Debating Birth Control, Wrap Up

I promised to come back to the missionary couple example that Ashleigh raised. In addition to all the great reasons she thought of herself and noted in her comment (in Part 1), Natural Family Planning (NFP) would be an ideal method of spacing children for this imaginary couple on principle, and in all practicality. Why? Well for starters, NFP is self-contained. No need for pharmacies and international prescription transfers. It's always available. But even better, NFP requires both husband and wife to work together to understand and accommodate the wife's fertility.

I know from personal experience that such partnering matures communication and affection, a great plus when you're newly married. Again, considering the effectiveness of NFP--when it's actually followed--there would be no reason for this couple to fear "untimely" children. (The same could not be said for chemical and barrier methods.)And should they decide to proceed intimately despite the wife's symptoms of fertility, they would do so knowing they might conceive and therefore, foster a heart attitude of openness to God's will for their family.