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To begin with, not all methods of contraception are permitted. The rhythm method approved by the Roman Catholic Church is one of the few that are.

It isn't the old rhythm method. It's called the Billings Method and using it to avoid conception is sinful without GRAVE reasons - like another child would literally starve to death. And using it should not be an easy decision to make. That is also sinful. That little tidbit never seems to get mentioned.

I don't know what to say to your objections on annulment other than the seemingly ease of it does bother a lot of us. There was an article posted here recently that indicated that the majority of annulments involved non-Catholics and marriages that were deemed unsacramental. The Catholic culture just does not accept annulment as a right.

Honestly, the question of the Creed, if that is really where the theological difference is, deserves to be discussed. There is so much water under the bridge in the last 1200 years, any path to reunification is not going to be easy, but it's worth at least considering, discussing and learning about the two cultures.

There was an article posted here recently that indicated that the majority of annulments involved non-Catholics and marriages that were deemed unsacramental.

From the cases that I've observed, separation is always the result of one of the partners abandoning the marriage. I'm sure other cases probably exist, it's just that I haven't had any direct contact with such an occurrence.

The Catholic culture just does not accept annulment as a right.

Nor does the Orthodox Church. Somewhere along the line, some people have gotten it into their heads that the Orthodox Church will acknowledge a divorce (and possible re-marriage) at the drop of a hat and it simply is not true.

It's called the Billings Method and using it to avoid conception is sinful without GRAVE reasons - like another child would literally starve to death.

That's not true. The Magisterium speaks of "just" and "legitimate" reasons coming from "serious" (as opposed to "frivolous") motives. Also, there is no requirement even to reduce oneself to near penury by having children, or to have as many children as physically possible. The Magisterium speaks of the "praise" that is to be given to those who have many children, not the "requirement" of all or most to do so. The procreation of children is an issue of distributive social justice, not sexual morality - they are something owed by the married couple to society, so their number has a rational connection to the needs of society for children. So there is a greater obligation to have a larger number of children in a country like the US than there is in India or China.