Is it a sin to use contraception?

[BreadOfLife]

Most Protestants would in one way or another agree with what you say, mainly.
In any case, it would be very out of place for a local church to try to enforce something supposedly called "policy" about condom use among married couples; using them or not is a personal matter for the couple to take responsibility for, not the local church.

Wrong.

ALL sin affects the entire Body - not just the individual. When one member suffers - ALL members suffer - and when one member is honored, ALL rejoice (1 Cor. 12:26). Just as abortion is not just the "couple's business" - neither is any other moral issue like contraception.

Sin among its members is ALWAYS the Church's business to some extent (Matt. 16:18-19, Matt. 18:15-18, John 20:21-23).

 

[Sabertooth]

Now you've let Pandora out of the box.

Mousetrap Fission

If a normally fertile couple have sex frequently without contraception (so woman is ovulating and nothing prevents sperm from meeting egg), their "chance" of the woman conceiving each month (i.e. embryo getting as far as implantation, which occurs just before missed period) is 1 in 3.

So what happens the other 2 out of 3 times? We don't know for certain, but we do know that embryos created through IVF very often fail to implant when placed in the womb. So it's not unreasonable to suspect that an awful lot of normally fertilised ova (one estimate is 50%) fail to implant for one reason or another.

Among Pro-Lifers, miscarriage is not considered abortion, but deliberate miscarriage is.

 

[farouk]

Mousetrap Fission

Among Pro-Lifers, miscarriage is not considered abortion, but deliberate miscarriage is.

Can it even really be called abortion when it is unknown whether the wife is pregnant or not? even if the contraceptive use is in that sense deliberate?

 

[Sabertooth]

Can it even really be called abortion when it is unknown whether the wife is pregnant or not?

An IUD miscarriage is not unknown, it is intended.

...even if the contraceptive use is in that sense deliberate?

Condoms do not cause miscarriages.
IUDs intentionally do.
Hormonal BC can.

 

[farouk]

An IUD miscarriage is not unknown, it is intended.

Condoms do not cause miscarriages.
IUDs intentionally do.
Hormonal BC can.

So you would also even call hormonal contraception abortion?

 

[Stan B]

As to the bible being "specific" about when life enters a person - you foolishly quote Gen. 2:7 as "proof". This was the case for ADAM - and nobody else. Adam was the only person who was made of clay. The rest of us came from the SEED of Adam.

Well thank you for explaining that to me. I confess I was lead astray by reading Scripture, which says that God was still making people from clay in Job's time:

“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the clay."
“The Spirit of God has made me,
"the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Job 33

"Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils" Job 27

And this again confirmed by Solomon (He wrote Ecclesiastes)
"Man's body returns to the dust from whence it came; And the spirit returns to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:7

What am I missing here??

>>It's really unbelievable that a person your age can be as Scripturally-bankrupt as you are . .

Yes! I confess! According to your religion, I am probably ignorant for following Scripture instead of some human replacement for God. So be merciful to me in my ignorance, because unlike you, I rely solely upon Scripture, which is the primary difference between you and I: I have read the Bible, while you very obviously haven't. I am sure God has a very special place prepared for you.

 

[Sabertooth]

So you would also even call hormonal contraception abortion?

1. HBC normally suspends ovulation by simulating pregnancy.
2. If ovulation (and subsequent fertilization) takes place, anyway, the uterus is hostile to implantation (just like an IUD).

Most people only know about #1.
Pro-Lifers who know about #2 will not use it on that basis.

(I have only stated the typical pro-Life view, not the QF view.)
⚤ ♀♀♂♂♂♂♂♂♀♀♂♂⎛♀⎞♂♀♂♂♂

 

[farouk]

1. HBC normally suspends ovulation by simulating pregnancy.
2. If ovulation (and subsequent fertilization) takes place, anyway, the uterus is hostile to implantation (just like an IUD).

Most people only know about #1.
Pro-Lifers who know about #2 will not use it on that basis.

(I have only stated the typical pro-Life view, not the QF view.)
⚤ ♀♀♂♂♂♂♂♂♀♀♂♂⎛♀⎞♂♀♂♂♂

Thanks for the response.

Many women with cycle issue use hormonal meds in order to regulate their periods. This is very widespread, and it will affect women of all varieties of beliefs, of course. A side effect of hormonal meds regulating the periods may be that it also act as bc, even if it's primarily used to regulate issues with periods.

So are you saying that even if women with period issues - which are widespread and if untreated can bring suffering - use hormonal meds to regulate their periods, it supposedly counts as abortion?

 

[Sabertooth]

So are you saying that even if women with period issues - which are widespread and if untreated can bring suffering - use hormonal meds to regulate their periods, it supposedly counts as abortion?

No, it is a possible side effect. Those who use it outside of such treatment need to factor that into their decision.

I am not laying down a law. I am reporting a typical Pro-Life response, given the additional information.
Quiverfull
FYI, QF women will even use such treatments if they are medically necessary, but don't want to do so longer than they must.

