What Does Bible Say About Birth Control
Ask a Question!NewsletterQuestion:birth control
Answer: Birth control, as well as guidelines concerning intercourse within marriage, can be found within the pages of the Bible. Scripture states that a husband and wife can decide to refrain from such intimacy for Christian purposes such as spiritual needs. They can also decide, out of love, to enjoy intimacy but not have it lead to the production of children. They are allowed to enjoy it for its own sake.
The Apostle Paul said a husband and wife can refrain from intercourse by mutual consent, certainly a form of preventing birth, so they can fast or pray . However, each mate must not defraud each other to fulfill their needs.
If both love each other, they will try to keep each other content in the martial relationship. Since they are Christians, they should also consider what each is able to fulfill in bed. One mate should not take advantage of the other or use abstaining under the guise of that it is being done as a form of birth control. Intercourse should not be weaponized as punishment towards a mate.
God Himself made the fertility cycle in a woman where she can only become pregnant when she ovulates. God therefore gives us an example of the physical control of birth .
When we search the Bible, we find God makes sense and everything He says and does is out of what is good for us because He loves us. This especially includes his principles regarding birth control and the use of contraceptives.
Did God Create Sex Only For Procreation
UCG.org
God created humans as male and female and considered His whole creation very good . He planned for husbands and wives to be joined together and to become one flesh through sexual relations .
Children are a natural result of sexual intercourse between a husband and wife and are called a gift from the Lord . But the Bible does not restrict sex in marriage to be only for making babies. In fact, the Bible encourages husbands and wives to give pleasure to their mates.
Our booklet points out: The idea that sex was dirty and evil was an idea that crept into Christianity from early Catholic teachers. Their compromise with the obvious reality that sexual activity was necessary to have children resulted in their teaching that sex should only be engaged in by married couples when they wanted to have children. Yet there is no such instruction in the Bible.
Natural Law And Artificial Contraception
The meaning of “artificial contraception” in Papal condemnations is not quite what it seems, and does not just refer to the method of birth control.
The basic idea is that everything in the universe has been created by God with a particular end in mind. Human beings follow natural law when their actions are in line with this ‘natural’ end.
God is said to have created sexual intercourse for two purposes both of which must be fulfilled if the act is to achieve God’s intention:
- Procreation: When a man and a woman have sexual intercourse the natural end – the end God had in mind – is that a child is conceived if the timing is right.
- Uniting: When a man and a woman have sexual intercourse they unify themselves as one flesh
If a couple have sex with artificial birth control they do two wrong things:
- they artificially prevent the sexual act achieving one of its natural ends
- they deliberately choose to prevent the sexual act achieving its natural end
Their action is therefore unethical and against God’s plan.
In contrast, natural family planning is not unethical or disobedient to God.
You May Like: Omer In The Bible
Biblical Menstruation Vs Science
Science tells us that a period lasts three to five days, but the bible says seven days.
Leviticus 15:19
19 And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even.
This lets us know that a women is totally clean seven days after the period and not three or five. So as believers we should choose the Most Highs commands over science.
Church And Condom Controversy
The role of the church in the prevention and control of HIV and AIDS in Africa has been fraught with controversy, especially in regard to condom use . Bernadette Mukonyora suggests that churches, instead of advocating for the preservation of human life and exercising love for mankind, are slowly but surely becoming public enemies by discouraging the use of condom. Mukonyora argues that The Zimbabwean youth of today are growing up in a world where they are exposed to sex, violence, nudity, and vulgar language at a tender age. Youths lose their virginity at a very young age that Gone are the days when only one discourse ruled the day and dictated how people should live their lives, what they should believe and who they should love and that The Church should not confuse issues. Condom use is purely a public health issue and not a spiritual issue. Mukonyora also quotes Lois Lunga of SAfAIDS, By calling against condom use, the churches are encroaching in a domain that is not theirsout of curiosity why havent the churches spoken against treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
You May Like: Is The Bible Infallible And Inerrant
What Does The Bible Say About Times Changing
Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons he removes kings and sets up kings he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding’ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.Jun 9, 2020.
Catholic Arguments Against Contraception In Detail
A lot of Roman Catholic moral reasoning is based on the idea of natural law – not just sexual ethics.
Natural law is a way of describing the basic moral code that comes to mind when human beings think seriously about ethical issues. To Catholics, natural law amounts to the way God wants the universe to work.
