

Ask Christopher West
Theology of the Body Institute
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support through these long years of ministry. In this podcast, Christopher and Wendy combine their wisdom to tackle the toughest questions dealing with vocation, sexuality, marriage, and the Catholic faith.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 30, 2021 • 41min
The Difference Between Nude Art and Pornography | ACW139
How do you give someone a chance without leading them on? How do I explain the difference between sacred nude art and pornography
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
I am a freelance video producer working mainly with advocacy groups and I recently received an invitation to bid on a project about HIV. I expressed my interest to bid and went on to do my research. In the middle of doing the sample storyboard, I found out that the project was not only about treatment of HIV but also about prevention in the form of daily medicine called PrEP. It's a pill that an HIV-negative person takes along with condoms so he or she can go on with his or her chosen lifestyle. That stopped me for a while. Would this project be good for me? Would I be advocating for same sex activities by doing this? Would I be committing a sin? Thank you so much for reading this and God bless you.
Question 2:
Christopher and Wendy, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and helping us understand the world and our relationships in the light of God's Word! I’m wondering, what is the role of attraction in a romantic relationship? I certainly believe that faith and character are more important in a potential spouse than looks or personality. When I am pursued by a man with excellent character, I'll give him a chance even if I'm not initially attracted to him. If that attraction never develops and I find myself dreading spending time with him, I'll end things. But then he'll be upset and say I led him on. I feel guilty for hurting him, and I feel selfish for giving up on someone who is godly and maybe would even make a great husband and father. Is it selfish to value personality, interests, and looks in a potential spouse? And how do you give someone a chance without unintentionally deceiving or hurting them?
Qestion 3:
How do I explain to someone the difference between looking at art, say in the Sistine Chapel, of the naked body versus a playboy centerfold? They feel there is no logic to one being good, and one being bad. How do I show them the difference? How do I give them an answer that is logical?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
Dustin Hoffman on Tootsie
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Aug 23, 2021 • 45min
Does God Have a Plan for Our Bodies? | ACW138
How can NFP bring healing in marriage? What can I say in a short conversation to introduce people to TOB?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
Christopher and Wendy, Thank you for all the work you put into this podcast. I always learn so much from you both and frequently recommend your show to others. I have returned to my faith within the last five years, and have a dark sexual past that I am still struggling to heal from. Thanks be to God, I was recently engaged to a wonderful, holy man that has shown me so much about the love of Christ in our relationship. Something that has brought me a lot of distress lately is trying to implement Natural Family Planning as my fiancé and I prepare for marriage. A lot of the responsibility of NFP falls on women since they are the ones tracking their fertility signs, and this greater amount of responsibility scares me and makes me feel resentful. It reminds of times where I had to take control of my fertility to protect myself from men who used and discarded me. I know my fiancé has the best intentions with our family life, but I am struggling to see how NFP can bring cohesion in marriage as I feel it creating confusion, isolation, and disconnection in my life based on m y past wounds.
Question 2:
I’m a new listener to your podcast and I am devouring it. I have been on a journey over the last four years trying to understand the churches teaching on sexuality and marriage after my oldest daughter announced to me that she was in love with a woman and is actively in a gay relationship. I finally found the courage last December to stand firm in front of my daughter and share with her my belief that sex is intended by God to be sacred conduct between a man and a woman in a marriage. It was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had in my life. Since then, I found that not all Catholics believe the Church’s teaching on marriage and chastity. What can I say in a short conversation to get these Catholics thinking? I feel I can’t remain silent on this beautiful teaching of the Church. I want all Catholics to understand it and see it for its beauty.
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Aug 16, 2021 • 42min
Define: Masculinity and Femininity | ACW137
Do you have any resources to recommend for approaching body image and an eating disordered past with Theology of the Body? What is the definition of masculinity and femininity?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
Dear Christopher and Dear Wendy, thank you for the wonderful work you do. I love to listen to you two while driving; I feel you are part of my family. My husband and I are practicing catholics and saved ourelves from sex until we were married. My husband is a holy man, I think of St. Joseph when I see him. He is always giving his life for me and our children through loving sacrifice and gift of himself. This is why I want to make him happy and I struggle with the following situation. During our marital embrace, my husband has never felt his own climax even though he ejaculates, he cannot feel anything. I often suggest to him that we look for help to figure out what is wrong, but he insists he accepts this as a mortification, that helps him not focus on the pleasure but on the love he has for me. I know the end of the sexual embrace is not the pleasure, but God wanted that pleasure to be there for a reason. Should we look for help? Should we accept it and let it be? Is it wrong to let it be? Thank you and God bless you.
