Non-Catholic religions and birth control

  • Thread starter Thread starter kalt
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kalt

Guest
I asked this question once before and got a snarky response from one poster. Apparently someone else had asked the question before I, and the snarky poster didn’t want to see another thread on the topic.

Most pro-life people believe that life begins at conception. I’m wondering how other Christian churches view birth control that sometimes prevents implantation after conception, because (I thinnk) most Christians churches don’t prohibit birth control.
But do those churches prohibit some birth control?

If you belong to a Christian church that believes life begins at conception, can you fill me in on the details? Does your church say anything about birth control that prevents implantation?
 
kalt said:
I asked this question once before and got a snarky response from one poster. Apparently someone else had asked the question before I, and the snarky poster didn’t want to see another thread on the topic.

Most pro-life people believe that life begins at conception. I’m wondering how other Christian churches view birth control that sometimes prevents implantation after conception, because (I thinnk) most Christians churches don’t prohibit birth control.
But do those churches prohibit some birth control?

If you belong to a Christian church that believes life begins at conception, can you fill me in on the details? Does your church say anything about birth control that prevents implantation?
Click to expand...
Yes don’t use them.
 
kalt said:
What would happen if somone did use them? Does your church allow other kinds of artificial birth control?
Click to expand...
No church can really allow or not allow birth control. They can preach against it. Our church simply preaches abstinence until marriage as does the RCC and probably many other Christians. We also preach married Christians should be open and willing to having children as it is a gift and miracle from GOD.

As far as what would happen if someone used them? That’s up to GOD. The church can’t really do anything except express their disapproval. That’s assuming the church would even know. I highly doubt people walk into church broadcasting their sexual habits with regards to birth control. What are you trying understand here??
 
I think MOST churches do not prohibit birth control, but draw the line at something like Plan B. I do know of reformed circles in particular debating about the pill, some pointing at the danger of failure of implantation of a fertilized ovum, some pointing at the lack of evidence that that really happens (since the estrogen really should be preventing ovulation at all)- so some of those churches do classify the pill as an abortificant. That being said, they all allow condoms and other barrier methods as far as I am aware.
 
OH I should add that there are movements out there in the Christian world to leave the # of children up to God, and for some couples that translates into no kind of birth control and even repudiation of rhythm methods, but for others that includes selection use of barrier methods, so it’s not so clear cut.
 
It is interesting that ALL major Christian denominations condemned contraception up until the 1930’s. Then the Episcopals broke and all eventually follwed suit. Now considering the pile of rubble that most mainstream denominations have become since then, the question I have is, if contraception is morally acceptable, why did every Christian group have it wrong for thousands of years? If it is wrong, how come only the Catholic Church has it right?:hmmm:
 
Scott, that doesn’t allow for any theological modifications or developments. The RCC opposed the Copernican system but later realized their earlier position was incorrectly justified- it’s nice to know that people are fallible and when think about matters more can change their minds.

I don’t think there is anythingw rong with birth control used within the bounds of marriage. I get the essence/accident argument based in Catholic theology but I am not at all convinced by it. I get the concern about the pill, but when it comes to barrier methods I don’t see any difference between that and the rhythm method which for some reason doesn’t violate the ‘essence’ of sexual relations in marriage (huh? whatever). Perhaps the protestant groups in question, when considering the matter further, realized that birth control methods (or at least some) could be used in the bounds of marriage by Christians and ought not be denied without proper scriptural justification.
 
NDfan said:
No church can really allow or not allow birth control. They can preach against it. Our church simply preaches abstinence until marriage as does the RCC and probably many other Christians. We also preach married Christians should be open and willing to having children as it is a gift and miracle from GOD.

As far as what would happen if someone used them? That’s up to GOD. The church can’t really do anything except express their disapproval. That’s assuming the church would even know. I highly doubt people walk into church broadcasting their sexual habits with regards to birth control. What are you trying understand here??
Click to expand...
Catholics aren’t supposed to go to Communion if they’re using birth control, so I was wondering if there are similar ways of dealing with using some kinds of birth control in other curches.

If a couple admitted to a minister that they were using the pill, what would the minister be required to do?
 
kalt said:
Catholics aren’t supposed to go to Communion if they’re using birth control, so I was wondering if there are similar ways of dealing with using some kinds of birth control in other curches.

If a couple admitted to a minister that they were using the pill, what would the minister be required to do?
Click to expand...
Communion is left up to the individual. We don’t deny communion to anyone as we feel no one can judge what’s in a person’s heart. I know plenty of Catholics using birth control that go to communion. I’m not sure if they actually tell their Priests or not. But then again there are may circumstances in which Priests will offer communion when they are not supposed to.