Don’t get confused and think there is a direct connection between ‘natural law’ and ‘natural family planning’ or between ‘natural law’ and ‘unnatural sexual practices’. Natural law is a technical theological and philosophical doctrine.
Pope Pius XI objected to contraception as breaking natural law:
No reason, however grave, may be put forward by which anything which is intrinsically against nature may become comformable with nature and morally good.
Since, therefore, the conjugal act is designed primarily by nature for the begetting of children, those who in exercising it deliberately frustrate its natural power and purposely sin against nature and commit a deed which is shameful and intrinsically vicious.
Pope Pius XI, Casti Connubii
Paul VI also used the natural law argument, emphasising the:
inseparable connection, established by God, which man on his own initiative may not break, between the unitive significance and the procreative significance which are both inherent to the marriage act.
Pope Paul VI
You May Like: What The Bible Says About Loneliness
The Bible And Contraception
Two parts of the Bible are often quoted to show God’s disapproval of birth control:
- First, God commanded his people to “Be fruitful and multiply,” and contraception is seen as specifically flouting this instruction.
- Second, Onan was killed by God for “spilling his seed,” which is often taken as divine condemnation of coitus interruptus.
The first of these examples is normally rebutted by demonstrating that contraception has not prevented human beings from being fruitful and multiplying.
There are at least two interpretations of the second example:
- God may have been angry with Onan for having sex for a purpose other than having children
- this interpretation supports the idea that contraception is morally wrong
- it also supports the idea that there is only one kind of morally good sexual act: sex between a man and a woman who are married and who are having sex to produce children
What Is The Meaning Of Matthew 6 13
Many in interpreting say, Suffer us not to be led into temptation, as being what is implied in the word lead. For God does not of Himself lead a man, but suffer him to be led from whom He has withdrawn His aid. For we are then led into temptation when such temptations befal us as we are not able to resist.
Don’t Miss: Historical Order Of The Bible
Condoms And Prevention Of Sexual Disease
In a normal God-seeking world, we would not need to use condoms at all. But we are sinners living in a sinful world.
First, sexual disease only occurs when ones spouse has been involved in sexual immorality .
Sexual disease is passed on through a couples intimate times. By remaining pure for ones future spouse before marriage, sexual disease does not enter the picture, except through some abnormal circumstances. Scientists have created a vaccine to give to girls in case they have sex before marriage. This is foolish and breeds undue confidence in something they should not do. Gardasil, however, does not prevent many sexual diseases.
Second, even if one partner has a sexual disease, how does the other not already have it?
I did counsel one couple who were to get married, one having a serious sexual disease. I counseled them that they were to openly talk about this and only then, with a doctor, make an informed decision on whether to proceed with the marriage. If they got married, one could die from the others disease. There are medications to mitigate the bothersome symptoms but to be free from them through faithfulness is far superior! Some, who have sinned in the past, might choose to show ones love by not getting married due to the dangers of certain sexually transmitted diseases.
We need to openly teach standards of sexual purity so that our young people are not plagued with these issues. Christian marriages should have the brilliant blessing of the Lord!
Can Catholic Marry A Non Catholic
Catholic Christians are permitted to marry non-Catholic Christians if they receive a dispensation to do so from a competent authority who is usually the Catholic Christian partys local ordinary if the proper conditions are fulfilled, such a marriage entered into is seen as valid and also, since it is a marriage
You May Like: What Does The Bible Say About Sexuality Before Marriage
Can Mormons Use Birth Control
Contraception and birth control
Birth control is not banned by the Church. However, as having children is essential for the spirit children of God to come to earth, Mormon couples are encouraged to have children. Since Mormons do not approve of sex outside marriage other birth control issues do not arise.
History Of Christian Attitudes
For most of the last 2000 years all Christian churches have been against artificial birth control.
In the first centuries of Christianity, contraception were regarded as wrong because they were associated with paganism or with heretics such as the Gnostics, the Manichees and, in the middle ages, the Cathars.
Protestant attitudes to birth control began to change in the 19th century as theologians became more willing to accept that morality should come from the conscience of each individual rather than from outside teachings.
Another influence was the churches’ changing attitude to sex.
Instead of seeing sex as something rather dangerous, many Christians began to regard sex as one of God’s great gifts. Sex was a force that could preserve the institution of marriage if couples didn’t feel threatened by the possibility of having children they could not support.
Influenced by this, the Protestant churches concluded that as the use of birth control often led to stronger families and better marriages, churches should let believers use birth control as their own consciences dictated.
