For haven, Refman, and others who were discussing (or want to discuss) this topic. First of all, I am not Catholic. My husband is. I'm Evangelical Free or the closest non-denominational equivalent... and, believe it or not, that's not so different from being Catholic. At least we both believe in something, and it's the same thing (with some slight differences that don't alter the essence of it). I never particularly felt called to go through RCIA or "convert" to Catholicism, though, since what I was already doing was fine for my spiritual life. Engaged Encounter was OK; we didn't have the option of the sponsor couple, which is just as well. I'd feel more comfortable in a group setting than one-on-one with some people who have to pretend that they care about you while telling you what to do with your life. (sorry, I know this cynical streak is not good for my spiritual life, but sometimes someone has to tell it like it is) I don't know why they have trouble with birth control if it has legitimate medical uses. Though, for everybody else, I can see why you might not want to mess with mother nature and alter the natural female cycle. Only time will show the long-term effects of "the shot". There is a possibility that I might have been on it if I wasn't married to a Catholic, but that would depend on side effects (if there was any weight gain) and cost (NFP is the cheapest thing... needless to say, you don't have to buy their charts, keep it in your head or make a spreadsheet ). Though I don't understand why they say NFP is "something the husband and wife can be responsible for together". Bulls**t. It's the female who is responsible for it. That's true for everything except condoms and vasectomies. As for Methodist and agnostic not being that far apart... no kidding, the way most of those churches are going these days. If you don't believe in a whole lot and your fiancee does, then it might cause conflict. But, to each his or her own. There are no perfect marriages.
My wife and I are both Catholic, and we both went to EE with a bad attitude. Strangely, we both really enjoyed it (except spending the night in those damn dorms) As far as the natural family planning portion though, we didn't pay any attention to that. We were there just so we could get married in the Catholic church which served two puposes for us: 1) made our marriage legal 2) pleased our parents The Catholic wedding was really just for our family. For us, we had our own wedding. We exchanged vows and wedding rings four months prior on the top of a mountain in squaw valley. The only attendents were a couple of hikers who walked by (we got them to take our picture).
Looks like I had the same experience as Pole. I wouldn't try Natural Family Planning unless you want children.
NFP has worked for me for over three years. (thank goodness) No mistakes yet. Most forms of birth control, with the possible exception of the Shot, still involve some risk... at least, with NFP, you know whether you are taking a chance or not. Pay close attention to your fertility signs, and "when in doubt, go without" - and you should be OK.
