Dustin at Engaged Marriage is thankful for sexuality this Thanksgiving. I agree, buddy.

Have you heard of Kathleen Slattery–Moschkau? She’s a mom, wife and former drug-pusher (her words, not mine) who’s reformed, and using her zeal against big pharma to promote all things healthy, whole and fun. She’s gone from rebel with a cause to writer, radio talk show host, and movie producer–still with a cause.

Well, one of her creative and great ideas is Prevention, Not Prescriptions Tuesdays, which is a jazzy blog idea to cultivate conversation, inter-blog promotion, and promote holistic and preventative health care.

Well, the outlook of Natural Family Planning and Fertility Awareness advocates definitely jives with Kathleen’s sassy and smart pro-woman, pro-wellness outlook, so I thought I’d spread the word. I’ll be doing my darndest to jump on the PNP Tuesday train. If you have a pro-fertility blog, whatever your focus is, I’d encourage you to consider it, and jump on board. Here’s the deal:

What is Prevention Not Prescriptions?
It’s a simple blog carnival held every Tuesday specifically organized around the idea of ‘Prevention Not Prescriptions’. It’s information and inspiration. It’s for the bloggers, doctors, journalists, moms, dads, teachers, alternative health practitioners and everyone else who has had it up to here! with the status quo of a society pushing and turning to prescription drugs as a quick fix for their bodies or their lives.

If it relates to healthier living, we want to hear it. Here are a few ideas of things you can post…

• Advice/suggestions
• Your personal anecdotes
• Commentary on related headlines
• Film/media reviews
• The politics of pills and health (as it relates to prevention)
• Fitness, stress, nutrition related information (and yes, even recipes)
• Anything that might get others fired up to think twice before they pop that next Rx pill

We’d love to hear from and offer up a variety of voices and topics. There are no weekly themes. And participation is super easy…

Here’s how it works:

If you have a blog entry or article related to healthy living that you’d like to share, email us the link at anytime.  If your post is from your archives, please repost it so it’s a current entry on your site, or write a new entry directing people back to your archived post.

There’s only one hitch…you must include a link back here so that others can find out how to participate.  If you don’t provide a link back to this page, you will not be included. We’ll compile all links that come in during the week into one blog entry that we’ll post on The Kathleen Show blog the following Tuesday.

• • Links must be received by Noon CT on Monday to be included in Tuesday’s post.
  • And don’t forget to join the conversation.  Create a personal Typepad profile and leave a comment about your post once it’s up.  You’ll be able to find your entry and create a profile directly at The Kathleen Show blog the Tuesday after you submit your link.
  • We’ll also have a running archive below where you’ll be able to find past week’s posts.

This is a somewhat old article, but after my initial blog posts on the Christopher West controversy sparked by his appearance on Nightline this past May, I thought I’d follow up by posting his response.

I think he does this in a spirit of humility, not shying away from his shortcomings, but really owning what it is that he does. He has mad gifts, you have to admit. As a former facilitator of the God’s Plan Program and occasional Theology of the Body teacher and speaker, Christopher West, while not always perfect and academically precise as his critics would like, is a gift to the Church. So many people have come to embrace the teachings of HMC through John Paul’s TOB as taught by West. For this we should rejoice.

If you’re new to the Theology of the Body revolution, see “Recommended Resources” for a kick start.

What I think will resonate deeply with readers is the anger of never receiving this information, of being lied to by the medical community, and of never being invited to the beauty of the Church’s teaching–all too common of an experience.

I was angry because I found out that contraceptives had abortifacient properties.  I was angry that those in the medical community had morphed the definition of the beginning of pregnancy to be when the embryo implanted, thereby negating the life that exists from conception.  And I was angry that no one (save our priest during our pre-marriage counseling) had ever offered to us that NFP was a viable alternative.  Our families, our friends, fellow Catholics…no one stepped forward and made us think about looking into Natural Family Planning.  As a matter of fact…that anger still rises on occasion, because we do not have the support of some people close to us and we are looked down on…like we must simply not know any better…and we see disappointment in loved ones’ faces as we announce the pending arrival of another blessing.

