Questions for Protestants about Contraception

[philipmarus]

Here’s an example of what we facing on this issue of Contraception - Sola Scriptura. Protestants in the Philipines are working with Secularists to legalize Contraception in the Philipines while Catholics and Muslims are opposing it.

**Evangelical churches back reproductive health bills (11:26 a.m.)

**MANILA – If the Catholic Church is against population control, evangelical churches are in favor of reproductive health bills pending in Congress.

Bishop Fred Magbanua, president of the Council of Christian Bishops of the Philippines (CCBP), said the 20,000 evangelical churches in the country throw their support to the proposed Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005.

Magbanua said he does not see any provision in the bill that encourages abortion but merely promotes family planning by improving health care services for women and children.

Magbanua also said the Holy Bible does not prevent the use of contraceptives provided that they are not abortifacients and that planning of a family’s size is based on morality.

“Contraceptives, as long as they do not interfere with the fertilized egg, is both moral and biblical,” said Magbanua. (MSN)

sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2005/03/09/evangelical.churches.back.reproductive.health.bills.(11.26.a.m.).html

Protestant bishops disputes CBCP stand on family planning

TAKING up the cudgels for House Bill No. 3773, the Council of Christian Bishops of the Philippines (CCBP) Wednesday challenged its Catholic counterpart to cite a solid biblical basis for the latter’s adamant stand against family planning.
At a press conference in the House, CCBP chair Bishop Fred Magbanua said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) should produce proof showing that HB 3773 (or the proposed Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005) was endorsing abortion.

The CCBP is composed of ministers of about 51,000 Protestant, evangelical and born-again Christian churches, which have a total of 12 million members.

Magbanua said the CCBP was willing to debate with the CBCP on canon and encyclical laws dealing with family planning.

“They lack understanding [of the bill]. Many of them are misinformed,” he said, adding that many Catholic priests actually held a progressive view on the issue.

Magbanua said the measure would http://news.inq7.net/breaking/images/common/pixel.gif

​

            [/right]

go a long way in improving the quality of life.

“We’re pro-life, so it leans that this bill is against abortion. That’s why we’re supporting it,” he said.

Also present during the press conference organized by the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation Inc. were Representative Rodante Marcoleta of the party-list group Alagad and Representatives Nereus Acosta, Janet Garin and Nerissa Ruiz.

All four pushed for the passage of HB 3773, a consolidated version of several bills on reproductive health and women’s rights that has so far gathered 80 signatures in the House of Representatives.

news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=30033​

 

[Catholic4aReasn]

I haven’t read all the posts, and I may be repeating, but here’s my :twocents: :

We know that every human being is willed into existence by God. Every child is a gift directly from God. That being said, any effort to avoid conception is a direct attempt to thwart the will of God. In effect it’s saying “God, I know very well that it may be your will to give me child, but it’s not my will right now. I don’t want what you may want for me so I’m going to do what I can to prevent it. I will not be open to what you may want for me. MY will be done Lord, not your will.”

Now some will say that if God wants them to have a baby they will whether they’re on the pill or not, whether they’ve sterilized themselves or not. God is not bound by any natural law. That may be true, but that’s not the point. The point is that through their actions they are telling God “no” to what may be his will for them.

Just my thoughts.

In Christ,
Nancy

 

[Curious]

We know that every human being is willed into existence by God. Every child is a gift directly from God. That being said, any effort to avoid conception is a direct attempt to thwart the will of God. In effect it’s saying “God, I know very well that it may be your will to give me child, but it’s not my will right now. I don’t want what you may want for me so I’m going to do what I can to prevent it. I will not be open to what you may want for me. MY will be done Lord, not your will.”

I’m not sure that God directs every single sperm to every single egg to make a baby of His will. Couldn’t it be that God just set these natural laws in motion? What about 14 year old girls that start messing around and get pregnant? Do you really think that God says, “Hmm…okay…it’s my will that this girl have a baby, even though she’s young and unmarried and fooling around.”
Kind of like weather patterns: I don’t think that God directs every single drop of rain. The natural weather patterns are set in motion and the weather happens the way it does.

I’m not trying to factor God out of things that happen in our lives or anything. And I know that sometimes God does intervene and have specific purposes for pregnancy, for weather, for all kinds of things.

 

[Little_Mary]

Curious:

OKAY!! EVERYONE SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!!! DON’T TALK ABOUT TAKING AWAY MY PILL!!!

Well…that’s kind of what I would **like **to say. But I won’t say that for real. Let’s see…

Okay Exporter you first.

