Should Christians Use Birth Control

albertmohler.com ^ | Jun 2012 | Albert Mohler

[CondoleezzaProtege]

The effective separation of sex from procreation may be one of the most important defining marks of our age–and one of the most ominous. This awareness is spreading among American evangelicals, and it threatens to set loose a firestorm.

Most evangelical Protestants greeted the advent of modern birth control technologies with applause and relief. Lacking any substantial theology of marriage, sex, or the family, evangelicals welcomed the development of “The Pill” much as the world celebrated the discovery of penicillin — as one more milestone in the inevitable march of human progress, and the conquest of nature.

At the same time, evangelicals overcame their traditional reticence in matters of sexuality, and produced a growth industry in books, seminars, and even sermon series celebrating sexual ecstasy as one of God’s blessings to married Christians. Once reluctant to admit the very existence of sexuality, evangelicals emerged from the 1960s ready to dish out the latest sexual advice without blushing. As one of the best-selling evangelical sex manuals proclaims, marital sex is Intended for Pleasure. Many evangelicals seem to have forgotten that it was intended for something else as well. For many evangelical Christians, birth control has been an issue of concern only for Catholics. When Pope Paul VI released his famous encyclical outlawing artificial birth control, Humanae Vitae, most evangelicals responded with disregard — perhaps thankful that evangelicals had no pope who could hand down a similar edict. Evangelical couples became devoted users of birth control technologies ranging from the Pill to barrier methods and Intrauterine Devices(IUDs). That is all changing, and a new generation of evangelical couples is asking new questions.

A growing number of evangelicals are rethinking the issue of birth control-and facing the hard questions posed by reproductive technologies...First, we must start with a rejection of the contraceptive mentality...

[fwdude]

Birth control diminishes that need for commitment and it also takes a very serious decision and makes it trivial.

Bravo for your excellent post, MeganC, born out of personal experience.

I cannot say that enough.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Contraception by its very definition denotes the BLOCKING or CONSTRICTION of something. So by its very nature, it is inherently disruptive of freedom, of the free flow or movement of something. It is an obstructive device impeding an act (sex) that was designed to glorify and make manifest total surrender, total pleasure, and total love.

Natural family planning, conscious abstinence (such as when a partner is sick or immobile for example) also fall under this paradigm of true, unrestricted life-giving love. And by life-giving, it doesn’t just mean babies, but the shared flow of life and energy between man and woman in marriage.

[OIFVeteran]

Unconstitutional? Where in the constitution is the federal government empowered to stop grown adults from talking about or using contraception? I’ll tell you what was unconstitutional, the comstock laws.

[fwdude]

Unconstitutional? Where in the constitution is the federal government empowered to stop grown adults from talking about or using contraception?

You seem to have missed the train on this one.

The federal government, through the courts, FORBADE the states from forbidding contraception, in violation of the Tenth Amendment.

[OIFVeteran]

I’ve obviously misunderstood your point. Can you give me the case/law your referring too?

[one4perl]

“Contraception by its very definition denotes the BLOCKING or CONSTRICTION of something.”

Isn’t blocking of contraception by definition blocking or constriction of freedom of stopping reproduction?

[CondoleezzaProtege]

“By definition blocking or constriction of freedom of stopping reproduction?”

That phrasing, is — to me, the twist in logic Satan intends as he hands us the fruit. Not to mention the secular ‘science textbook’ language being used. ‘Reproduction’ sounds so...soulless.

I mean, is it any wonder that “the two shall become one flesh” and “be fruitful and multiply” are in the VERY FIRST PAGES of the Bible? It’s fundamental to *everything* GOD created.

The real truth is: contraception puts a barrier between the complete, unitive oneness of man and woman in sex. That it impedes on the full and free surrender (physical and spiritual) of one soul to the other.

And of both souls to God. Who created sex.

[one4perl]

Your definition of freedom seems to preclude the freedom of stopping reproductive processes on the body. Why is voluntary sterilization like vasectomies better than what is effectively chemical castration by stopping reproductive processes in the body?

[daniel1212]

Full article at link. Dr. Mohler of course is a Southern Baptist, so he will be reticent to simply re-state and affirm what the Catholic Church laid out

But which her flock ignored about as much as evangelicals acted accordingly:

• 73 percent of Catholics rejected Catholic teaching artificial methods of birth control. Catholic World Report; 1997 survey of 1,000 Catholic Americans by Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Connecticut

• Just 15% of U.S. Catholics say that using contraceptives is morally wrong. 41% say that using contraceptives is morally acceptable, while 36% say it is not a moral issue. 37% of Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week say using contraceptives is morally wrong while 33% say it is morally acceptable and 30% say it is not a moral issue. — http://www.pewresearch.org/key-data-points/u-s-catholics-key-data-from-pew-research/#abortion

• 74% of Evangelicals, 73% of Mainline Protestants, and 68% of sexually active Catholics women use birth control. 3% of the Catholics rely on natural family planning. Attendance at religious services and importance of religion to daily life are largely unrelated to use of highly effective contraceptive methods. ^