Just found this testimony of a mother of four who is a fan of Natural Family Planning, which she learned with her husband in 2002. She published part one, “Why Do I Use Natural Family Planning” on her blog. I think it could more aptly be called “How I kicked the Pill and embraced the Church,” as we haven’t heard in-depth yet how she discovers NFP specifically, and why she chose to use NFP upon her reversion. Looking forward to part two.

Some of my favorite comments (there are more):

Of all the objections that I’ve heard to NFP, the silliest and most out of touch has to be the charge that is somehow violates chastity to teach it to couples taking marriage prep classes.

I got married almost three years (and two kids) ago, in a diocese known for being pretty orthodox. The marriage prep was taught by an older married couple and some great Dominicans. My fiancee and I were one of twenty or so other couples. Other than us, there was ONE other couple not currently cohabiting. And only two or three others had even heard the Church’s teaching on contraception.

And NFP is the problem?

By the end of the first class, one woman was in tears of rage because of being told for the first time that contraception was wrong.

When it takes until a marriage prep class for people to be informed of the Church’s teaching on contraception, there is a serious problem. And it’s not that NFP is being taught too widely.

Most of the people there knew that the church doesn’t approve of premarital sex. They knew that the church didn’t approve of abortion. But the problem at the root of things–contraception–had never been explained to them.

Thankfully, one of the Dominican priests patiently explained the reasons for the Church’s teachings. I ended up interjecting when the woman who had wept so angrily stood up and announced that her wedding was ruined, because “now when I get married, all I will think about is how the Church is judging me.”

I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I borrowed something that (I think) was kind of a paraphrase of one of Pope Benedict’s comments. Something along the lines of, “No. The Church, and God, loves you and is not judging you here. You are judging the Church. Catholic teaching on sexuality isn’t a series of negative responses, a NO you can’t do this, and NO you can’t do that. It’s a series of positive responses. YES, you accept life. YES, you accept your spouse without barriers. But in order to embrace the YES of married life, we have to say NO to selfishness. And that includes contraception.”

Surprisingly, that got a round of applause. And some people actually got up and took the NFP pamphlets that had been provided to the class.

I sincerely hope that more priests and more Catholic leaders embrace and teach NFP. So good on Jessica Smith. Fight the good fight.—J.H.

Don–I’ve read Fr. Ripperger on liturgy and other topics. He seems pretty much right-on when it comes to those topics. On pastoral concerns such as NFP… not so much. To be charitable, perhaps it is due to being more of an academic than a pastor. His objections don’t hold water when it comes to concrete reality in most modern parishes. I hardly thing the greatest offense to the chastity of most young couples is going to be a series of cross-sections and a cycle chart. I can see more titillating things just by driving down the freeway and encountering a billboard.—J.H.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ROFL.

With all due respect to the good father, I wonder if he is not in fact a little sheltered from what is actually confronting young Catholics out there in the world.

I can’t watch a football game, use the internet, or even walk down the street without seeing advertisements that depict men and women in sultry poses and scanty clothing. I can’t go to the gym (or even use the sidewalk) without, of course, seeing men and women in tight attire gyrating and jiggling.

To think that a couple who has managed to remain chaste is going to be driven over the edge by anatomical diagrams is ludicrous. Has Father SEEN anatomical diagrams lately?

Honestly, if my husband-to-be is driven into uncontrollable fits of lust by a drawing of a fallopian tube, that’s something I’d rather know before the wedding!

I’m sure when the presenter was talking about testing cervical mucus before using the toilet, everyone in the audience was overcome with desire! How surprising it did not turn into an orgy!

I also love how the NFP detractors completely sidestep all the other benefits to women that NFP provides, such as making her familiar with her body so that she knows when something goes wrong–plus I always know when my period is coming. I’m not having sex, and I’m not yet married, but I thank God for NFP methods.–J

Do you belong to the “NFP cult”?

