This is a little late in the day for the Think Again Thursdays feature, but I’ll give it a go…I write and comment, and you, my readers, rally to defend the point in question.
I came across this blog entry, an open letter for a job working for a major birth control peddler. I won’t repost it here, as the entry is no literary repast, full of uncouth condom references and ludicrous claims of “science.” Bottom line, the blogger may, in fact (as her bio says) be opinionated, and perhaps educated in the technical sense, but I invite her to THINK AGAIN.
After her licentious litany referring to various forms of “unreliable” family planning methods–chief of which is withdrawal (the only correct thing in her entire post), she says,
Please know that this rant also applies to Natural family planning/The Rhythm Method (no relation to Rhythm Nation), which are simply other terms for Pull-Out-and-Pray.Those who can’t afford birth control are more likely to resort to methods from before the advances of science and medicine.
Where to begin?
1) It’s not the %#$@! Rhythm Method. Though she refers to science and medicine repeatedly, it’s clear she has no idea what modern Natural Family Planning is, how it works, and the medical professionals who developed it. Though she’s making an effort to be witty and sassy, she ends up looking salicious, daft and dense. Sadly enough, most M.D.’s are about as informed as our dear uninformed blogger.
2) NFP, when used for postponing pregnancy, is 98-99% effective. Yes. Really. Where did she get her stats? Wait, she didn’t refer to any stats. I get mine from clinically approved studies published in international peer-reviewed journals, to start. If you have any studies under your belt, I could guarantee they were funded by Big Pharma and/ or executed poorly (as is most of the data on NFP quoted by her beloved purveyor of carcinogenic pills).
3) The users of NFP are not uneducated, ignorant people. Right, readers? Wait, you can read, can’t you? 
It seems she thinks that you can’t, and that we’re all backwoods people who di’nt git our learn on ’cause we’s spendin’ too much time getting pregnint on acceedent. I’d be willing to bet most users of NFP have college degrees, if not advanced degrees, and are busy and accomplished, though family-oriented, people. You?
I’m sure Rachel would love to get your feedback on her post.
Update: So far my comment has not been approved/ posted, yet a favorable one posted after me has been…Hmm….
Update: Not surprisingly, our anti-fertility bumpkin is not only not posting comments, but consistently posting adolescent replies to my comments. Therefore, I will post the comments/ replies in the combox.
Because I have a variety of readers from across the religious/ political spectrum, I rarely–if ever–touch on the “A” word. Being pro-life is important to me, and I want other people to be pro life, but I never want to hit people over the head with it. Far more people come to understand my position (and the Church’s) through friendship, research, and appreciation of fertility, rather than judgmental nagging. Having said that, as I was commenting on another blog about this, I realized I needed to post this video, and let thoughtful people decide for themselves.
Now, if feel strongly about this, you may be interested in the American Life Leagues “The Pill Kills” campaign. I agree with their fundamental premise, and the great need to address this function of the Pill and other contraceptives (I guess “IUDS kill” or “Depo Kills” isn’t as catchy) for unsuspecting pro lifers. However, this campaign will change few hearts for the undecided or the pro choice person. For the latter audience, I think there are better ways to go about this conversation. Some will think this makes me pusillanimous or weak, but I think it’s simply a better approach.
A couple notes for commentors on this blog, particularly for those on the “Childfree: Selfishness Incarnate, etc.” entry below:
1) Dialogue guidelines. Here I’ll quote from one of my favorite bloggers: A Note to Visitors:
“Please share your comments! Note, however, that civility is considered a higher good than First Amendment rights here. Incivility will be uncivilly suppressed. Welcome to Our Kingdom! Enjoy your stay. ”
Therefore any direct attacks on any one person, usage of f**k or similar words (or their thinly veiled abbreviations) will be deleted. I like and use profanity privately on certain occasions, but not in a civil discussion. If that’s a problem for you or you think it’s prudish or whatever, don’t comment here.
2) I value your comments. Seriously, and not for any reverse psychology-I-love-you-because-I-hate-you-reasons. I spend my time around a lot of people who agree with me, so how does that stretch me? Hardly at all, which is why I like a place where I can agree to disagree and converse with people.
3) I’ve had a seriously crazy week, so I’ve not gotten a chance to comment and respond to some of the more pointed questions, comments and rational responses. I really particularly want to comment on breast cancer, Natural Family Planning as being backwards, some of the intolerance and attacks on my God and my Church, and some people who shared some beautiful and very personal stuff, which I totally appreciate. And I will do this.
Memo to Politicians of the State of Wisconsin and New Jersey (and, well, the rest of the country, really): Evidently the biomedical services are at the service of man (read: English vernacular for human kind, not a misogynist omission of the feminine genius), not the other way around.
That crazy intellectual giant Benedict is at it again. Human dignity this, conscience that, blah blah blah. Will he ever quit? (No.)
In a brief talk he gave to the International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists yesterday, Pope Benedict urged pharmacists to be particularly sensitive to “the ethical implications of the use of particular drugs.”
He went on to say “we cannot anesthetize consciences as regards, for example, the effect of certain molecules that have the goal of preventing the implantation of the embryo or shortening a person’s life.”
Get out. So like, we can’t compartmentalize our faith, and check our conscience at the door to the lab? Whaaat? How are pharmacists and doctors going to survive in a pill-centered society? Perhaps Christian and Catholic Medical Professionals should compromise their faith? Oops. Yeah, there’s a few of those out there. Maybe crawl under the rug?
Or maybe, just maybe, they could take up their cross and answer the couragous call to be Pro Life and Pro Fertility professionals? (That’s a lot of pros). Do we have pro life, pro fertility medical professionals in Wisconsin? You bet. Here too.
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