Is Birth Control Christian?

[Kitsune633]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **
Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control. Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me “You sound like some male supremacist, don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it.”

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

 

[JohnDamian]

When one engages in sexual functions whilst purposefully not embracing unitative or procreative possibilities that person is objectifying themselves and their partner/s as mere tools for acheiving sexual pleasure. It takes away from the true function of intercourse and is no different from masturbation, fornication, adultery or even bestiality. The partner ceases to be a human whom one embraces with love in marraige but instead becomes just another object for your useage. It diminishes human dignity.

 

[WetCatechumen]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **
Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control. Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me “You sound like some male supremacist, don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it.”

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

I know a couple; the mother is Catholic, the father is Baha’i. They conceived their son the first night they had sex - the night they got engaged. She wouldn’t use birth control because she is Catholic. She makes him use birth control now (she has apparently changed her mind on what to believe).

Yeah, it might have been easier if their son didn’t exist. However, he’s a great little kid, and they both love him very much. The callous, worldly person says, “She should have used birth control. Then she wouldn’t have ruined her life.”

The is sacred, holy, and venerable because he is made in the image of God. He deserves love and compassion from everyone, devotion from his parents, and the right to existence itself, granted by God, The callous, worldly attitude says, “His mother should have used contraception; getting pregnant ruined her life and tied her down.”

This is the same thing as saying, “This child should not exist.”

That is un-Christian. God loved us. He created us, knowing that although he created us perfect, we would reject him. It would cause his immense pain, and result in his condescension to become one of us, and to suffer at our hands because of our sins.

Imagine a 14 year old girl in ancient Palestine. She is betrothed. Suddenly, an angel appears to tell her that she is going to get pregnant. This means her betrothed will abandon her, everyone will think she is a tramp, no one else will want to marry her, she’ll probably end up dying of starvation unless she becomes a prostitute, and she will be saddled with a brat to take care of. Should she have told the angel that she could not submit to God’s will? Having that child would have ruined her life.

Thank God that she said yes, rather than no.

Christ should have existed. Because the Blessed Virgin consented, he did. My friends’ son deserves to exist. When someone says that his parents should have been more responsible, they mean he shouldn’t exist.

When someone says it’s ridiculous that people have more than two kids, they’re saying that I shouldn’t exist - three times, because I’m a fifth child.

Human beings deserve to exist. Contraception is designed to prevent God from bringing them into existence. You don’t have to go out of your way to have kids - NFP can help with that. Abstinence can help with that. However, when you pervert the natural use of your sexual organs and say, “I will have pleasure without consequence by preventing the creation of human beings made in the image of God,” you are committing a very serious sin, comparable to murder.

"Indeed, it is something worse than murder, and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. " - St. John Chrysostom

I like to call this sin prevention. Preventing a human being is worse than murder. Murdered human beings may still enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Prevented human beings will never know God - because they won’t exist.

 

[Advocatus_Fidei]

A person who places their trust in God has no need for birth control, it is not Christian you are right. Your mother has been corrupted by the falsehoods of feminism which create angry, damaged women.

 

[1ke]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **

Contraception is a mortal sin against God.

Spacing or avoiding births when needed for a just reason is not sinful when done through abstinence-- either total or periodic by observing the woman’s fertility signs.

Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control.

That’s very sad.

Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me "You sound like some male supremacist

Your mother seems unable to form an argument based on facts or Church teaching. So instead of actually talking about the topic on its merits, she uses a logical fallacy to distract you.

The immorality of contraception is not based in whether the person opposing it is male or female. The immorality of contraception is rooted in the truth about who God is and how he designed our sexuality.

don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it."

Well, actually, Christian is refraining from sexual relations outside of marriage.

So, if one were acting in a Christian manner, one would have sexual relations only in marriage where a child could be welcomed at any time. If one were to commit the sin of fornication and then repent, but find oneself in a pregnancy situation, one would support the mother and child if one were truly Christian. A Christian would also not call the child resulting from this union-- who is innocent of their parents’ sin-- a bad name.

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

You list yourself as a non-practicing Catholic. It is also not Christian to be “non-practicing.” God deserves and commands our worship in the Mass and Sacraments. Go to Confession, resume attending Mass, study the bible and Church teaching.

 

[1ke]

I know a couple; the mother is Catholic, the father is Baha’i. They conceived their son the first night they had sex - the night they got engaged. She wouldn’t use birth control because she is Catholic. She makes him use birth control now (she has apparently changed her mind on what to believe).