Question 2:
Do you have any resources to recommend for approaching body image and an eating disordered past with Theology of the Body? Although I do not have an eating disorder any more, praise God, I still have wounds from my past in these areas and after praying about this for some time and listening to your podcast, I am certain that Theology of the Body and the healing of Jesus in the Eucharist are a necessary part of the healing process. I would love some guidance on where to start with this. Thank you so much for considering my question and God bless you.
Qestion 3:
My question is this: What is masculinity and femininity? a definition perhaps? What does the Church say? Are they complete binaries only found within their corresponding gender? I have often observed that sometimes a man may seemingly possess more feminine characteristics than other men and that some women seem more masculine than other women, not just on a superficial level but more so in their character. Why might this be? If both masculinity and femininity come from God would it make sense to find aspects of each "intertwined" within one person regardless of gender? Lastly, does masculinity and femininity become more pure the holier we become? I have a feeling that my understanding of these concepts is a little mixed up and I would love to hear your thoughts on these mysteries.
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Aug 9, 2021 • 39min
Healing from Pornography in Marriage | ACW136
How do you advise we teach our children the solid and clear truth about same sex attraction with mercy? How do I heal from my husband's pornography addiction? Is it immoral for someone to take birth control as hormone therapy if she is naturally infertile?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
I'm one of the lucky people that attended the Theology of the Body 1 course in Madrid. It was both a blessing and a dream came true being there with you. I have a work coleague with same sex attraction, who has become a father through a surrogate pregnancy. Being honest, I don’t feel comfortable having him and his child visiting with my children, as I find his way of life wrong and can confuse my kids, but at the same time, I also think this is not merciful. He and his child are dearly loved by God. The children are not guilty of the sins of their parents. How do you advise we teach our children solid and clear truth with mercy so they can learn to deal with these people.
Question 2:
I've been looking for resources to recover from the porn addiction of my husband. I found good psychological resources that helped a little but I'm in need of something more. I have trauma because of my husband's acting out and it brings a lot of trouble into the relationship because my husband is unable to help me and support me. The psychological resources have a lot of ''focus on you first'' kind of approach. Boundaries, self-care, expectations of what a betraying husband should do to repair the damage done etc... As time goes by I feel more and more that I will need a ''sacrificial love'' kind of approach but it is not taught anywhere. I'm a little afraid of the future. I feel that I can't trust him and never will. I want communion with him. I want the marriage that God wants for us but I'm not sure that my husband thinks this deep. Aside from focusing on me and taking care of me, what should I do to heal, or at least be able to give myself the most I can even if my hurt is never healed?
Qestion 3:
Hi Christopher and Wendy! Thank you for your diligent work applying the Theology of the Body to Christian life. It has been such a blessing to me! My sister has a genetic disorder called Turner's Syndrome. It means that she’s missing the full genetic material for her second sex chromosome. Because she was born with this disease, she is naturally infertile and will never have biological children. As a part of her treatment, she has begun hormone therapy using birth control. Her doctors say this treatment is necessary, otherwise she could have more serious health problems from not having a menstrual cycle each month.
Here are my questions: Since she is already infertile and is not intentionally intervening with her fertility, is there a moral wrong with her being on birth control as a hormone treatment? I have talked many times with my mother about church teachings on contraception and my personal skepticism of the effectiveness of this sort of treatment. Do you know of any resources I could share with my mother and sister on alternative hormone treatments?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
Matt Fradd
Freedom Coaching
Dr. Bob Schutes
[Pope Paul VI Institute](www.popepaulvi.com)
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Aug 2, 2021 • 46min
Healing From Sexual Trauma | ACW135
How can sex be unitive when it's used so often as a weapon? Is there and real freedom from sexual sin outside of death? How can marriage be a path to holiness?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
After six years in a sexually and emotionally abusive relationship, full of porn, manipulation, and rape, I struggle with the concept of sex as a unitive act. The procreative part makes sense, but I cannot see sex as unitive. I am getting married (not to the abuser) soon and I am terrified I will disappoint him by failing to give him a meaningful experience, but I just don't see how it can be meaningful. My question is, why and how is sex unitive? How can couples call it "the most profound form of communication"? I see praying together as a far higher form of communication, intimacy, and bonding than anything sexual. How does one make an act that is so easily used as a weapon a means of love, intimacy, and unity?
