[PresbyRev]

Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii wrote:

“Since, therefore, openly departing from the uninterrupted Christian tradition some recently have judged it possible solemnly to declare another doctrine regarding this question, the Catholic Church, ... in order that she may preserve the chastity of the nuptial union from being defiled by this foul stain, ... proclaims anew: any use whatsoever of matrimony exercised in such a way that the act is deliberately frustrated in its natural power to generate life is an offense against the law of God and of nature, and those who indulge in such are branded with the guilt of a grave sin. “

Wouldn’t the folk who practice the rhythm method or attempt to determine in any way when the woman would not be fertile be an attempt to have sex without pregnancy as a potential result?

More power, as I say, to the couples who wish to only have intercourse with the view to welcome any resulting pregnancy and abstain otherwise. I find the castigation of responsible family planning to be odd and one result is abortion.

For the good folk practicing the rhythm method, it would surely seem they run afoul of the spirit, if not the letter, of Pius XI’s promulgation above. That’s just an outsider’s view.

[Philo-Junius]

Even NFP can be abused, it is true.

But abstinence is of a different order of moral intent than sexual activity, since having sex is never a necessary action of which the failure to undertake would be culpable.

[steadfastconservative]

NFP does not in any way frustrate the natural end of intercourse, it does not prevent conception. Every act of intercourse remains open to the possibility of conception. If a couple misreads the symptoms of the woman’s fertility and has intercourse when she is fertile, there is nothing to prevent conception.

[lastchance]

It is the contraception mentality that has lead to abortion. When a child is viewed as a failure of artificial birth control it sure is a hell of a lot easier to consider aborting that child.

Here are some of the results of separating the procreative and unitive acts of sex in marriage.

Acceptance of homosexual behavior.

Acceptance of abortion

It is also very important to remember that for Christians marriage is Trinitarian. A marriage that is deliberately made sterile loses that aspect of self giving love which results in a new life.

NFP is permitted and it must be remembered the couple must be open to life at all times.