Uh, yeah, that’s a great example. Someone who is supposedly a practicing Catholic who won’t use contraception but readily fornicates. Fornication is a grave sin. Great example.

And who now commits the grave sin of contraception.

These are examples of someone acting **against **Christian teachings, not in accord with them.

Yeah, it might have been easier if their son didn’t exist. However, he’s a great little kid, and they both love him very much. The callous, worldly person says, “She should have used birth control. Then she wouldn’t have ruined her life.”

The Catholic person would say, she should refrain from sexual relations until she is married.

The is sacred, holy, and venerable because he is made in the image of God. He deserves love and compassion from everyone, devotion from his parents, and the right to existence itself, granted by God, The callous, worldly attitude says, “His mother should have used contraception; getting pregnant ruined her life and tied her down.”

All people are made in the image of God. The fact remains she committed a grave sin in fornicating.

This is the same thing as saying, “This child should not exist.”

God allows the natural consequences of our actions. If you are going to say that God specifically willed this child to exist, requiring the parents’ grave sin of fornication, you are embracing a false teaching.

By your logic, God wills rapes in cases where the woman becomes pregnant. Which is of course not true. God is all good. One may never do evil so that good may come from it.

Sometimes good-- a baby-- is **allowed **to come from an evil act. But, God does not **will **it.

Imagine a 14 year old girl in ancient Palestine. She is betrothed. Suddenly, an angel appears to tell her that she is going to get pregnant. This means her betrothed will abandon her, everyone will think she is a tramp, no one else will want to marry her, she’ll probably end up dying of starvation unless she becomes a prostitute, and she will be saddled with a brat to take care of. Should she have told the angel that she could not submit to God’s will? Having that child would have ruined her life.

Marry did not sin. Mary did not fornicate.

Your analogy is very flawed. You are trying to justify your friend’s sin of fornication with Mary? I don’t think so.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **
Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control. Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me “You sound like some male supremacist, don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it.”

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

The church uses the term “birth control” to mean artifical contraception and that cause communication errors. Reducing children in the marriage is allowed in Christians however there are restrictions on ways to do that.

 

[Melchior_1]

Is it “Christian”? In a sense yes, as several protestant denominations either say it is alright it or say it’s a personal choice a couple can make.

The Catholic Church (and Orthodox as well I believe), however, has been consistent with saying birth control when used to actively prevent conception is unacceptable.

 

[Bookcat]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **
Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control. Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me “You sound like some male supremacist, don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it.”

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

Birth Control is not Christian…not in the sense that is ordinarily meant…contraceptive practice …has not been since the get go.

…neither is pre-maritial or extramartial sex

 

[Rence]

I have a question to ask all of you: **Is birth control Christian? **
Recently a while a go my mother and I got in a discussion on birth control, I asked her if she believes in birth control and she told that she does believe in birth control. Then I respond that birth control is not Christian and she replies to me “You sound like some male supremacist, don’t start with 'birth control is not Christian, Christian is having a bstrd child with no father and paying for it and raising it.”

Please answer my question, I urgently need answers.

There are many non-Catholic Christian religions that allow birth control for married couples. IIRC a Jewish couple can use contraceptives with the consultation of a Rabbi.

The Catholic religion is one of the few (the only one that I know of actually) that forbids any artifical contraception.

So, I’m not sure that it’s accurate to say that “birth control is not Christian”.
But it’s definitely not Catholic.

 

[1ke]

So, I’m not sure that it’s accurate to say that “birth control is not Christian”.
But it’s definitely not Catholic.

I think it’s most accurate to say contraception is objectively wrong for everyone.

God condemns it, therefore it is wrong.

Many people reject this truth, but it doesn’t change the truth.

 

[Advocatus_Fidei]

I think it’s most accurate to say contraception is objectively wrong for everyone.

God condemns it, therefore it is wrong.

Many people reject this truth, but it doesn’t change the truth.

So its not just unchristian it is inhuman, I can agree with that.

 

[edwest2]

While there are some other Christian denominations that permit it, here is what the Catholic Church teaches:

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html

God bless,
Ed

 

[Bookcat]

The Catholic religion is one of the few (the only one that I know of actually) that forbids any artifical contraception.

So, I’m not sure that it’s accurate to say that “birth control is not Christian”.
But it’s definitely not Catholic.

