Your view on birth control?

BT · Apr 26, 2005

What kind/type do you use? I would be interested in doing some research of my own on pills that are not abortifacient (if they do truly exist). The understanding that I got (albeit slight) was that they all work in essentially the same manner. I would be interested in how a pill sets up a shield of sorts...

pegatha · Apr 26, 2005

"Progestin thickens the cervical mucus, hindering the movement of sperm." --Partial quote from a website on the topic. I'm not sure whether posting the link to the site itself violates any CF rules, so I recommend just Googling the phrase, "How do birth control pills work", in quotes, if you want to do some research on the topic.

Shane Roach · Apr 26, 2005

St.Augustine said:
There is no such thing as a "Calvinist church" and there is no official Calvinist position on birth control. Sorry if that does not answer your question but there is no real answer.

Actually it answers me quite well, and thanks!

Shane Roach · Apr 26, 2005

AliceSOBEstudent said:
I believe that all hormonal methods have the possibility of destroying a fertilized (but not implanted) egg. I believe that after conception you have baby w/ a soul, and therefore these methods can sometimes be causing abortion.

I do not believe in Natural Methods, unless they are used in conjunction with barrier methods during fertile periods- for we are not to deny our spouse.

I understand the idea behind forgoing all methods and accept what comes, and that we should trust in God's provision, but I know my husband I feel strongly about adopting children. Although for sentimental reasons I would like to conceive once, I would rather adopt as many children as I can then be giving birth to all the children I will have. For although God Will Provide, there is still an issue of having the time/energy to properly raise each child up in the faith, attend to devotions, etc. I don't think there is an infinite number of children mean to be in my life. And if I'm meant to have six children, why would they need to all be my own. Basically I don't believe that my BC practices children God brings into my life . Also with not using hormonal methods, there is fair room for error, and if it's God's will for me to carry more children He will see it done.

Not witholding ones self in using the rhthm method is something I had never thought of before... Interesting.

It is a serious matter you bring up between resources and child rearing. Especially in our day, it seems it is easy to get overextended. Strange, because unless the entire nation was strapped, it seems to me in the not to recent past, people would find a way as far as children were concerned. I think perhaps nowadays people have too high a hurdle set for monetary security though, and don't realize that life can be such a blessing if one is surrounded by love, even if not financially secure, and also can be miserable even when one is financially secure.

I say all that, but yet a big reason I have never been married is I have such a hard time feeling secure enough financially sto start a family. I know I would be devestated if I had a family then lost my job sudenly, for example.

So... Just some thoughts. Nothing reallu doctrinal in my post at all, as far as I know.

Shane Roach · Apr 26, 2005

pegatha said:
I voted that any method short of abortion is acceptable, because I honestly can't see anything in Scripture that would require me to think otherwise. Yes, children are a blessing. But it's also a blessing to have the means of ensuring that you only have as many children as you have the energy and money to do right by. (And by "money," I don't mean raising the children in a materialistic way; I mean not having to struggle to provide the basics.) I'm not against big families. I just don't see anything in the Bible that I can reasonably interpret as a general prohibition on birth control.

THe closest thing I can reaonably interpret as a general prohibition would be the idea that "women are saved in child birth." I actually even believe in abortion in cases of the mother's health being directly threatened though, and there are circumstances and then circumstances as far as birth control are concerned. I guess it just bothers me that all over the world, people are having children they cannot take care of, and yet here where there is plenty and peace, the trend seems to have fewer children. How is proper society supposed to spread if all children are being raised in cultures where obviously values have not been prioritized? The value for not having them seems usually to be something about money too... How much is enough, I don't know.

I say all this, and yet I have never even been married, in large part due to concerns about financial stability. I have family problems though, and other things that make me feel the way I do about being so carefull about if or when I might marry, and under what circumstances.

AliceSOBEstudent · Apr 26, 2005

pegatha said:
"Progestin thickens the cervical mucus, hindering the movement of sperm." --Partial quote from a website on the topic. I'm not sure whether posting the link to the site itself violates any CF rules, so I recommend just Googling the phrase, "How do birth control pills work", in quotes, if you want to do some research on the topic.

Here is the next line from that same website....
"Progestin also prevents the uterus's lining from developing normally; so, if an egg were fertilized, implantation is unlikely."

In addition, most pills are combined with estrogen which works to prevent an egg being released.
So there are three different protections here. But if the first two fail- an egg is released and the sperm somehow get through the cervical lining and fertilize the egg...then there is the possibility that the pills third method (preventing implantation) would occur. To those who believe that life begins at the moment of fertilization/conception, this means that BC pills (and other hormonal methods) have the possibilty of ending a life.

pegatha · Apr 27, 2005

AliceSOBEstudent said:
Here is the next line from that same website.... "Progestin also prevents the uterus's lining from developing normally; so, if an egg were fertilized, implantation is unlikely."

Yes, it does say that. But given that the other contraceptive effects kick in first, the risk that an egg would actually be fertilized seems so low that I personally wouldn't consider it a valid possibility. But if that still seemed too high a risk, the b/c pills could easily be used along with either condoms or spermicidal foam or pessaries. The latter methods all have higher failure rates on their own, but combined with the pill, they'd make conception all but impossible.

FaithAlone · Apr 27, 2005

There are SOME brands of birth control that act as abortifacients - but not all. When I got married, I asked my doctor specifically for a pill that would not potentially cause an abortion. The pill she gave me, as she explained to me (and I confirmed in the extensive research I did before I went to the doctor for a prescription), acts much in the same way as a condom: it creates a 'shield' of sorts that blocks the sperm from uniting with the egg.

