The separation of sex from procreation may be one of the most defining marks of our age–and one of the most ominous.

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. Several developments contributed to this reconsideration, but the most important of these is the abortion revolution. The early evangelical response to legalized abortion was woefully inadequate. Some of the largest evangelical denominations at first accepted at least some version of abortion on demand.

The evangelical conscience was awakened in the late 1970s, when the murderous reality of abortion could not be denied. A massive realignment of evangelical conviction was evident by the 1980 presidential election, when abortion functioned as the fuse for a political explosion. Conservative Protestants emerged as major players in the pro-life movement, standing side-by-side with Catholics in the defense of the unborn.

The reality of abortion forced a reconsideration of other issues in turn. Affirming that human life must be recognized and protected from the moment of conception, evangelicals increasingly recognized Intrauterine Devices [IUDs] as abortifacients, and rejected any birth control with any abortifacient design or result. This conviction is now casting a cloud over the Pill as well.

Thus, in an ironic turn, American evangelicals are rethinking birth control even as a majority of the nation’s Roman Catholics indicate a rejection of their Church’s teaching. How should evangelicals think about the birth control question?

First, we must start with a rejection of the contraceptive mentality that sees pregnancy and children as impositions to be avoided rather than as gifts to be received, loved, and nurtured. This contraceptive mentality is an insidious attack upon God’s glory in creation, and the Creator’s gift of procreation to the married couple.

Second, we must affirm that God gave us the gift of sex for several specific purposes, and one of those purposes is procreation. Marriage represents a perfect network of divine gifts, including sexual pleasure, emotional bonding, mutual support, procreation, and parenthood. We are not to sever these “goods” of marriage and choose only those we may desire for ourselves. Every marriage must be open to the gift of children. Even where the ability to conceive and bear children may be absent, the will to receive children must be present. To demand sexual pleasure without openness to children is to violate a sacred trust.

Third, we should look closely at the Catholic moral argument as found in Humanae Vitae. Evangelicals will find themselves in surprising agreement with much of the encyclical’s argument. As the Pope warned, widespread use of the Pill has led to “serious consequences” including marital infidelity and rampant sexual immorality. In reality, the Pill allowed a near-total abandonment of Christian sexual morality in the larger culture. Once the sex act was severed from the likelihood of childbearing, the traditional structure of sexual morality collapsed.

For most evangelicals, the major break with Catholic teaching comes at the insistence that “it is necessary that each conjugal act remain ordained in itself to the procreating of human life.” That is, that every act of marital intercourse must be fully and equally open to the gift of children. This claims too much, and places inordinate importance on individual acts of sexual intercourse, rather than the larger integrity of the conjugal bond.

The focus on “each and every act” of sexual intercourse within a faithful marriage that is open to the gift of children goes beyond the biblical demand. Since the encyclical does not reject all family planning, this focus requires the distinction between “natural” and “artificial” methods of birth control. To the evangelical mind, this is a rather strange and fabricated distinction. Looking at the Catholic position helps, but evangelicals must also think for themselves, reasoning from the Scriptures in a careful consideration.

Fourth, Christian couples are not ordered by Scripture to maximize the largest number of children that could be conceived. Given our general state of health in advanced societies, a couple who marries in their early twenties and has a healthy and regular sex life could well produce over fifteen offspring before the wife passes her early forties. Such families should be rightly honored, but this level of reproduction is certainly not mandated by the Bible.

Fifth, with all this in view, evangelical couples may, at times, choose to use contraceptives in order to plan their families and enjoy the pleasures of the marital bed. The couple must consider all these issues with care, and must be truly open to the gift of children. The moral justification for using contraceptives must be clear in the couple’s mind, and fully consistent with the couple’s Christian commitments.

Sixth, Christian couples must ensure that the methods chosen are really contraceptive in effect, and not abortifacient. Not all birth control is contraception, for some technologies and methods do not prevent the sperm from fertilizing the egg, but instead prevent the fertilized egg from successfully implanting itself in the lining of the womb. Such methods involve nothing less than an early abortion. This is true of all IUDs and some hormonal technologies. A raging debate now surrounds the question of whether at least some forms of the Pill may also work through abortifacient effect, rather than preventing ovulation. Christian couples must exercise due care in choosing a form of birth control that is unquestionably contraceptive, rather than abortifacient.