1. I take the pill because I don’t want to be pregnant - yet.
2. Yes I’m married.

Now to address some other posts. The pill has been very effective for me thus far. And even if it did not any way cause abortions or something, I have had the this thought: Perhaps being on the pill is giving a person a control that no person has meant to have. You can pretty much just “decide” when you’re going to get pregnant. I must admit that’s unnatural.

And yes I agree, the pill is not 100%. So…well…maybe a kid has tried to implant in me.
So I prefer not to think about that. I know that’s irresponsible and I know it’s not very mature. I’m muddled, as usual.

If were to become Catholic, I wouldn’t take the pill, out of sheer trying to do the right thing according to the Church. I wouldn’t like it. But I’d do it.

Go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and get the tape or CD called “Marriage and the Eucharist”. Go ahead and get it now and listen to it when you are ready.

 

[Genesis315]

Curious:

I’m not sure that God directs every single sperm to every single egg to make a baby of His will. Couldn’t it be that God just set these natural laws in motion? What about 14 year old girls that start messing around and get pregnant? Do you really think that God says, “Hmm…okay…it’s my will that this girl have a baby, even though she’s young and unmarried and fooling around.”
Kind of like weather patterns: I don’t think that God directs every single drop of rain. The natural weather patterns are set in motion and the weather happens the way it does.

I’m not trying to factor God out of things that happen in our lives or anything. And I know that sometimes God does intervene and have specific purposes for pregnancy, for weather, for all kinds of things.

Maybe this is a good way to think of it:

Just like the sacraments which require us to do something to receive the grace, we are required to do something to to have a child. When a priest who has separated himself from the Church consecrates the Eucharist, it still become the Body and Blood of Jesus, even though he has done it illicitly. Someone who has sex illicitly still can have a child.

Anyone have any thoughts on this analogy?

 

[LittleDeb]

Curious:

If were to become Catholic, I wouldn’t take the pill, out of sheer trying to do the right thing according to the Church. I wouldn’t like it. But I’d do it.

This was my last hurdle to being in union with the Church. I was single and on the pill “for health reasons” to “preserve my future fertility.” Since I was celibate it didn’t matter but I couldn’t figure out how it was all going to work after marriage. Then I discovered NFP. Love it!!!

No more weight gain, irritability, depression, loss of libido!!

Besides, periodic abstinence makes my husband and I want to be together more.

Funny, my other health reasons are better now too.

On the original topic, when I ask my other Christian community friends (read that as "fundamentalists) about their church teachings on contraception. They say their church has no teaching as it is a non-issue. Non-issue?

Can any Fundamentalists expound on that please?

 

[Ann78]

Until 1930, every Christian denomination thought that contraception was wrong - so if it’s wrong in 1930, what makes it right in 2005? Are we willing to let society’s whims and convenience dictate what is right and wrong?

I was researching this topic a while ago and found some very interesting things. The above statement is true. The founding fathers of ALL Protestant Denominations at Reformation times opposed birth control, including Luther, Calvin, Zwingli…you name it.

Apparently, the Anglican Church was the first to conform to the world on this issue - they gave in to what society wanted: guilt-free sex (remember this is after the Roaring 20’s, which was not unlike our affluent, commercial-ridden Babylon of today).

After the Anglicans gave in, the other Protestant churches followed suit, leaving the dear old Catholic Church as the only rock that would not change it’s moral dogmas to the “whims and conveniences of society”.

I wish I could remember the site where I read this, sorry guys! But I thought it was very interesting.

 

[Ann78]

Also, as a former Protestant (this Saturday I will be confirmed in the Catholic Church - YEAH!!!), I sympathize with the fact that most Protestants - people who genuinely love God and seek to be righteous in His eyes and do His will - do not even know that birth control was ever considered a sin in their church’s theology. Many do not even really know what their church’s theology is after the basics. Having the Catechism available is so valuable to discussing these issues. We always know the Catholic position on things.
Birth control is just not discussed at all in Protestant Churches nowadays. That is my understanding. So other than getting it from the Bible (see the irony here?), there is no reason for them to even consider a church’s position on it one way or anther.

 

[Catholic4aReasn]

Curious:

I’m not sure that God directs every single sperm to every single egg to make a baby of His will. Couldn’t it be that God just set these natural laws in motion? What about 14 year old girls that start messing around and get pregnant? Do you really think that God says, “Hmm…okay…it’s my will that this girl have a baby, even though she’s young and unmarried and fooling around.”
Kind of like weather patterns: I don’t think that God directs every single drop of rain. The natural weather patterns are set in motion and the weather happens the way it does.

