Off topic. But I am also suffering from a tick-borne disease and mold toxicity. I understand the struggles you’re going through, physically, mentally, and even financially. It’s definitely not an easy road. But I will send my prayers tonight your way. May God bless you and good luck on your journey.

Hi! I think the main difference is being "open to life" :) The intention of NFP would be abstaining but being open to a child in case he/she comes, whereas with contraception, you are 100% not open to life, which could lead to the abortion mentality or the eradication of life once it does arrive. Hope that helps!

@@HannahHirang That's nonsense though. If the condom would break, a catholic couple would still welcome the child.

@@libertasinveritas3198 Not necessarily, I recently heard of a couple (the guy is Catholic) that had an unplanned pregnancy and had their child aborted. Being a Catholic doesn't necessarily guarantee being open to life. It's pretty sad. I think the main point here really though is the intent and not "contracepting" on purpose. Since isn't contraception the byproduct of wanting the pleasurable experience and trying to remove the plausible end result that naturally comes from the act? (And just in case you were wondering about my personal stand, I'm pro-life)

@@HannahHirang Uh, he isn't Catholic. Maybe on paper, but he excommunicated himself automatically with that. (Latae sententiae) NFP is used to prevent pregnancy and as such is in the same category as contraception. Sex is not just "pleasure". I don't just have intercourse with my husband because of lust, but because of the intimacy it creates and bonds us together. I'm perfectly fine with not having an orgasm. You're writing as if nature is always good and shouldn't be interfered with, which is nonsense. There are only a few days in which a woman is fertile, but unlike animals, humans have Sex not just when ovulation is occuring. Meaning? Sex does not have to lead to conception and is not necessarily connected with Sex. Procreation CAN be the result or aim of Sex; Sex most certainly is the way to procreate, but it is not it's only aim and we shouldn't make it the main aim either. (Because statistically speaking we are speaking the truth, if we say that most sexual acts do not lead to conception.) NFP is like a couple that doesn't want someone at their wedding and sets the date so, that said person can't come. They send an invitation anyway but they clearly deceived themselves into believing to do the morally superior thing. (Instead of straightout telling the person not to come.) Contraception is the more honest way, that simply states to the unwanted person, that it isn't invited to the party for a certain reason.

Did you found the answer to this dilemma?

God gifted us with sexual union for the joining of husband and wife. Sex is not solely for procreation. Conception is shown to have happened at any time even with contraception measures. NFP simply tracks the most fertile and most infertile times

@@andrewg3161 absolutely. We are to be open to the possibility of a new life at any time. I regret to say I understand this now, I wish I understood this teaching as a younger man

Its cooperating with the natural law, not a twisting and rejection of the natural law.

Unfertile≠sterile

Hey Felix. If you haven't seen my most recent video addressing this specific question, I suggest you go check it out: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pNR7ZJmc07nDiH0.html

I would recommend Leila Miller's and Trent Horn's book "Made this Way". It addresses this exact point. Long story short the contraceptive mentality does in fact lead to an abortion mentality in that it commoditises children. In the Roe v Wade decision a part of the conclusion was reached because abortion was seen as a backup when contraception had failed, since we all know (heavy sarcasm incoming) that all couples have the right to childless sex.

@@michaelt5030 thanks for the book recommendation. While I still cant see how in a Christian worldview contraception leads to abortion (since many protestants approve variations of the former and not the latter), I am interested in reading more on the subject. Thanks!

@@codyc2344 I hope the book is helpful to you! I can see how my explanation was a bit barebones. While an endorsement of contraception does not necessarily lead to an endorsement of abortion, it is more the mindset which is adopted when inviting the former into your life. When you are engaging in contraception you are literally saying "I want to have sex but I want to ensure we don't have kids." That same line of thought is exactly what the abortion supporter would say. There may be more to discuss once a baby is in the womb, but when deciding Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court sided against life because, in the US, the law already supported the idea of sex without permanent consequence as a natural right through contraception (easy access to contraceptives helps solidify this mentality). If such a couple were to exercise that right and ended up with a pregnancy, should they be punished by being forced to have a baby? If there is a right to consequence-free sex, then no, that is not fair. Thus abortion could be justified along those lines. In contrast, while NFP can involve couples engaging in the marital act purposely during an infertile period to avoid pregnancy, the mentality going into it is that "we are trying to avoid pregnancy but are open to the slim possibility of it happening." With a mentality like that, abortion is absolutely unjustifiable. Hope that is more helpful.

@@michaelt5030 i can see how the nuance in NFP separates it from that line of thought. That's why I asked about "abstinence being the only morally responsible option" for those not wanting to use contraception or take the risk of NFP, which seems to go against marriage as a sacrament. Thank you for expanding on that!

I just wanted to address the assumption in your comment that NFP is difficult and unreliable. Given proper education, NFP is highly reliable, as much as any other method, and has the advantage of not violating the bodies involved with hormones etc. It is a complete misconception that NFP is unreliable. Further, hormonal birth control and IUDs can cause early abortions by preventing implantation.

It comes (as it often does) to a definition of terms. In this case “natural law” and “morality.” The theory of natural law comes from the time of Plato and Aristotle and holds that “there are universal moral standards that are inherent in humankind throughout all time, and these standards should form the basis of a just society.” In this framework, all actions are either morally good (in accord with natural law, i.e. ordered to the Good) or morally evil (in opposition to natural law, disordered from the Good). In order to build any kind of argument, agreement about the existence of an objective human nature and an objective (moral) good must be established. If the person you’re talking with doesn’t recognize those two, that’s a whole other conversation… Hope that’s somewhat helpful.

@@thomaswest-tv, yes, I agree and appreciate the helpful context.