The birth control revolution has literally changed the world. Today’s couples rarely ponder the fact that the availability of effective contraceptives is a very recent phenomenon in world history. This revolution has set loose a firestorm of sexual promiscuity and much human misery. At the same time, it has also offered thoughtful and careful couples an opportunity to enjoy the joys and fulfillments of the marital act without remaining at all times equally open to pregnancy.

Therefore, Christians may make careful and discriminating use of proper technologies, but must never buy into the contraceptive mentality. We can never see children as problems to be avoided, but always as gifts to be welcomed and received.

For evangelicals, much work remains to be done. We must build and nurture a new tradition of moral theology, drawn from Holy Scripture and enriched by the theological heritage of the church. Until we do, many evangelical couples will not even know where to begin the process of thinking about birth control in a fully Christian frame. It is high time evangelicals answered this call.

http://coolpenny./2013/07/26/can-christians-use-birth-control/

Well, i didnt read ur textbook above but I say dat if christians can be doctors and are been treated by doctors, why shldnt medications be taken.

I couldn't finish reading that long epistle but the simple answer to your question is yes.
God gave us wisdom to plan our families.Abortion is a different issue however.

**Grabs a seat before the Catholics come**

Yesss oOoo, I'm waiting for the catholics....



LET THE WAR BEGIN.

Sure forget abt whether u have the means to take care of every child u bring on earth

Mynd_44: **Grabs a seat before the Catholics come**

By grabbing a seat, what are you trying to say catholics are?

OK! You can't impregnate your wife every now and then when you two have sex...
I'm sure you don't wanna reproduce what you can't raise.
So IMHO...... Yes they can!

maxwello.yg:

By grabbing a seat, what are you trying to say catholics are?

The Vatican does not believe birth control is scriptural

Mynd_44:
The Vatican does not believe birth control is scriptural

Any link to support your point?
That's btw, if it is true....it ain't cool.
But na their church, they got right to make whatever rule they want, not any of my business.

maxwello.yg:

Any link to support your point?
That's btw, if it is true....it ain't cool.
But na their church, they got right to make whatever rule they want, not any of my business.

Which is why I am waiting for them to show up

It's a no brainer....more contraception prevents unwanted pregnancy which leads to less abortion, that is the real evil. Or are they gonna tell me that semen and ovaries are now living things too?

Mynd_44:
The Vatican does not believe birth control is scriptural

christian fanatics and religious leaders of nowadays love to teach the part of the bible that supports their own personal believes and thoughts.
Birth control is not scriptural.there's no biblical backing for it.from Genesis,its to be fruitful,God didn't place a cause behind his word that after a while,u can stop having kids or should control the number of children you have through any means.
It also draws the line on the basis,that sex between a married man and woman is for procreation only,its not meant to service the pleasures of the flesh.
Intimacy for pleasures is likened to adultery.

Family planning,Birth control,preventive pregnacy through the use of condoms,spacing pills are not biblical,only mordern day science teaches the world to adapt to this protocols to avoid unforeseen disasters in the possinle future.

And it begins

Mynd_44: And it begins

I'm far from being a catholic.I can't stand their logics or principles.I'm pentecostal,I attend Living Faith,Winners.

Hezron Lorraine: I'm far from being a catholic.I can't stand their logics or principles.I'm pentecostal,I attend Living Faith,Winners.

Okay sir

Hezron Lorraine: christian fanatics and religious leaders of nowadays love to teach the part of the bible that supports their own personal believes and thoughts.
Birth control is not scriptural.there's no biblical backing for it.from Genesis,its to be fruitful,God didn't place a cause behind his word that after a while,u can stop having kids or should control the number of children you have through any means.
It also draws the line on the basis,that sex between a married man and woman is for procreation only,its not meant to service the pleasures of the flesh.
Intimacy for pleasures is likened to adultery.

Family planning,Birth control,preventive pregnacy through the use of condoms,spacing pills are not biblical,only mordern day science teaches the world to adapt to this protocols to avoid unforeseen disasters in the possinle future.

If you are not using those type of birth control, then what method are you using? Are you using the pull out method? If you are very biblical, you know that method is also not biblical neither, cos you are murdering those poor babies in the se.men

Lmao I'm so enjoying this thread.
Thank God mynd_44 told me earlier, would have un-followed.

