Activist’s Encyclopedia published
by American Life League.
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