This deals with one aspect of human behavior and proposes an idealistic works-focused solution to man's natural sinful nature. However, the so-called solution of abstention causes its own set of problems. A man who chooses to abstain rather than have relations using contraception will be more likely to look at women with lust and commit adultery in his heart. Try to tidy up man in one area through works and another problem pokes out. Bottom line is we are sinful creatures in dire need of Christ.
I guess this is the idea here that I don't understand. Where in the Bible does it say that contraception is a sin? Where does it say that married couples must produce children?
Don't get me wrong--children are a blessing to those who can accept them. But I can find no references that intentional childlessness is a sin.
Of course we are sinful. The question is should we even try to avoid sin, to call sin what it is? Or are we better off calling what is evil, good?
SD
That can happen. BUt it doesn't have to. Something else can happen instead: he can start looking at his own wife as something more than an in-home amenity for sexual convenience. (If that's the way he was tempted to think of her: I'm not imputing anything here.)
It can cause him to appreciate her more, to look at her under a different aspect, to think of her emotional balance with more understanding and delicacy; to become less demanding and more oriented toward patience, kindness --- in fact, all the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
I hardly think this can be done successfully without prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit. Of course there are virtuous agnostics and atheists (hello, you, out there!) but from what I've seen, God draws people toward NFP and NFP draws them toward God.