Is this "development" or "change" in doctrine?

You know, Jesus was often asked questions by those who thought the answers were always black-and-white. One that comes to mind had to do with whether it was ever right to do any work on the Sabbath. Once again, Jesus was being criticized/condemned for healing a sick person - supposedly breaking Sabbath law. On one of these occasions, He pointed out that his critics always untied their own animals on the Sabbath to take them to water; on another he mentioned that they thought it was ok to pull an animal (ox) out of a ditch on the Sabbath.

You want to know something about economia (sp?)? You'll find it in the Bible. Rahab told a lie (gasp!) in order to protect the Hebrew spies. How did God punish her for lying? Let's see... her life was spared, and she made the Faith Hall of Fame in the epistle to the Hebrews. Does that mean that God sanctioned lying as a habit from then on? Absolutely not.

Why would the Church need the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth if all we had to do was follow the letter of the law? The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

nyj said:

And that is where things break down. Doing evil can never be seen as doing good. If birth control is wrong, it is wrong. God is not a subjective God. From my vantage point, things are quite clear. Orthodoxy has no unified stance on birth control. If it's basically up to the laity, praying over it with their priest, then there is no stance within Orthodoxy that birth control is wrong... well, there is a stance, but it appears to be "If you can rationalize it, we'll allow it."

Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla, pray for us.

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So, let's substitute "abortion" for "birth control." Here's a real-life situation (happened to an acquaintance of my husband) - you tell me what God would decree!

Your teenage daughter has a seizure disorder and takes medication to keep it from killing her. She has been told to never get pregnant. She foolishly takes the risk anyway and ends up preggers. She will die if she tries to carry the baby to term, and the baby will die pre-term anyway from absorbing her meds.

Now you choose - two lives or one.

Life is messy in this fallen world, isn't it?

nyj said:

Also, found this:

OCA Q&A - Birth Control

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The control of the conception of a child by any means is also condemned by the Church if it means the lack of fulfillment in the family, the hatred of children, the fear of responsibility, the desire for sexual pleasure as purely fleshly, lustful satisfaction, etc. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Again, however, married people practicing birth control are not necessarily deprived of Holy Communion, if in conscience before God and with the blessing of their spiritual father, they are convinced that their motives are not entirely unworthy. Here again, however, such a couple cannot pretend to justify themselves in the light of the absolute perfection of the Kingdom of God.​

[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Bold emphasis mine. In my book, that is called "rationalizing". This appears to be the Orthodox stance.
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And you know for sure there is never any reason for a couple to choose birth control? Say, if the wife's health no longer permits pregnancy, or she's already had multiple C-sections?

About the other post - the one about using condoms to prevent HIV infection...

You tell me that, in the event one of your children does something immoral and fornicates anyway, that you want him or her to go ahead and risk HIV as well. I'm a mom; I won't believe you.

Cradle said:

I'm really curious to see what people will think of tomorow to prove we are undeveloped, immoral, divided, unclear, quarelsome, proud, stupid, rational... is there anything else I don't recall?

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This seems to be the latest fad around here lately.

locked for review