From all of the research I've done there are no hormonal methods of birht control that don't have some chnace of being an abortifacient. I know that the chances are slim but it's still a chance. Also we really don't know how slim the chances are. It may happen pretty frequently since there's no way of knowing if the newly conceived child is aborted. If there were 1,000 people that you knew in a room and you had a gun with one bullet and were told to randomly kill someone, would you? I feel like barrier methods and the Fertility Awareness Method is the only acceptable thing for me.

kidsminister · Apr 27, 2005

BT said:
What kind/type do you use? I would be interested in doing some research of my own on pills that are not abortifacient (if they do truly exist). The understanding that I got (albeit slight) was that they all work in essentially the same manner. I would be interested in how a pill sets up a shield of sorts...

I actually stopped using birth control pills...not because I thought they were wrong, but because they just made me really lethargic and depressed. I was taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen and then Nordette (when my new insurance co. wouldn't pay for the first, my doctor said the second was almost the same!).

Ave Maria · Apr 27, 2005

kidsminister said:
I actually stopped using birth control pills...not because I thought they were wrong, but because they just made me really lethargic and depressed. I was taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen and then Nordette (when my new insurance co. wouldn't pay for the first, my doctor said the second was almost the same!).

I was on Depo and it made me gain a lot of weight plus it really worsened my already existing depression. I have since gone off of that. I also tried the birth control pill. Needless to say, it wasn't much help either. Regardless, I have gone off of all hormonal contraceptives because of the possibility of them being abortifacient. Personally, I don't care how small the possibility is, I don't want to risk killing a future child. And of course, I am now celibate and waiting for marriage. I also agree with the Catholic stance on all other birth control such as condoms, spermicides, and other barrier methods.

kidsminister · Apr 28, 2005

I don't really believe this is true, because my husband and I have been using Natural Family Planning for almost three years (since we decided that the pill had too many emotional side effects for me!) and have no kids, but here's a joke I heard once:

"What do you call couples who use Natural Family Planning?

Answer: Parents."

Ave Maria · Apr 28, 2005

kidsminister said:
I don't really believe this is true, because my husband and I have been using Natural Family Planning for almost three years (since we decided that the pill had too many emotional side effects for me!) and have no kids, but here's a joke I heard once:

"What do you call couples who use Natural Family Planning?

Answer: Parents."

Actually, in answer to the joke, Natural Family Planning is very effective. I think I read once that it is something like 99% effective.

kidsminister · Apr 28, 2005

Holly3278 said:
Actually, in answer to the joke, Natural Family Planning is very effective. I think I read once that it is something like 99% effective.

Yup! Like I said, three years and I still haven't had kids! The only drawback is the horrible monthly cramps (sorry it it's TMI, guys!). The pill was great for alleviating those!!

Ave Maria · Apr 28, 2005

kidsminister said:
Yup! Like I said, three years and I still haven't had kids! The only drawback is the horrible monthly cramps (sorry it it's TMI, guys!). The pill was great for alleviating those!!

Hmmm, have you tried Midol or something like that? Also, according to my Home Remedies book here is some other tips:

Take a daily vitamin.
Cut down on the caffeine.
Abstain from alcohol.
Take a mineral bath.
Moderate exercise.
Don't abstain from your husband!

kidsminister · Apr 28, 2005

Holly3278 said:
Hmmm, have you tried Midol or something like that? Also, according to my Home Remedies book here is some other tips:

Take a daily vitamin.

Cut down on the caffeine.

Abstain from alcohol.

Take a mineral bath.

Moderate exercise.

Don't abstain from your husband!

Alas...sometimes Midol or other pain relievers just don't cut it . Aleve and Tylenol Arthritis (650 mg of relief per tablet!!) at least make it tolerable.

I do most of the items on the list on a regular basis (other than taking a daily vitamin, much to my mom's chagrin!)...my husband and I DO choose mutually to abstain for those five days a month, because quite frankly, I am not up to it...and he is not really thrilled at the prospect during that time, either...

I just sometimes miss the good old days, when I took the pill and didn't even have to worry about pain relief - it was a nonissue, because there was no pain (and it only lasted 3 days!).

Incidentally, endometriosis and other causes of painful cramps is another reason why some doctors prescribe birth control pills. What do you all think about people taking it for NON-birth-control purposes? I know several women who have had them prescribed for those reasons (many of them unmarried and not sexually active!).

Sketcher · Apr 28, 2005

Shane Roach said:
I guess it just bothers me that all over the world, people are having children they cannot take care of, and yet here where there is plenty and peace, the trend seems to have fewer children. How is proper society supposed to spread if all children are being raised in cultures where obviously values have not been prioritized? The value for not having them seems usually to be something about money too... How much is enough, I don't know.

Michael Savage would agree with you there.

AliceSOBEstudent · Apr 28, 2005

Personally, I see absolutely no problem (morally) with taking hormonal BC if one is not sexually active.
I would definitely do everything else possible to avoid taking any hormones if I was sexually active.If felt that I absolutly needed to take these for serious medical reasons (dangerously heavy bleeding, debilitating pain from cramps)and was sexually active I would use multiple barrier measures (like condem plus diaphragm) to make the chances of an egg possibly getting fertilized as miniscule as possible. (But wearing two condoms at once, double layered, is NOT a good idea)

Blessed be His Name · Apr 28, 2005

BC is the unbloody form of abortion.

Sketcher · Apr 28, 2005

I fail to see how you can murder someone who doesn't exist yet. Besides, God can easily work around a condom if He wants a child badly enough (not that it's my preference to use them). No latex sleeve can stand between Him and His purposes.

Shane Roach · Apr 28, 2005

twistedsketch said:
Michael Savage would agree with you there.

I wish I had some idea who that was...

Your view on birth control?

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