Have Christians being too tolerant of contraceptives?

[Not David]

I feel that this applies manly to Protestants since neither Catholics nor Orthodox have high views of it. Isn't Birth Control a sin?

 

[.Mikha'el.]

What would your argument for that be?

 

[dreadnought]

I feel that this applies manly to Protestants since neither Catholics nor Orthodox have high views of it. Isn't Birth Control a sin?

In most cases I would consider abortion a sin. I've heard Catholics are okay with rhythm.

 

[Hank77]

I feel that this applies manly to Protestants since neither Catholics nor Orthodox have high views of it. Isn't Birth Control a sin?

The RCC allows birth control in the form of NFP. So they're not against birth control, just against having sexual relations during that time period of about 8-12 days.

 

[concretecamper]

A pro-contraceptive mentality and actions that support this view are sinful.

 

[SeventyOne]

Isn't Birth Control a sin?

Is there a reason to think of it as a sin? I suppose it depends on the type. Those which allow fertilization, such as an IUD, and then forces it to be rejected by the body, is probably nothing short of a form of murder, which would definitely be a sin. But if there's no fertilization, then it's just sex and sex within God-allowed marriage isn't sin.

 

[Basil the Great]

Considering the population growth that the world has, even with the use of ABC, I think the answer to your question is "no". If ABC had not been developed and accepted by most Christians in the Industrialized World, we would have somewhere between 1-2 billion more people born on Earth since the mid-1960's. What would this have meant for the planet's global warming, lack of food and drinking water, etc?

 

[TuxAme]

I've heard Catholics are okay with rhythm.

NFP? Sure, but if you get pregnant, you need to have the child.

 

[dreadnought]

NFP? Sure, but if you get pregnant, you need to have the child.

I would think so.

 

[Go Braves]

Most families I know use some form of birth control on account of how it's just not feasible to have 8 kids or more nowadays. I'd rather unmarried folks having sex use birth control than risk getting pregnant, having an abortion.

 

[FireDragon76]

No. The Catholic Church's views on contraception are based on arbitrary pronouncements about natural law. The Lutheran approach is personal moral agency and responsibility, not legalism.

 

[Greg J.]

Paul wrote that having sex to relieve sexual desire/frustration is a good idea (1 Corinthians 7:2-6). Presumably he did not assume people felt sexual need only when it the decision had been made to procreate. As a result I don't consider it a possibility that God only permits sex when procreation is the intent. Additionally, sex for good-will/kindness (v. 3 εύνοιαν) is consistent with the kind of love and relationship God wants a married couple to have as revealed in the rest of Scripture.

The command to be fruitful and multiply does not mean that all married couples are called by God to have as many children as they can until the wife can physically no longer have children.

As a result I consider birth control just like any other technology. They are gifts from God to be used wisely—just like technology for medical care. All forms of birth control are acceptable in my mind as long as they don't harm the parents or harm the first cell (or more) with human DNA.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (Colossians 1:16, 1984 NIV)

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (1 Timothy 4:4, 1984 NIV)

 

[AnnaDeborah]

I don't see anything wrong with birth control that prevents conception.

In my experience, too many Christians have been judgemental about birth control without really thinking it through.

And some forms of birth control are used for purposes other than preventing pregnancy. I know of one woman who had a Christian pharmacist refuse to issue her with the pill because she was single. And I've sat through a sermon about how any so-called Christian single female who took the pill was living an immoral lifestyle because that would be your only reason for taking it. I was devastated, as at the time, I was taking the pill to control extreme hormone fluctuations, which left untreated resulted in cramps that were as severe as labour pains - the attitude of many Christians left me feeling 'dirty' for taking it, even though I simply could not function without it (and was a virgin anyway, so hardly the immoral sex-maniac of their beliefs!)

 

[Not David]

I don't see anything wrong with birth control that prevents conception.

In my experience, too many Christians have been judgemental about birth control without really thinking it through.

And some forms of birth control are used for purposes other than preventing pregnancy. I know of one woman who had a Christian pharmacist refuse to issue her with the pill because she was single. And I've sat through a sermon about how any so-called Christian single female who took the pill was living an immoral lifestyle because that would be your only reason for taking it. I was devastated, as at the time, I was taking the pill to control extreme hormone fluctuations, which left untreated resulted in cramps that were as severe as labour pains - the attitude of many Christians left me feeling 'dirty' for taking it, even though I simply could not function without it (and was a virgin anyway, so hardly the immoral sex-maniac of their beliefs!)

That's unfortunately because birth control isn't used here to promote sexual immorality

 

[Phil 1:21]

I don't see anything wrong with birth control that prevents conception.

Very much agreed. Merely saying something is a sin doesn't make it so.