Question 2:
Hi Christopher and Wendy, I had a weird thought: I think that because I have masturbated in the past I cannot say for sure that I have stopped it forever. I'm trying to control myself and with God's grace and mercy I'm sort of controlling myself but still I think that the only way to come out of it is to die. Am I wrong?
Qestion 3:
Hi Christopher and Wendy, gosh I can’t begin to thank you for how you have impacted my spiritual journey. What a blessing! Here is my question: Sometimes when I think about marriage, it seems hard that it unlocks some kind of mystery or provides a language to speak of how I am destined to be in complete union with God. It seems that a marriage would shift my focus from this ultimate goal to providing what seems like unnecessary attention to my spouse. I understand that loving others is a form of loving God but I worry that if I am called to marriage, it would be more of a distraction from the ultimate goal rather than being an aid in getting there. How have you worked through this question?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
[Hope's Garden](www.hopesgarden.com)
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Jul 26, 2021 • 44min
Marriage, Annulment, and Old Age | ACW134
Can a Catholic marry a Muslim? Is it possibly to cohabitate chastely? What light can Theology of the Body shine on aging?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
Can a Catholic marry a Muslim? If so, how? And if not, why not?
Question 2:
I have two questions. The first is in regards to chaste cohabitation and whether this is permissible or not.
For context, my partner and I converted and came to faith last August (in 2020). At the end of September we made the decision to live chastely and hope to marry. I homeschool my children from a previous relationship and do not work. We plan to get married, but my partner was in a civil marriage and he’s in the process of divorce. So for us to live separately would mean me stopping my kids’ homeschool program and going back to work.
My second question is whether this civil union still needs to be annulled?
Qestion 3:
Thank you Christopher and Wendy, for sharing this Good News so beautifully with all of us. I wonder if you could share some of your reflections on the theology of the aging body. I work as a primary care provider in the medical field and spend a lot of my time with the elderly, many of whom are struggling with the aging process and the pain and suffering that often accompanies old age. Dementia is particularly difficult on the person and loved ones as the person seems to become almost a shell of their former self, in some way. I Would appreciate any reflections on what light the Theology of the Body can shine on this issue.
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Jul 19, 2021 • 34min
Is He "The One"? | ACW133
Everytime I meet a guy, I can't help wondering if he's "the one." What's wrong with me? If a woman takes the pill for health reasons, is it immoral? Can you shed some light on grieving through the lens of Theology of the Boday
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
Dear Christopher and Wendy, I started praying about my future and asking God what he wants for my life. I feel like I’m called to marriage. The thing is, since realising that marriage is my vocation, I’m incapable of seeing members of the other sex primarily as a beautiful human being made in the image of God. When I meet a guy I think, “God, is this him?”
I feel like I should be able to control my thoughts better. What should I do?
Question 2:
Many doctors prescribe the birth control pill to women as a treatment for irregular periods, hormone imbalance, and acne. If a woman takes these pills as prescribed for health reasons, is it a sin? Would it depend whether she is a single woman or a married woman?
Qestion 3:
My grandfather recently passed away and the grieving process has been hard for all of us, especially for my grandmother who has been married to him for over 60 years. I know from the Theology of the Body that death is a rupture between body and soul, but that we have hope in the resurrection of the body. There’s been conversation among the members of the family that visiting the grave doesn’t make sense because he’s not “really there,” he’s in heaven. After listening to you recently I’m thinking it would be proper to mourn his body at the grave because the body is not just a shell that held his soul. Can you shed some light on the proper understanding and response to grieving and feeling our loved one’s presence during this time of unnatural separation in the light of Theology of the Body?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
Pope Paul VI Institute
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Jul 12, 2021 • 33min
Plan B | ACW132
Was the Incarnation plan B? Did God know we would sin? How do I talk to my 5-year-old who has been exposed to the LGBTQ ideology?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
I'm confused about God’s original plan and you saying that the Word made flesh wasn't God’s secondary plan after the original sin. What does this mean? Why would God send His son if there was no sin?
Question 2:
Did God know that human beings were going to sin and was original sin in his plan?