I’m not trying to factor God out of things that happen in our lives or anything. And I know that sometimes God does intervene and have specific purposes for pregnancy, for weather, for all kinds of things.

Hi Curious!

The idea that God just set the world in motion and left it to run on its own is actually a heresy with a name and everything. Can’t remember what it is off hand though.

God personally planned each and everyone one of us himself. . We are all here because he wants us here. There is absolutely no chance involved at all.

Isaiah 49:1 The Lord called me before I was born. Psalms 139:13 For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb. In Christ,
Nancy

 

[Genesis315]

midgetface:

On the original topic, when I ask my other Christian community friends (read that as "fundamentalists) about their church teachings on contraception. They say their church has no teaching as it is a non-issue. Non-issue?

Can any Fundamentalists expound on that please?

I’m no fundamentalist, but I bet they’d just say, “The word ‘contraception’ is not in the Bible and neither is ‘the pill’ or ‘condom.’” Then they would say how Jesus never mentioned contraception and finally they would claim that the early Christians all used contraception and that it’s a pagan practice to prohibit the use of contraception.:whacky:

Sorry, that would be what an anti-Catholic Fundamentalist would say. I apologize to any honest Fundamentalists I may have offended.:tiphat:

 

[Curious]

The idea that God just set the world in motion and left it to run on its own is actually a heresy with a name and everything. Can’t remember what it is off hand though.

Heh…sounds like me - to embrace a heresy without even knowing it. But I don’t believe it entirely - only to an extent. I wonder if it’s just a heresy to an extent then? :whacky:

 

[Rob_s_Wife]

The idea that God just set the world in motion and left it to run on its own is actually a heresy with a name and everything. Can’t remember what it is off hand though.

I believe the word you are looking for is a “dispensationist”?

The most bothersome thing about contraception is it is a medical intervention on a HEALTHY body. There is nothing wrong with your fertility, but it’s inconvenient to deal with it and you certainly don’t want to do anything crazy like accepting it So you medicate and mutilate it so you don’t have to.

Why is having a child treated like a disease to be cured of?

And now I’ll pass on a funny line for the “God gave us wisdom” line of attack (Because, well don’t you know only uneducated idiots want more than 2 and if someone would just explain things to them they’d be so much better off? ):

A woman told another woman who was preg. with her 6th baby:
“I believe God wants us to use wisdom in having children!”
The mother of 6 responded, “Really?! And how do I use this “wisdom” - do I swallow it, insert it, or rub it in?”

And YES! they are all ours
no none are twins
yes, I AM catholic as a matter of fact
yes, we know what causes it - do you need us to explain it to you?
Yes our hands are full - and so are our hearts!

 

[Teresita]

The idea that God just set the world in motion and left it to run on its own is actually a heresy with a name and everything. Can’t remember what it is off hand though.
Rob's Wife:

I believe the word you are looking for is a “dispensationist”?

Deist. Deism was the heresy of choice throughout the later 17th and 18th centuries: the image used was that of a clockmaker who makes and winds up the clock, then leaves it to tick away. It certainly isn’t Christian, but it’s always tempting to believe, as it gives us a way of defending God against those who refuse to believe in Him (you know: "How can a good God allow…tsunamis/babies with AIDS/childhood leukaemia, etc, etc?). It has to be resisted.

Dispensationalism is, IIRC, the belief that different eras of history have different ‘dispensations’, and that within each dispensation, God’s expectations of man differ. While in its basic form this is quite obvious (I mean, we aren’t expected to cut the throats of sheep and cattle in the Temple), its modern developments aren’t at all obvious, and can go to ludicrous extremes: the most lunatic of these variants (or so it seems to me) is the one which denies that the Gospels, and our Lord’s commands in it (the Beatitudes, and so on) have anything to do with Christians: they were just meant for Jews, and we can therefore ignore them in case we start thinking that our works save us. (I truly haven’t made this up!)

Sue

 

[Joseph_Romero]

This thread is wandering and is now closed.

God Bless,

 

[katiem]

People who are sick take pills. Last time I checked fertility was not viewed as an illness. The pill is sometimes an abortifacent. People do get pregnant on the pill, so it does not always work.In some instances when conception occurs, the pill causes the womb to be a hostile environment, causing the body to abort. I recommend the website one more soul. Janet Smith has a wonderful talk you can order called contraception why not!!!n