Contraceptives are “not Christian” they are contrary to Christ …and Christians have recognized this…even though some have lost this charity more recently…

and even Protestants recognized this up until the 1930’s catholic.com/library/Birth_Control.asp

 

[Calliso]

I know a couple; the mother is Catholic, the father is Baha’i. They conceived their son the first night they had sex - the night they got engaged. She wouldn’t use birth control because she is Catholic. She makes him use birth control now (she has apparently changed her mind on what to believe).

Yeah, it might have been easier if their son didn’t exist. However, he’s a great little kid, and they both love him very much. The callous, worldly person says, “She should have used birth control. Then she wouldn’t have ruined her life.”

The is sacred, holy, and venerable because he is made in the image of God. He deserves love and compassion from everyone, devotion from his parents, and the right to existence itself, granted by God, The callous, worldly attitude says, “His mother should have used contraception; getting pregnant ruined her life and tied her down.”

This is the same thing as saying, “This child should not exist.”

That is un-Christian. God loved us. He created us, knowing that although he created us perfect, we would reject him. It would cause his immense pain, and result in his condescension to become one of us, and to suffer at our hands because of our sins.

Imagine a 14 year old girl in ancient Palestine. She is betrothed. Suddenly, an angel appears to tell her that she is going to get pregnant. This means her betrothed will abandon her, everyone will think she is a tramp, no one else will want to marry her, she’ll probably end up dying of starvation unless she becomes a prostitute, and she will be saddled with a brat to take care of. Should she have told the angel that she could not submit to God’s will? Having that child would have ruined her life.

Thank God that she said yes, rather than no.

Christ should have existed. Because the Blessed Virgin consented, he did. My friends’ son deserves to exist. When someone says that his parents should have been more responsible, they mean he shouldn’t exist.

When someone says it’s ridiculous that people have more than two kids, they’re saying that I shouldn’t exist - three times, because I’m a fifth child.

Human beings deserve to exist. Contraception is designed to prevent God from bringing them into existence. You don’t have to go out of your way to have kids - NFP can help with that. Abstinence can help with that. However, when you pervert the natural use of your sexual organs and say, “I will have pleasure without consequence by preventing the creation of human beings made in the image of God,” you are committing a very serious sin, comparable to murder.

"Indeed, it is something worse than murder, and I do not know what to call it; for she does not kill what is formed but prevents its formation. " - St. John Chrysostom

I like to call this sin prevention. Preventing a human being is worse than murder. Murdered human beings may still enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Prevented human beings will never know God - because they won’t exist.

Ok personally I think comparing not bringing a human into existance by never conceiving them in the first place to murder is way way way over the top. I mean if someone doesn;t exist so what they donlt exist. I mean if you were never born you wouldn;t care that you were not born cause you wouldn;t exist to care! As for the virgin Mary and Jesus thing…first of all God of course could see that Mary would accept and if she rejected the idea…well whose to say he would have not picked someone else? Also yes these people will never get to heaven…of course because they donlt exist but think of this.neither will they have a chance to end up in hell. And lets face it a good part of these people would likely end up in hell. Also if preventing people from existing is a sin…then wouldn;t abstinence during fertile periods be a sin then too? I mean every fertile egg that isn;t fertlized is another potential human not being conceived…

 

[arthra]

“I know a couple; the mother is Catholic, the father is Baha’i. They conceived their son the first night they had sex - the night they got engaged.”

I just thought I’d chime in as it was mentioned above that a Baha’i was apparently the father of a child in this report.

Baha’i law specifically forbids having sexual relations outside marriage or prior to marriage… There could be sanctions placed on the Baha’i for this such as loss of administrative rights.

While birth control is not specifically address in the Baha’i Writings the Guardian Shoghi Effendi indicated the following when asked about birth control:

'Birth control, however, when exercised in order to deliberately prevent the procreation of any children is against the Spirit of the Law of Bahá’u’lláh, which defines the primary purpose of marriage to be the rearing of children and their spiritual training…"

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 346)

 

[Ravemacneil]

The kind of attitude that states “prevention is worse than murder” is the big stumbling block to my conversion to Catholicism.

Not to be dramatic, but my wife was raped from age 6 through to 11, and I was sexually assaulted as severely from age 10 through 12. This has left us with a huge amount of post traumatic stress disorder which makes further - even slight - stress nearly untenable in its pain as well as provoking unwillingly a severe flight/avoidance response.