Qestion 3:
My oldest daughter attended a Catholic preschool and kindergarten at a charter school. The reason I share this is because I thought she would be protected from LGBTQ issues there, more than if she were to attend public school. I must be naive. In preschool, my daughter was told by a peer that her mother told her “girls can marry girls and boys can marry boys.” After the first week of kindergarten, my daughter overheard a teacher telling students that she grew up with two dads. Even though I have a deep passion for John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, I feel unprepared to address these issues at such a young age. Do you have advice for how to answer questions like these from my 5-year-old?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
Pull Yourself Up By Your Booty Boot Straps by Troy B. Norman (Author) and Beth R. West (Illustrator)
Beyond the Birds and the Bees by Greg and Lisa Popcak
THE TRUTH AND MEANING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Jul 5, 2021 • 32min
Wandering Eyes | ACW131
How do I help a loved one who has been sexually abused? Is it still wrong to have premarital sex if we know we want to be with each other forever? Is it sinful if my eyes are drawn to those parts of the body that reveal fertility?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
A friend of mine who was abused in her childhood recently told me, “If God would ask me, I would ask to be non-binary, because beeing a woman is too dangerous and I don‘t want to be a man either.” How can I help her? She is already trying to read Theology of the Body for Beginners.
Question 2:
If I have premarital sex with my boyfriend whom I love but we just don’t want to get married yet because of the economy but I love him and we’re sure we both want to be together forever, is it still wrong?
Qestion 3:
Hi Wendy! Hi Christopher! I thank both of you for the blessing you have been in my life. My question is about someone who has already experienced a significant degree of sexual redemption. I would consider myself to be a part of that group, but when I go for a walk, or shopping my eyes are still often drawn to the female body parts that reveal their fertility. I don't really have lustful thoughts after them, and I always try to see the whole person, and thank God for all the beauty he created around me, but the fact remains, that this is what catches my eye, and I partly ascribe that to my sexual past. Should I overcome this? What would be the most dignifying way to look at the women around me?
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
**Our Sponsor: **We can't say enough about Rose Sweet and her ministry! Be sure to learn more about her work by clicking the link.
Titles by Rose Sweet
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Jun 28, 2021 • 44min
For Nolan | ACW130
Are wet dreams sinful? Are there any exceptions in which getting a vasectomy would be permitted?
Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community!
Patron Question:
I submitted a question to you a few weeks ago but I HAD to thank you for recommending John Paul IIs "Jewelers Shop." It has changed me, maybe forever. Utterly. Also, your beautiful words regarding Elisabeth Leseur: I was aware of her but it was wonderful to hear. She is one of my “special saints.” Finally, I'm doing a doctorate on spirituality, embodiment, and dementia. I see so much in Theology of the Body that relates. Maybe I can someday work with you on issues related to aging. It’s a challenging field, dementia and TOB. God bless! I Adore you both!
Question 2:
Christopher, how would you approach the topic of wet dreams? To me they seem involuntary or uncontrolled, and the sometimes very lustful content of them shocks me. Since I don't masturbate or watch porn anymore, and desire to live chastely. I have them about once a week, and when I wake up, I'm usually a little bit confused about my body and my mind.
Qestion 3:
I just listened to Matt Fradd's latest interview with you and found it beautiful. I'm a father of four who's just coming up on forty this year and was really struck by your reflections on parenting, growing older, and God's Grace throughout it all. My wife and I both really enjoyed it.
Speaking of my wife, we have been married for almost twelve years and have four beautiful children. We met in church and were, right out of the gate, practitioners of and advocates for the Theology of the Body and Natural Family Planning. Yet now, I find myself waiting for a urologist consultation to get a vasectomy.
I'm in a position where it is unsafe for my wife to become pregnant. In fact, my doctor said he normally dissuades young men from getting them but is making an exception because of my wife's situation.
Being married for over a decade and being around other long-lasting marriages has revealed a lot of otherwise conservative Catholic couples with lots of kids who use contraception. I cannot see any demonstrable reason why it's bad, in an otherwise healthy marriage, unlike abuses like porn or alcohol addiction.
So, between our medical situation and my lived experience, I'm struggling. I understand there's Natural Family Planning, but we’ve experienced two surprise pregnancies and we honestly view it now with suspicion.
That's where I'm at. I've talked to priests about this and other strong Catholics. Their advice always is, "The Church's teaching is clear but you are right to protect your wife." Again, it was a wonderful talk with Matt Fradd and I'm sure God led us to it for multiple reasons. I hope you can give me some clarity to square my conscience with Church teaching.
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com.
Resources mentioned this week:
**Our Sponsor: **We can't say enough about Rose Sweet and her ministry! Be sure to learn more about her work by clicking the link.
View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org
Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram.
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute.
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening!
Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.