 

[farouk]

No, it is a possible side effect. Those who use it outside of such treatment need to factor that into their decision.

I am not laying down a law. I am reporting a typical Pro-Life response, given the additional information.

FYI, QF women will even use such treatments if they are medically necessary, but don't want to do so longer than they must.

Thanks for your clarifying response; appreciated.

 

[Paul Christensen]

No! Abortion is not murder of babies. Abortion is merely discarding miscellaneous unformed fetal tissue, which having never been a living being, of course cannot be murdered.

In God's view, which is quite different from sinful man's view, an embryo becomes a person in God's image from conception. For sinful man it might be "merely discarding miscellaneous unformed fetal tissue" but for God is is murder of one in His own image.

But it is different when there has been a spontaneous abortion, which can happen for a variety of reasons, and a curette may be required to remove any remaining tissue in the womb.

 

[farouk]

it is different when there has been a spontaneous abortion, which can happen for a variety of reasons, and a curette may be required to remove any remaining tissue in the womb.

Hi @Paul Christensen Do you find hormonal meds for period and tissue issues problematic? even if their use also has a secondary bc effect?

 

[Paul Christensen]

So it's ok to do if the Bible doesn't say its a sin. The Bible also doesn't say it's not a sin either.
I can think of some heinous actions that scripture doesn't cover. Is it ok to do these acts then?

It is important not to read into Scripture things that are not there. Also, it would be good to know what these heinous acts not mentioned in Scripture actually are.

Contraception would not have been practiced among the Jews because it was a sign of blessing from God if a married couple had plenty of children.

Contraception by unmarried couples fornicating would involve sin, but not the contraception, but the fornication.

 

[farouk]

Before this thread goes on further, please be careful of the way you reply, don't go into much detail.

This is one of the rules

[*]No vulgar/obscene language or images. We are mostly adults here, but younger audiences frequent this forum as well. Please refrain from using offensive language in light of this. This is, by far not, just limited to swearing, and includes graphic language or content of sexual nature.

@Josho I hope the discussion is, in your view, coming along okay for now?

 

[Paul Christensen]

Hi @Paul Christensen Do you find hormonal meds for period and tissue issues problematic? even if their use also has a secondary bc effect?

Accidents can happen through taking certain meds during pregnancy. Usually, when meds are prescribed, there are warnings about taking them during pregnancy. It would be irresponsible for a doctor to prescribe meds to a pregnant woman if those meds were going to harm the unborn baby.

 

[farouk]

Accidents can happen through taking certain meds during pregnancy. Usually, when meds are prescribed, there are warnings about taking them during pregnancy. It would be irresponsible for a doctor to prescribe meds to a pregnant woman if those meds were going to harm the unborn baby.

The point is that the hormonal meds that regulate periods can have a bc effect, which while some ppl find problematic, they are maybe inevitable if the period disorder is going to be satisfactorily treated.

I do also think that for qualified women doctors to be available to serve female Christians and in some sense liaise with local church leaderships is an advantage at times.

(Thanks for your response.)

 

[Josho]

@Josho I hope the discussion is, in your view, coming along okay for now?

Alright I guess for a "contraception" thread, not really a fan of threads like this, but someone's gotta ask.

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My view on this topic.

The way God designed us and made us, is we were made with a reproductive system to be able to produce offspring.

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I believe contraceptives like the pill originally came in to stop women from having too many babies.

But for quite a while now contraceptives have been used by teenagers to get away with fornication without their parents knowing. Which is of course is a sin.

Whether if it's used inside marriage or not, it comes down to self control.

 

[farouk]

Alright I guess for a "contraception" thread, not really a fan of threads like this, but someone's gotta ask.

------------------------

My view on this topic.

The way God designed us and made us, is we were made with a reproductive system to be able to produce offspring.

--------------

I believe contraceptives like the pill originally came in to stop women from having too many babies.

But for quite a while now contraceptives have been used by teenagers to get away with fornication without their parents knowing. Which is of course is a sin.

Whether if it's used inside marriage or not, it comes down to self control.

@Josho Thanks! Some Christian parents of young ppl who are not believers have a dilemma about how much to talk to their sons and daughters - if they are not believers - about bc / condoms. On the one hand if they have learned by faith to walk with the Lord, then like you say one would expect them to know about self-control and the consequences of not exercising it. On the other hand, if the young ppl in question are definitely not walking with the Lord, there will be Christian parents who would wish for them to have some awareness of bc/ condoms, rather than be in complete silence about it with the looming risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

This is why it is also so important for the ways of faith and self control to be known when young. Some families, however, with the best of prayerful efforts on the part of Christian parents, are not in that situation.

 

[Sabertooth]

Some Christian parents of young ppl who are not believers have a dilemma about how much to talk to their sons and daughters - if they are not believers - about bc / condoms.

I always answered direct questions about contraception, etc., but I never offered any information to the effect of
"If you want to get away with fornication, here is what you do..."

I think the fear of possible bad consequences is a good thing.

 

[farouk]

@Nancy Did you see this thread?