It has been extremely difficult to find videos which cover contraception and family planning from a Catholic perspective. However, it seems that we at Catholic-Link are not the only people to have noticed the lack of resources in this area, and this short video was the winner of the Goodness Reigns video mini-contest on Natural Family Planning (NFP). The video lists very simply the benefits of NFP over artificial contraception.
A Deeper Look
My experience growing up was that contraception wasn’t something that was talked about, except in school, where I was taught that it was the only way that I, as a woman, could have the life I deserved (and should want). Without contraception, I would have more children than any reasonable person should be expected to cope with. The little I picked up elsewhere told me that NFP was extremely complicated and ineffective. I now know this to be nonsense, but it took a long time for me to understand, accept and love the wise teachings of the Church.
One of the reasons for this is because the purposes of contraception and NFP are not the same. The aim of contraception (it’s in the name) is to prevent conception. NFP is open to children, open to life, but recognizes that a married couple may need to plan when they have those children for the wellbeing of those children and themselves.
NFP has many advantages over artificial contraceptives which are listed in the video. Many of these stem from the fact that it requires a high level of communication: something which is guaranteed to improve any marriage! NFP requires the co-operation of both husband and wife, and helps both to see their spouse more fully as a person. How? Because it avoids reducing a person to just their body: love and self-giving are not merely physical activities, to fully give ourselves to another person we must also give ourselves emotionally and spiritually.
Apostolic Elements
– We cannot pick and choose which parts of our faith to accept. We need humility and faith to recognize that the Church, founded by Christ and guided by the Spirit, is wiser than we are and knows what is best for her children. This does not mean that doing so will always be easy or quick. At times, for all sorts of reasons and circumstances, some of Her teachings may seem cryptic or unrealistic in our daily lives, especially from the “world’s” point of view. But so did the Lord’s in his day! We can never forget that we are called to be signs of contradiction! And, again, we must learn to see the Church not only as an “institution,” but rather as the “body of Christ,” the beloved spouse of the Lord whom He never abandons and continues to guide.
– The Church’s teaching on contraception cannot be separated from her teaching on chastity, life, marriage and the family.
– The promotion of contraception is often founded in a well-intentioned but misguided desire to combat the spread of sexually transmitted infections and reduce teenage pregnancy while accepting sexual promiscuity as inevitable or even good.
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