A bullet pass for NFP

(Jan. 27, 2012) While much journalistic ink has been spilled on quarterback standout Tim Tebow for publicly sharing his Christian faith recently, it’s good to hear that another football star is complimenting Natural Family Planning and other solid values.

San Diego Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers is passing not only the pigskin, but also his faith and family values. Although the Chargers finished with an 8-8 record this season, Rivers says he is learning through adversity.

“We didn’t make the playoffs, and I didn’t have my best season, personally. However, I’m thankful for the adversity we experienced because if we take it in the right way, it can help us next season,” he told the National Catholic Register recently.

Bond in the Faith

Rivers, who grew up in the Bible Belt, also talks about his Catholic faith. “Our bond in the faith is the foundation of our marriage. San Diego has a very solid Catholic community, which has been great for my wife and kids to make friends and be supported in the faith.

“This is very encouraging, especially when it comes to living out teachings of the Church that are not as popular as others. The most noticeable of these is being open to life, or what is commonly known as natural family planning (NFP). When you see others making the same commitment to the faith as you are, it can only strengthen you.

Children Do Grow Up

“Because of the commitment that’s required, a lot of people are particularly afraid of the baby stages of raising children,” Rivers says. “It’s easy to talk yourself into thinking you just can’t handle all the work that it takes. What I tell people, though, is that the children do grow up; they aren’t going to be in need of constant supervision and assistance forever.”

Rivers and his wife Tiffany have six children.

Read the Register article (limited time availability), “Catholic Quarterback Philip Rivers Passes On the Faith.”