This is concerning the Associated Press opinion piece by Amanda Marcotte on co-pay-free contraception printed in the Sun Journal Aug. 5.

She misrepresents the pro-life position as one that wishes to punish sex. Her position seems to be more that babies are a punishment rather than a gift; that sex is strictly for recreation for any two persons who wish to engage in it.

Sex, of course, is the way that the human race procreates. For a married couple, when they give to each other fully, it not only gives pleasure but unifies the relationship. The result of that sexual union may be children, of course, which the married couple is uniquely equipped to nurture and raise. That is why every society for centuries has promoted marriage as the basic unit of society … until now.

A couple may resort to natural methods of spacing births when there are good reasons to do so. Natural family planning is as effective as artificial methods when used properly, and avoids the need for unnatural chemicals and methods, some of which work by inducing abortion, e.g., IUDs.

For those who follow those beliefs, the mandate to cover the co-pay for contraceptives means requiring them to go against their long-held beliefs, which is against the First Amendment and should be found unconstitutional.

Jonathan Dandridge, Hubbarston, Mass.