Blogger and Seattle acquaintance Mark Shea recently gave NFPworks a little nod in a post, which has attracted a clergyman in the combox who snarkily calls (and implies that I think this) NFP the “8th Sacrament” and a sympathetic commenter implies that NFP fans are (or can be) “worshippers” of the “NFPcult.”

Now [taking a deep breath]. If you listen to this homily by Fr. Chad Ripperger, FSSP, which isn’t the priest in the combox, but it seems that they must be on the same page. (I’d really like to hear Fr. Perroni affirm this.)

Anyhow, the homily, unlike most watered-down, feel good verbosity is actually catechetical, and really quite decent. I appreciate the frank approach to catechesis that doesn’t underestimate his congregation. (Though I have a feeling this homily wasn’t given in the average suburban parish–I’d like to see that!)

“Contraception is against every category of ‘natural inclination’.” [Amen.]

I like how he begins by explaining the natural law, quoting St. Thomas, giving examples, and then speaks at length about Holy Matrimony and the Nuptial Act. I like what he has to say–even the part where he strongly emphasizes that NFP is only to be used for just, serious and grave reasons! Despite what Fr. Perroni and friends might think of this, I agree! I may not hit people over the head with my “grave reasons stick” when I begin a conversation with a Catholic (or non-Catholic) on contraception, but I believe what HMC teaches, and stick to it.

“Provided you have the right intention…it’s a morally licit thing.” [Amen.]

Then he goes on to articulate that artificial insemination and In Vitro Fertilization violate the unity of meaning of the nuptial act, meaning that they separate the unitive (by diminishing or eliminating the need for a physical union) from the procreative (the openness to children and hopefully conception).

“Some Catholics mistakenly believe that because the Church is pro-family and pro-children, that somehow that means that any means whatsoever is okay to attain having children, and that’s not true. The Church doesn’t allow us to do that precisely because she does not want us to violate the rule of God, and ultimately for us to lose our souls as a result of it.” [Amen.]

But he quickly transitions to his discussion of the Church’s only approved method of postponing pregnancy (as well as achieving pregnancy and diagnosing women’s wellness issues, the latter which he omits, either for brevity or lack of knowledge on this): NFP. Here’s where we transition to a more reactionary slippery slope:

“It is a mortal sin to use NFP without a sufficient reason.” [Well...yes and no. Debatable.]

Diocesan Family Life Offices & NFP Instructors: OUCH.

“The teaching of NFP , however, has become a bit problematic as of late. In addition to the fact that some people treat it like it’s the 8th Sacrament, and somehow or another if you’re not practicing NFP when you’re married that you’re committing sin–it’s silly, and quite frankly, it’s insulting to people’s intelligence.”

“It’s okay to teach philosophy or the philosophical and theological dimensions to NFP in a common group–I don’t have any problem with that; it’s a good thing. (And by common group we mean mixed company, and things of that sort.)”

“But there are practices that have arisen in virtually every diocese in this country in which detailed anatomical descriptions and even pictures of the two genders is given to people in mixed company. Now let me set this up as a scenario: you have  people who are about to get married. The struggle for chastity is extreme already. And then they put pictures in front of them, and then they wonder why they’re fornicating. Hello!? The fact of the matter is that this is putting people in the proximate occasion of sin. It’s mortally sinful to be doing this….But to actually give anatomical details to people before they’re married in mixed company is utterly inappropriate.“

“It’s mortally sinful to be doing this [giving NFP classes to couples before they're married in mixed company]…It’s a sin against modesty!”

Soo…..where to begin?

First, I don’t think being part of the NFP Movement–either by using it, promoting it or teaching it, that it makes one a de facto member of the “NFP cult.” (See my newly revised “About” section to know where I stand on this.)

However, Father does have a point that some people become so devoted to Natural Family Planning, and are so eager to “convert” contraceptive users, that they pitch NFP in such a way as to present it as “Catholic Birth Control” or “Catholic Contraception.” This is wrong, and I hint at this a bit in my “7 Habits” post. It’s true. Sometimes in our enthusiasm for the Church’s teaching against contraception, we give the impression that NFP is a requirement to be holy, and that it’s a given in marriage, when, in fact, NFP (if you’re Catholic), is to be used only to achieve pregnancy, postpone pregnancy for just, serious or grave reasons, or to identify, diagnose and treat women’s wellness issues, including infertility.

