Chris Beneteau re Natural Family Planning.

The recent letter by J.K. MacKenzie on Natural Family Planning (July/August, p.4) is nothing more than neo-traditionalist nonsense. Obviously someone who believes that NFP couples can have a "contraceptive mentality" wrote it. Can NFP be misused? Yes. However there is an old saying that "action follows being." In this case, couples that have a contraceptive mentality are most likely going to use contraceptives.

Mackenzie wrote, "What percentage of Catholic couples have more than two children?" as if this is proof that most NFP couples have contraceptive intentions. The real question he should have asked was "What percentage of Catholic couples use NFP?" The answer is very few. Although my evidence is anecdotal in nature, I have yet to meet a NFP couple that has fewer than three children. My circle of friends has between three to ten children. My wife and I are expecting our sixth.

With all due respect to Mr. Mackenzie, contraception and NFP do not have the same fundamental purpose. Contraceptive couples intend to avoid having children while NFP couples may decide to postpone having children.

Having children, however, is more than just keeping score. It is absolutely wonderful that St. Catherine's parents had 25 children. However they were most likely a couple that were given the grace of heroic virtue. Catholic parenthood should never be reduced to a competition to have the most children. It should be about prayerfully and prudently discerning the number of children God wants you to have, and then doing everything possible to lead them to heaven.

Family planning in the contraceptive tradition is not family planning at all. Contraceptive couples are usually planning to avoid having a family. NFP in contrast understands that there is prudence in the planned spacing of children. NFP values the natural rhythms of a woman's reproductive cycle, and understands that a period of physical and emotional recovery is necessary before another child is brought into the world. This time period varies from mother to mother.

NFP couples truly place their trust in God. If they chose to have intercourse during the infertile times they say in essence, "God, we are not ready for a child at this time, but if you will it, we will accept and love any child that you give us." They thus legitimately renew their marriage covenant. In contrast, the contraceptive couple expects to not have a child and more often than not, if an "accident" does occur, backup contraception otherwise known as abortion is employed.

Mr. Mackenzie speaks of abstinence during the fertile period as if it is some sort of curse. Let me remind Mr. Mackenzie that there is a big difference between "doing" and "not doing." NFP couples that wish to postpone children are simply "not doing" intercourse during the fertile times while contraceptive couples are "doing" something to purposely avoid having children. The contrast could not be any greater. Periodic abstinence teaches the couple--the man specifically--to learn self-control and to see his wife's fertility as a precious gift.

Finally, I question the wisdom of the letter by Mr. Mackenzie. In an age where most married Catholics contracept, it is hard enough to bring these people back into the fold without some Catholics exhibiting a "more Catholic than Catholic" attitude.

Odessa, ON