I think it is obvious that abstinence from NFP is not this man’s main problem, but I would like to point out that married couples have many, many other reasons for abstinence in marriage besides NFP. A few that come to mind are illness or injury, separation due to work or military service, and the needs of babies and small children. These are very common, and we are still expected to be chaste and faithful in our marriages. For example, what if all his children get the flu? What if his wife (or he) is seriously injured in an accident and full recovery takes several months? What if he has to travel overseas for three months or more? What if he has a baby that only sleeps four hours out of every 24? (We had one; it can happen.) Then who will he rage at when frustrated?

Life can hand us all kinds of unexpected circumstances. In my mind, this is one of the best reasons to remain chaste during courtship; it builds up by experience the knowledge that your relationship is more than just physical, and that it can endure some frustration in that area. Marriage is a challenge, just as life is. If one expects everything to be easy and to always get one’s way, that is just unrealistic.