My grandmother who was Methodist was visiting our house when we had a Priest there performing a sick and shut in visit with my mom. When it came time for communion my grandmother asked if she could participate and the Priest said “do you believe in GOD”? to which my grandmother obviously responded yes. The Priest said of course you can participate. I’ve never really known instances personally where a Priest will deny communion to someone. The closest thing I’ve seen was at a baptism where the family had non-catholic members in attendance. The Priest announced that he was aware of others in attendance that were part of other denominations and said “while we won’t serve communion to non-catholic denominations, please feel free to come forward for a blessing.” But guess what? I know people who still received that were not Catholic. They felt they had a responsibility to honor Christ’s command then to observe the Catholic church’s position. Go figure 🤷
 
NDfan said:
No church can really allow or not allow birth control. They can preach against it. Our church simply preaches abstinence until marriage as does the RCC and probably many other Christians. We also preach married Christians should be open and willing to having children as it is a gift and miracle from GOD.

As far as what would happen if someone used them? That’s up to GOD. The church can’t really do anything except express their disapproval. That’s assuming the church would even know. I highly doubt people walk into church broadcasting their sexual habits with regards to birth control. What are you trying understand here??
Click to expand...
For the first time NDfan, we agree. A round of applause everybody. :clapping: I agree, the Church probably wouldn’t know that a member was even using birth control. It is highly discouraged in the Catholic Church. Scripture wise, lets look at Genesis 38:8-10. “Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of spring for your brother.’ But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him also.” Here Onan is killed by God for practicing contraception by withdrawal and spilling his semen on the ground. Also look at Exodus 23:25-26, Deut. 7:13-14. God promises blessings which include no miscarriages. Children are blessings from God and married couples must always be open to God’s plan for procreation with every act of marital intimacy. I could go on and on, but this should do for now.
 
nebula said:
Scott, that doesn’t allow for any theological modifications or developments. The RCC opposed the Copernican system but later realized their earlier position was incorrectly justified- it’s nice to know that people are fallible and when think about matters more can change their minds.

I don’t think there is anythingw rong with birth control used within the bounds of marriage. I get the essence/accident argument based in Catholic theology but I am not at all convinced by it. I get the concern about the pill, but when it comes to barrier methods I don’t see any difference between that and the rhythm method which for some reason doesn’t violate the ‘essence’ of sexual relations in marriage (huh? whatever). Perhaps the protestant groups in question, when considering the matter further, realized that birth control methods (or at least some) could be used in the bounds of marriage by Christians and ought not be denied without proper scriptural justification.
Click to expand...
The Copernican thing was not a point of doctrine. If you are using the contraceptives, get rid of them. You will be glad you did.
 
Scottgun said:
The Copernican thing was not a point of doctrine. If you are using the contraceptives, get rid of them. You will be glad you did.
Click to expand...
No, there’s no point in me using contraceptives for another several months anyway 😉 but that’s beside the point. I also don’t have a personal problem using them within marital bounds and have been unmoved by the arguments I have read so far against them. And that doesn’t mean I’m closed to hearing more arguments about it, just haven’t found the ones I am familiar with at all convincing. I’m also not moved by your “you’ll be glad you did” since my mother was the youngest of 16 children born from that notion and my grandparents were not ecstatic with their family life. Apparently not everyone is ‘glad they did’.

Yes, the “Copernican thing” WAS a point of doctrine and was vehemently argued against on those grounds as it displaced the earth as the central point of creation and seemed to undermine a couple passages of scripture. So there you have it- theological development.
 
nebula said:
Yes, the “Copernican thing” WAS a point of doctrine and was vehemently argued against on those grounds as it displaced the earth as the central point of creation and seemed to undermine a couple passages of scripture. So there you have it- theological development.
Click to expand...
Evidence please.
 
Since we are getting non-reponses, I’ll just refer to the Catholic Answers article:

catholic.com/library/galileo_controversy.asp

Bottom line: The faithful were never bound to assent to a certain scientific theory of the movement of orbital bodies. They are bound by the teachings on marriage, fecundity, etc.
 
Scott,

Okay, it’s one thing that the faithful in general were not bound to agree or disagree (although that seems like a stretched opinion in this case considering th ehouse arrest of Galileo but I’ll buy the distinction for this) it’s another to say that doctrinal arguments were not made. Doctrinal arguments WERE made and then found to be faulty.

My point is, this is what happened to most Protestant groups considering birth control. As they considered the matter with more depth they decided that there was no real doctrinal basis to reject the use of birth control (or some types) within marital bounds. There’s nothign particularly mysterious about that.
 
The title says NCR and BC but the actual post says Protestants and BC… :confused:

Well as a Baha’i, we don’t define things to the degree that the Catholic church does, but in general birth control is not encouraged.

“As to the problem of birth control. Neither Bahá’u’lláh nor 'Abdu’l-Bahá has revealed anything direct or explicit regarding this question. But the Bahá’í Teachings, when carefully studied imply that such current conceptions like birth control, if not necessarily wrong and immoral in principle, have nevertheless to be discarded as constituting a real danger to the very foundation of our social life. For Bahá’u’lláh explicitly reveals in His Book of Laws that the very purpose of marriage is the procreation of children who, when grown up, will be able to know God and to recognize and observe His Commandments and Laws as revealed through His Messengers. Marriage is thus, according to the Bahá’í Teachings, primarily a social and moral act. It has purpose which transcends the immediate personal needs and interests of the parties…”
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 345)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top