Expert: Charlie B - 3/5/2011

Question
I am currently in year 12 and was wondering if you could help me with my assignment by answering some questions.
I know that it the Catholic tradition artificial contraception is not allowed. However I have heard of the method called the billing ovulation method, I would like to know if their are any other methods used to prevent child birth? Also I would like to know how does the Catholic Church seek to address and solve the ethical dilemma of contraception?

Answer
Taylar,
Thanks for your question.  On the question regarding billing ovulation method, see http://www.billings-centre.ab.ca/ -- it refers to Drs. Billing in Australia, and appears to me to be the same as "Natural Family Planning."  

Natural Family Planning (NFP) has been around for decades, provides 99+% assurance if followed correctly (which is easy), and is what most Catholic married couples practice (at least my friends).

NFP is widely-used - including yours truly, and essentially means that I have to abstain about 10-11 days a month ... no big deal to me.   See http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/index.shtml for more details.

Using contraception, simply explained is like "lying to your body" and lying to your spouse.  It prevents what God always intended, and to think that God designed the body such that you don't have to use contraception more than 2/3rds of a month is pretty cool... and beautiful, the way life was meant to be.  :-)

God bless,
Charlie