Second, I also believe modesty is a vital virtue, one that’s lost on our generation nearly completely. However, to essentially equate an NFP class (and therefore–GASP! Anatomy diagrams!) to pedalling pornography IS RIDICULOUS! Further to accuse nearly every diocesan program (and therefore the individuals running the program, and their bishops!) who sponsors NFP Instruction for the engaged (for most it’s optional, and a few mandatory) OF MORTAL SIN WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR MITIGATION scandalizes me, frankly.

Father clearly leans towards concupiscence with his mention of the “scandal of NFP instruction,” but it seems to me he may not be aware of who the average couple getting married in the Church is. (Now that I think about it, he probably does know and wouldn’t witness the vows of most of the people getting married today.) Diagrams which enable them to learn about and appreciate God’s gift of fertility most likely don’t scandalous those going through NFP Instruction, and certainly wouldn’t scandalize the average couple who frankly are largely already sexuality active and cohabitating.

Prudence is the key to chastity and modesty. Obviously, if a couple has a sensitivity to things sexual or a tendency to lust, and their purity is strong and sensitive, then heck no–stay away from the NFP classes! But by and large, these are not the couples who are going through Engaged Formation in Diocesan programs.

Kyrie Eleison. I’ve gone on long enough. There’s a balance between the “cult of NFP” and the reactionary extremism of aforementioned brands of providentialism as fostered by certain clergy.

What do you think the balance is?

My friend Emily, the new Family Planning Coordinator in the Diocese of Madison, just emailed the link to this commentary on the TIME article and a little bit about my work in Madison. It was posted on Catholic.org by Catholic PRWire, which found it through a press release from Chicago CCL (promoting its classes). Thanks Chicago CCL for the mention! While I don’t exclusively endorse CCL, this is a great example of harnessing buzz about NFP to promote classes. Well done, Chi-CCLers.

Time Magazine Notes Another NFP Benefit: It Keeps the Rivers Clean

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

GLENVIEW, IL (November 10, 2009) – Sexual morality isn’t the only attraction to draw couples to Natural Family Planning (NFP) these days. Those concerned with the environment are finding that NFP doesn’t pollute the waterways with synthetic hormones and other chemicals.

A recent Time magazine author related how NFP rates high for such reasons. “Like all good Catholics, my husband and I had to attend church-run marriage prep before we tied the knot last year,” wrote Kathleen Kingsbury in Time’s Oct. 26 issue.

“I was surprised, however, during the hard sell on natural family-planning, that this updated version of the rhythm method was being advertised not only as morally correct but also as ‘organic’ and ‘green.’ I was even more surprised when I found out that some of the most popular instructors of NFP — known in secular circles as the Fertility Awareness Method — are non-Catholics who praise it as a means of avoiding both ingesting chemicals and excreting them into rivers and streams.”

The article, sprinkled with terms such as phthalates and bisphenol, also looks into the use of chemicals in the makeup of sex toys and tracks a trend of earth-friendly production materials in these products.

The article also says that the Catholic Church is catching on to the organic trend. “People pay $32 for eye cream because they’re told it is good for them and the planet,” says Jessica Marie Smith, whom Time says repackaged the NFP program at the diocese of Madison, WI. “We figured we could do the same with NFP.”

Ingest, Poke and Patch

In an article on the Madison diocese’s website, “Green is the New Black: How NFP is good for your soul and the earth,” Smith, the diocese’s [former] family planning coordinator, says, “Doesn’t it seem interesting that we’ll go to great lengths to ensure our meat, dairy and other grocery products are ‘all natural’ and hormone free, but then we’ll turn around and ingest, poke or patch our bodies with all sorts of synthetic hormones, the ramifications of which we’re still discovering?”