• 88% of Catholics believe that they can practice artificial means of birth control and still be considered good Catholics. New York Times/CBS News poll, Apr. 21-23, 1994, subsample of 446 Catholics, MOE ± 5%

• 98% of self-identified Catholic women ages 15-44 who have ever had sexual relations have used a method of contraception other than natural family planning at some point in their lives. .” http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-claim-that-98-percent-of-catholic-women-use-contraception-a-media-foul/2012/02/16/gIQAkPeqIR_blog.html?wprss=fact-checker

• 40% of 18- to 29-year-old Catholics said the church’s “teachings on sexuality and birth control are out of date.” http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church

• 59% of all Catholic women of childbearing age practice contraception—a rate of usage statistically equivalent to that of the general population (60%). Calvin Goldscheider and William D. Mosher, "Patterns of Contraceptive Use in the United States:

• 58% of Catholics 52% if they are voters) believe that employers should be required to provide their employees with health care plans that cover contraception;

• 50% of white Catholics support this requirement, versus 47% who oppose it, along with 38% of white evangelical Protestants an 50% of white mainline Protestants. Public Religion Research Institute, February 2012 http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/02/january-tracking-poll-2012/

  - https://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/chapter-3-demographic-profiles-of-religious-groups/

[Paal Gulli]

There fact that there are numerous predominately Catholic countries where poverty is endemic and large families predominate among the poor but exactly ZERO predominantly Protestant countries where the same conditions occur should tell you the answer to that question.

[daniel1212]

Beat me to it. Once upon a time the Catholic Church came up with the rhythm method and even that was frowned upon by some. Anybody have any idea why Catholics had so many children? Anybody?

Comparative stats are needed, while they do not have many children today (tied with evangelicals in 2014 at 2.3, while Mormons lead the pack with 3.4. Muslim data n/a).

[daniel1212]

Indeed. And there is also *natural* family planning, etc...

And then there are those who plan to have all they can:

The United States birth rate is rising and Evangelical families in the Quiverfull movement (named after a verse of Psalm 127) are playing their part in the trend -- to the alarm of the greens, no doubt. A few weeks after the New York Times looked at the subject of large families, National Public Radio has run a feature on the movement, which comprises about 10,000 families, mainly in the Midwest and South of the United States.

NPR interviewed some families in Michigan. Kelly Swanson and husband Jeff say they didn't want any children when they first married, but then began to notice that the Bible gave special value to big families. Now they have seven children and would like more. They are leaving it up to God to decide how many they can handle. The average family at their church has 8.5 kids, which compares with a national total fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman. (In 1976, 20 per cent of American women had five or more children, but by 2006 that figure had fallen to 4 per cent.) - https://www.mercatornet.com/demography/view/4846

[laplata]

For sure.

[Pelham]

J Geils’ summed it up with ‘Centerfold’ all the way back in 1981... and that was just about a picture.

That stuff demoralized me when I was in high school.. it was already starting in SoCal, but nowhere to the degree as what’s followed. And it’s been led by the girls.

I suspect you could track the change simply by looking at the change in music, the embrace of the coarse and vulgar that’s been with us for a long time now... a lot classic rock still dealt with the heart and not sport ####ing.

I can’t imagine a song like this being made today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Uh8933Jvs

[Mark17]

Anybody have any idea why Catholics had so many children? Anybody?

My parents were good Catholics. They used the rhythm method. They had 6 kids. I think after about 3, they figured it didn’t work, and quit using it. They had as many using the rhythm method, as they did, NOT using it.

[Mark17]

There fact that there are numerous predominately Catholic countries where poverty is endemic and large families predominate among the poor

The Philippines is a classic example of that. My wife is from the Philippines, but she was never a catholic.

[ebb tide]

My parents were good Catholics.

I'm surprised to see you state that, Mark. Elsewhere you demean all Catholics.

What's up with your hypocrisy?

[Sequoyah101]

From what I saw of it all it did was to put you in a steady rhythm of maternity ward visits.

The less you want them the more fertile you get or so it seems.

[Mark17]

Oh get off your high catholic horse, and take your catholic hypocrisy with you. I am not real interested in what you think. I was being sarcastic. I should have made that more plain. My parents were not good Catholics. They engaged in many activities that I don’t, as an ex catholic. They NEVER had any assurance of salvation. I SURELY do. Note my tagline.
Bh the way, I was able to lead two of my sisters out of the Catholic Church, plus two sisters in law. It was a beautiful thing. I continue to try and lead Catholics out of their church.

AMPU, E1, imardmd1, I got this text from my son today.

Landings went well today. Touched down 4 out of 5 approaches, including full stop. I should be ready to solo by Monday. Airsickness appears to be under control.

I told him when he was 8 years old, that I figured he would be an Air Force pilot. There ain’t gonna be no humping around mortar base plates. 😁👍☝️🤗🤣😂😀🇺🇸

[Mark17]

From what I saw of it all it did was to put you in a steady rhythm of maternity ward visits.

That’s about it. It doesn’t work.