Due to this, we have suffered both an instability in income and a lack of self-confidence vis a vis parenting abilities, not to mention the difficulty it is for us to view childhood as something that can be positive.

Do we enjoy this? Of course not. We are striving to practice forgiveness and to give ourselves to Christ and allow his grace and strength to heal us.

We have a fantastic, long and faithful marriage through which we’ve always hoped to have a family, but though we have grown wonderfully and deeply in our love for each other as well as God, it isn’t looking like we’re going to get to the family part before we pass child-bearing age.

So what, then? We can’t have been dedicating our lives to Christ because our birth control makes us categorically un-Christian? Our present love of Christ is a sham because we use BC? We can’t be baptized Catholic because we didn’t have children when we were able?

It wasn’t our sin that caused us to be unable to face the responsibility of parenthood before it became too late.

We do not “use” or objectify each other in marital relations.

We agree that the ultimate purpose of sex is procreation, and thus we are not able to participate in all that that act offers through God’s blessing. We get that. We are not gaining its full pleasure and purpose. We understand you have it better than us and we’ve had to sacrifice, because of the actions of others, the joy afforded to others who do not interfere with the nature of the act.

So let it be a sin to use birth control, let the use of it be unChristian, **but not the user of it **. And do not compare us - givers of time and money to the disadvantaged - to murderers.

There are always things that God knows about people that you do not know when you judge them from afar, and it is within the ability and grace of God to make exceptions in exceptional circumstances.

Thus I would rather be a “bad” Catholic than an atheist; I would rather love God than turn from him out of spite, anger, and blame, even if the only way I can love God includes my sins; I am confident I am leading a Christian life. And I have no doubt that He agrees.

Your Christian brother,
RMN

 

[catharina]

While there are some other Christian denominations that permit it, here is what the Catholic Church teaches:

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html

God bless,
Ed

Ed, allow me to expand from your perfectly chosen source.

"The Historic Christian Teaching

**Few realize that up until 1930, all Protestant denominations agreed with the Catholic Church’s teaching condemning contraception as sinful. ** At its 1930 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican church, swayed by growing social pressure, announced that contraception would be allowed in some circumstances. Soon the Anglican church completely caved in, allowing contraception across the board. Since then, all other Protestant denominations have followed suit. Today, the Catholic Church alone proclaims the historic Christian position on contraception.

Evidence that contraception is in conflict with God’s laws comes from a variety of sources that will be examined in this tract.

… ."

 

[1ke]

So what, then? We can’t have been dedicating our lives to Christ because our birth control makes us categorically un-Christian?

Contraception is always gravely disordered.

One may space or avoid pregnancies without using this disordered means. One may do so via periodic abstaining if one has a just reason. Psychological and emotional trauma could certainly be a just reason.

So, let’s be clear that birth control is the spacing of children. In and of itself this isn’t intrinsically evil. Contraception is an immoral *means *of birth control and is intrinsically evil. Abstaining periodically is not.

Our present love of Christ is a sham because we use BC?

If you are using contraception, you may love Christ but are nonetheless committing a grave act against Him. No one said your love for Christ is a “sham.” Loving Christ does not mean we are unable to sin. We certainly are. He is there to forgive us when we repent.

We can’t be baptized Catholic because we didn’t have children when we were able?

The Church does not teach this.

It wasn’t our sin that caused us to be unable to face the responsibility of parenthood before it became too late.

And, if you did not know that contraception was immoral, you are not guilty of any sin. You are always welcome to join the Church and be baptized. This would mean committing to a moral means of avoiding pregnancy if you are still in your child bearing years and do not feel you can welcome a child.

So let it be a sin to use birth control,let the use of it be unChristian, **but not the user of it **.

I don’t understand why you want to *willingly *embrace sin. You can choose not to sin. You can choose natural family planning if you have a just reason to avoid pregnancy.

Thus I would rather be a “bad” Catholic than an atheist;

Again a false dichotomy. What you should prefer is to embrace holiness and the commands God gives us, preferring neither disbelief nor sin.

 

[Ravemacneil]

I agree with you.

Of course I “prefer” what you said.

I am just not able so far, and do not feel like I am worse than a murderer or unchristian because of it.

That said, the compassion in your post has made me look more seriously toward NFP. If we can still provide the space to heal and still engage in the physical expression of our love in a way not displeasing to the Catholic Church, than I am ecstatic to pursue that.

So thank you, my friend, for a very giving answer and one that will make me a better servant of God.

Sincerely,
RMN