This change came slowly – as late as 1908 the Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church stated that birth control “cannot be spoken of without repugnance,” and denounced it as “demoralising to character and hostile to national welfare.”
Nowadays most Protestant denominations permit artificial birth control to some extent.
Also Check: Teaching Bible To Preschoolers
Baptism The Commandments Of God Not Those Of Men Contraceptives May Be Used But Do Mind If You Use Them In Fornication Why Do You Inquire
What does the Bible say about the morning-after pill?The ovarian follicle develops and begins emitting the hormone Oestrogen . Just before ovulation, the ovaries also secrete progesterone, this for about two weeks.
The hypothalamus and pituitary gland sense the level of Oestrogen rising in the blood. When the level is high enough, the pituitary gland releases luteinizing hormone . This hormone tells the follicle to release the egg into the fallopian tube. Sperm can fertilize this newly released egg during a 24-hour window.
If sperm fertilizes the egg during that 24-hour window, and if conditions are right, the fertilized egg implants itself into the thickened uterine lining and the woman is pregnant. If the egg goes unfertilized or if something prevents implantation, the woman does not become pregnant.
Why Is This So Bad
Because the Church believes that a human being can “only find himself by making a sincere gift of himself” , and a couple using artificial contraception are not giving each other the sincere gift of themselves.
To Catholic theologians there is a clear analogy with Christ’s giving his life on the Cross to save humanity, which is regarded as the ultimate and full gift. As Christ held nothing back, nor should a married couple hold anything back.
Also Check: List Of Fear Not Verses In The Bible
Christians Should Not Use Contraceptives For Pleasure Because Children Are God Given
That the Bible says that children are a gift from the Lord. If for whatever reason a single Christian or a couple gets pregnant, we should never view that child as a mistake, burden or an inconvenience.
The Bible says that the man whose quiver is filled with children will be blessed and children should always be welcomed in Christianity as long as you can take care of them.
You may only use contraceptives if you have to enjoy the benefits of marriage in bed as a couple but you dont want to have children.
This is because a couple has to engage in all ways but our modern society dictates that we should be reasonable.
It is okay for married Christians couples to use condoms and contraceptives when advised by a doctor to do so.
Youths, on the other hand, are not allowed to use them when just having fun and avoiding responsibilities.
The Church And Sexual Behavior
The Church often suggests that it is committed to: i) providing education that teaches prevention of HIV ii) fighting against the circulation, sale, and use of drugs iii) supporting sex education teaching that human sexuality belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman iv) promoting the biblical concept that sexuality intimacy excludes promiscuous and all other sexual relationships that may increase exposure to HIV.
Recommended Reading: The Bible Books In Chronological Order
Can Married Christian Couples Use Birth Control To Regulate Birth Rate
On the other side of this coin, the Bible also says that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever.
The above statement gives you a reason why it is okay for married Christians to use birth controls and contraceptives.
Just because the Bible says that we should be fruitful and multiply does not mean that we are commanded to have twenty children that we cannot feed.
I believe that every couple should pray and agree as to whether they are in the right position to adequately support and care for children.
Some couples may want to prolong having children while other couples may be on the mission field to have as many children as they can.
We all have to accept that times have changed and anyone that believes that the general use of contraceptives is a sin in marriage is just ignorant.
It is best to leave this decision up to the discernment of the couple. Finally, I would say to make sure that you and your spouse have a clear conscience as to which forms of birth control that youre going to use.
The Bible says that to him who knows to do good and does not do it to him it is sin.
The only way that you can have a clear conscience on this issue is to, first of all, come to a firm clear conclusion as to where you believe that life truly begins.
Then second of all, I want to strongly urge you to research carefully what types of birth control are considered abortive and what other types will uphold the sanctity of life.
Bible Teachings And Bible Principles
When the Bible is silent on a particular issue, we must instead seek out biblical principles that will help inform our decisions. Allen mentions this because there is no clear-cut teaching on contraception or surgical sterilization in scripture. Instead, he provides us five guidelines to help us navigate this topic.
Read Also: Why Are We Born Sinners
Birth Control And The Unity Of The Couple
Sexual intercourse using contraception is said not to satisfy the uniting purpose of sex. The physical or chemical barrier of contraception is said to create a spiritual barrier between the partners.
This sounds odd and needs a step-by-step explanation:
- The unifying function of sexual intercourse depends on each partner giving themselves completely to the other
- Two people who intend to prevent the conception of a child are holding back part of the gift contained in the sexual act
- either they give everything except their fertility, or they only accept the other if their fertility has been prevented