Before you get into the Dialogue itself, I’d like to clarify something. each part of the Dialogue series is going to be a chapter in the Book I am writing, the Plan is to publish each Chapter as I go, and the NFP chapter you are about to read is the next chapter after the previous post. so the kind of offhand remark and reference it too was to lay the Groundwork and give the overall story a flow, If I have known in advance the NFP part would be the most contested part I would have Published both Chapters side by side or in one post. Going forward I will try to make sure linked topics are covered on the same post to help with any confusion or questions the reader may have. Thank you for your patience as I continue to learn and improve.
Jason: so if we can I’d like to ask you more about Natural Family planning
Tom: sure, what do you want to know about NFP
Jason: How is it, not a contraceptive? If the purpose of sex is for children then how is choosing to have sex on a night you know the woman is least likely to get pregnant the same thing as choosing to use protection to prevent pregnancy all together?
Tom: Well let’s define some terms here, for example, what is a contraceptive, a contraceptive is a Method or device used to prevent pregnancy. The key word here is prevent. Under NFP even if you only have sex on the nights she is least likely to conceive a child it’s still a possibility, God can still give the gift of life. And on the teleological side the Seed is still going into the garden, the act of sex has been completed at that point. The conception of the child is the next act, the sperm meeting the eggs and forming the fetus. These are 2 different acts like I can complete the act of making Mac and cheese. Putting the Mac and cheese in the bowl is a second act. It requires the first one for its cause but it’s a new act, they’re causally dependent upon each other.
Jason: It always comes back to food with you.
Tom: the greatness of food is how I am reminded that God is good
Jason: Ok, sure NFP doesn’t violate your argument about the teleology of sex but it’s still choosing to have sex with the knowledge and intention of not convincing a child. How is it still “open to the gift of life” then
Tom: because once the sexual act is completed, conception is in God’s hand, he can still give the gift of life. Even when a woman is at her most infertile time she still has a chance of getting pregnant
Jason: That's like me saying “Well no contraceptive is 100 percent effective” If it’s not 100 percent effective then it’s simpler than other forms of contraceptives. God could gift life through a broken condom
Tom: yeah he could but remember contraceptives are things that prevent the natural end of sex. Violating its purpose using NFP you are always completing the act by placing the seed in the garden and still leaving it up to God to gift life. Besides this argument doesn’t even disprove the Catholic case against contraceptives. Even if we Grant your argument as being true then all it proves is you should only embrace the marital act when she is fertile.
Jason: I guess that’s true. Ok I have one more question on this and then we can stop talking about sex in public people are staring
Tom: yeah maybe having this conversation in a coffee shop wasn’t the smartest choice
Jason: does NFP private the marriage by withholding the martial embrace because the likelihood of pregnancy is higher on that night
Tom: What do you mean?
Jason: Well if sex In marriage is a good thing is withholding it because you don’t want children at that time Privating the nature of marriage, marriage is for the creation and raising of children
Tom: Hmm let me think on that one and get back to you, I think this would get into the question of marriage as a sacrament and what is the teleology of marriage and I’d like to do more reading and thinking on that topic before we talk about it. We'll grab coffee sometime in a few weeks and get back to that (note from the Author I plan to cover the 7 Sacraments in detail in a later series of Dialogues)
Jason: yeah that be great.