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Randy2
Guest
Is there any evidence that the Reformers opposed contraception? Did they even comment upon it?
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Rob_s_Wife
Guest
Actually I believe that ALL protestant denominations were against contraception until the 1950s/60s. I’d have to do some looking for better hard data though… not sure which books/sites I have that give the exact details…
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adstrinity
Guest
The way I understand it, is it was in 1930, when The Lambeth Conference (Anglican) opened up the doors to contraception.
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Genesis315
Guest
Do the Orthodox CHurches oppose it too? I would think they do but I want to make sure.
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chevalier
Guest
Yeah, the Orthodox Church does normally oppose contraception. Some theologists will claim it’s a decision to make individually with the help of a priest, but normally they are against it. Protestants tend to be both in favour and against, which means if you press them to the wall, they will admit it’s wrong, although they don’t ban it as strictly as we do. I know of denominations which have sexual ethics close to Catholic or even practically the same.
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Randy2
Guest
The person I was speaking with siad the Anglican church is not really Protestant and what they did in 1930 says nothing about the refromers and what they belived on this topic.
Basically she said none of the reformers commented on contraception and from that you can’t claim all Christians opposed. That it is not an inherent part of the Christian faith but something derived from the Catholic Church.
It sort of sounds like there simply was no Protestant position on this one way or the other except for the Anglicans.
Basically she said none of the reformers commented on contraception and from that you can’t claim all Christians opposed. That it is not an inherent part of the Christian faith but something derived from the Catholic Church.
It sort of sounds like there simply was no Protestant position on this one way or the other except for the Anglicans.
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JimG
Guest
On the contrary, as noted before, there was a consistent Protestant position. Every mainstream protestant denomination condemned artificial birth control up until the 1930’s. The Anglicans were simply the first to cave in on the issue. The other denominations soon followed.
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JimG
Guest
From Martin Luther’s writings:
“…fertility was regarded as an extraordinary blessing and a special gift of God, as is clear from Deut. 28:4, where Moses numbers fertility among the blessings. ‘There will not be a barren woman among you,’ he says (cf.Ex.23:26). We do not regard this so highly today. Although we like and desire it in cattle, yet in the human race there are few who regard a woman’s fertility as a blessing. Indeed, there are many who have an aversion for it and regard sterility as a special blessing. Surely this is also contrary to nature. Much less is it pious and saintly. For this affection has been implanted by God in man’s nature, so that it desires its increase and multiplication. Accordingly, it is inhuman and godless to have a loathing for offspring. . . . The saintly fathers did not feel like this at all; for they acknowledged a fruitful wife as a special blessing of God and, on the other hand, regarded sterility as a curse. And this judgment flowed from the Word of God in Gen. 1:28, where He said: ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ From this they understood that children are a gift of God.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.5, p.325).
“…fertility was regarded as an extraordinary blessing and a special gift of God, as is clear from Deut. 28:4, where Moses numbers fertility among the blessings. ‘There will not be a barren woman among you,’ he says (cf.Ex.23:26). We do not regard this so highly today. Although we like and desire it in cattle, yet in the human race there are few who regard a woman’s fertility as a blessing. Indeed, there are many who have an aversion for it and regard sterility as a special blessing. Surely this is also contrary to nature. Much less is it pious and saintly. For this affection has been implanted by God in man’s nature, so that it desires its increase and multiplication. Accordingly, it is inhuman and godless to have a loathing for offspring. . . . The saintly fathers did not feel like this at all; for they acknowledged a fruitful wife as a special blessing of God and, on the other hand, regarded sterility as a curse. And this judgment flowed from the Word of God in Gen. 1:28, where He said: ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ From this they understood that children are a gift of God.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.5, p.325).
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JimG
Guest
From John Calvin’s writings:
(commenting on the sin of Onan in Genesis 38)
“It is a horrible thing to pour out seed besides the intercourse of man and woman. Deliberately avoiding the intercourse, so that the seed drops on the ground, is double horrible. For this means that one quenches the hope of his family and kills the son, which could be expected, before he is born.
This wickedness is now as severely as is possible condemned by the Spirit, through Moses, that Onan, as it were, through a violent and untimely birth, tore away the seed of his brother out the womb, and as cruel as shamefully has thrown on the earth. Moreover he thus has, as much as was in his power, tried to destroy a part of the human race. When a woman in some way drives away the seed out the womb, through aids, then this is rightly seen as an unforgivable crime. Onan was guilty of a similar crime” (Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis, vol. 2, part 16).
Quotation compliments of This Rock magazine.
Source: catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209fea6.asp
(commenting on the sin of Onan in Genesis 38)
“It is a horrible thing to pour out seed besides the intercourse of man and woman. Deliberately avoiding the intercourse, so that the seed drops on the ground, is double horrible. For this means that one quenches the hope of his family and kills the son, which could be expected, before he is born.
This wickedness is now as severely as is possible condemned by the Spirit, through Moses, that Onan, as it were, through a violent and untimely birth, tore away the seed of his brother out the womb, and as cruel as shamefully has thrown on the earth. Moreover he thus has, as much as was in his power, tried to destroy a part of the human race. When a woman in some way drives away the seed out the womb, through aids, then this is rightly seen as an unforgivable crime. Onan was guilty of a similar crime” (Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis, vol. 2, part 16).
Quotation compliments of This Rock magazine.
Source: catholic.com/thisrock/2002/0209fea6.asp
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Rascal
Guest
And to emphasize the slippery slope, the 1930 decision was to use contracpetion only in extreme cases such as life threating issues. To look at today, I see that decision contrast with talking with some women to were put on the pill at age 14 for no reason whatsoever.
It’s nice to illustrate the truths we’ve had as people for many thousands of years, to have had only recently changed within a liftetime. And how easy it is to forget!
It’s nice to illustrate the truths we’ve had as people for many thousands of years, to have had only recently changed within a liftetime. And how easy it is to forget!
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lily628
Guest
Regarding the Orthodox Church, I don’t think that all of them are entirely opposed to contraception. Read this excerpt from the Orthodox Church in America:
God bless,
Lily628
Also, for the positions of the Protestant “founding fathers”, and an analysis from the Catholic viewpoint, check out this article from Catholic Outlook.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.
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.
oca.org/QA.asp?ID=147&SID=3
God bless,
Lily628
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