Omo_Alata:

If you are not using those type of birth control, then what method are you using? Are you using the pull out method? If you are very biblical, you know that method is also not biblical neither, cos you are murdering those poor babies in the se.men

eeh,I'm not against birth control in any way.in a few years time,I know I'll share in a similar guilt like this.what I'm only driving at is exploring the religious context towards the issue.
I don't remember that exact passage in Genesis where God killed a man for denying a woman child by spilling the se.men on the ground after intercourse.
The new testament doesn't lay much emphasis on this type of subject matter.

Hezron Lorraine: eeh,I'm not against birth control in any way.in a few years time,I know I'll share in a similar guilt like this.what I'm only driving at is exploring the religious context towards the issue.
I don't remember that exact passage in Genesis where God killed a man for denying a woman child by spilling the se.men on the ground after intercourse.
The new testament doesn't lay much emphasis on this type of subject matter.

It is one of Isaac's sons or was it his grandson? Lemme get the verse but I doubt God killed him for spilling it, he did because he was selfish and did not want to give his brother heirs to carry on him name
Genesis 38:9...read through

Mynd_44:
It is one of Isaac's sons or was it his grandson? Lemme get the verse but I doubt God killed him for spilling it, he did because he was selfish and did not want to give his brother heirs to carry on him name
Genesis 38:9...read through

thank u.got it.

Omo_Alata:

If you are not using those type of birth control, then what method are you using? Are you using the pull out method? If you are very biblical, you know that method is also not biblical neither, cos you are murdering those poor babies in the se.men

did you just say "murdering babies in the semen" for the love of God. A fertilized egg of weeks is not even a baby yet. And you are granting human status to cells? So teen boys who have wet dreams are going to hell? Or the sperm that die in a woman's womb because they did'nt get to the egg, that woman is condemned to hell for murder.. Religion needs to clean up it's act or risk extinction. Rubbish.

Symphony007: did you just say "murdering babies in the semen" for the love of God. A fertilized egg of weeks is not even a baby yet. And you are granting human status to cells? So teen boys who have wet dreams are going to hell? Or the sperm that die in a woman's womb because they did'nt get to the egg, that woman is condemned to hell for murder.. Religion needs to clean up it's act or risk extinction. Rubbish.

I know right, it is outlandish but a lot of religious nut job have this belief system

thorpido: I couldn't finish reading that long epistle but the simple answer to your question is yes.
God gave us wisdom to plan our families.Abortion is a different issue however.

Good point.

Mynd_44: **Grabs a seat before the Catholics come**

I was going to say the same thing!

Symphony007: did you just say "murdering babies in the semen" for the love of God. A fertilized egg of weeks is not even a baby yet. And you are granting human status to cells? So teen boys who have wet dreams are going to hell? Or the sperm that die in a woman's womb because they did'nt get to the egg, that woman is condemned to hell for murder.. Religion needs to clean up it's act or risk extinction. Rubbish.

Too kind to use rubbish. I would prefer arrant nonsense. A cell is a cell, a tissue is a tissue, an organ is an organ. How can a sperm cell be a human?

Shollypopz:
I was going to say the same thing!

Beat you to it

Omo_Alata:

I know right, it is was outlandish but a lot of religious nut job have this belief system

That's because a lot of religion require us to forgo common sense and logic.

Geez i'd hate to stop having sex cos of religion

In school, I had a neighbour who was a sttrong catholic follower...we argued for days about this issue, where she insisted on her belief..mi can't sayy much but I reallyy pity the man that gets married to her....


Her words were "Sex is purely for procreation"...

Hezron Lorraine: christian fanatics and religious leaders of nowadays love to teach the part of the bible that supports their own personal believes and thoughts.
Birth control is not scriptural.there's no biblical backing for it.from Genesis,its to be fruitful,God didn't place a cause behind his word that after a while,u can stop having kids or should control the number of children you have through any means.
It also draws the line on the basis,that sex between a married man and woman is for procreation only,its not meant to service the pleasures of the flesh.
Intimacy for pleasures is likened to adultery.

Family planning,Birth control,preventive pregnacy through the use of condoms,spacing pills are not biblical,only mordern day science teaches the world to adapt to this protocols to avoid unforeseen disasters in the possinle future.

Is it biblical to turn of your stove or gas burner after cooking? Or brush ur teeth every Morning and night?........ Imagine! So people should go on breeding, and no love making. Only procreation?

xtgozie:
Is it biblical to turn of your stove or gas burner after cooking? Or brush ur teeth every Morning and night?........ Imagine! So people should go on breeding, and no love making. Only procreation?

I didn't write the scriptures.