More On Birth Control

Okay, this should probably be the last post about birth control. If you're just joining in on the subject, you should read the last two posts first, as this is post 3 of 3. Alright, so as I was saying, I was sent two different links about the subject by two very well known authors. So, thanks to Mark and Michele for sending me these.

First, John MacArthur tackled the subject during a Q & A session.

"Question:
With the family becoming more or less extinct to how we used to know it 20, 30 years ago, what should a Christian’s viewpoint be on birth control?

Answer:
Well, I think, that’s very easily answered. I think God has given us the choice to have children or to not have children. God’s given us the choice to get married or not to get married, right? And I think, we have the choice. People say, “Oh, you shouldn't...the Catholic church, for years, said no birth control, right?" But, I think to me, and you can’t find anything in the Bible. Of course, I do think it’s good to have a lot of kids. You have a biblical word for that, "Children are like arrows. Blessed is a man whose quiver is full of them." So, you know, fill up that quiver. Not a thing wrong with that. And, I don’t care what day of society we’re living in. You raise your children in a godly way, and they will influence the world for good and for God. That’s your responsibility, and that’s fine. But, I believe, God has given us control of that. You know, if God want us to have non-stop babies, women wouldn’t be cycled the way they are cycled. Right? I mean, within the marriage relationship, you can control the bearing of children, right? Because God has so designed the woman that she can only have a child a certain time each month. Now, God has given us that recurring option on a monthly basis, so that twelve times a year, you can make that choice.

Now, the very fact that God has given you that alternative and that option, gives you the privilege of taking it. I really don’t see any problem then with a birth control approach at all. In fact, very frankly, I don’t even see a problem with a permanent kind of birth control, a surgical one, if you feel, before God and your own conscience that you desire to exercise that privilege. Because it’s no different than constantly doing it every month for the rest of your life. Right? You’ve just done it in a more permanent way. So, I really think, that the fact that God has cycled the woman is indicative of the fact that God has rendered to us the choice. That’s all. And, I think, I would add this thing: I think, the problem really comes when we introduce into the body foreign substances. And birth control pills and other things. I think, for example, birth control pills are just creating havoc in many, many cases. I’m not a doctor, but I can tell you that what doctors say who have dealt with some of these things. You need to be very, very careful. Watch that. Because it’s designed to influence the body in an unnatural way. Secondly, IUD is really a form of abortion. It literally kills what is born. And, also, I just feel that those kinds of foreign things in the body are not healthy things. So, I would find some way to do that it is not particularly of that nature. So, I don’t have a problem with birth control. Biblically, there’s nothing in the Bible that mandates us to have non-stop babies. So, you make that choice.

Question (continued)
Where the Bible teaches the fruit of womb is His reward, is it possible to be over-rewarded?

Answer (continued)
Yeah, I think, that’s right. I think, you know, like, blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. That’s up to you. That’s your choice. But, I think, children are an heritage from the Lord. I think, children are a blessing of God. The greatest thing that ever happened to our marriage was our children. They are the most life-fulfilling things there are! I mean, they are life to us, so, it’s a great and glorious thing. And you have take into account all the factors of your life, whether they’re economic, or whether they’re social, or whatever they are, and make your determination as to how God has designed it.

Now, I’ll give you my own illustration. Family planning for us is very easy. At the very beginning, we said we want one boy, then a girl, then a boy, then a girl, so that’s what we had. So, we said we want one, and then 22 months later another, 22 months later another, 22 months later another, then five years later, another one. So, we had boy, girl, boy, girl, about 22 months, 22 months, 22 months, and five years later. I don’t understand what the problem is? Well, you know what’s interesting? Until Melinda was born, we had a sense of somebody missing in our family. We talked about that. There’s another, we always had this longing in our hearts to have somebody. But, since Melinda has been born, we said we never want any more children. No, no, we didn’t. We said, “Since Melinda's been born, there is a sense to wholeness to our family. And, that’s a very subjective thing. But, there’s nobody missing in our little family. This is the wholeness of our family. We feel this is the family God designed for us. And, we tried to stay sensitive and prayerful all the way along so we would know, specifically, what God had planned for us.

Question (continued)
Do you feel you’re trying to take advantage if you would apply Proverbs 3:5 and 6 to your family? ["Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."]Answer (continued)
You mean, trust in the Lord, and commit your way unto Him? Sure! That’s the way to do it. I don’t have any fear about my children. I’ll be very honest with you. I know where they are. I mean, in terms of spiritual things. I don’t have any fear. I don’t have any...I don’t have the least bit of fear in my life that they’d abandon the faith. Maybe, I’m naive, but I don’t believe they will. I don’t have that fear. I have in my heart...joy, because I believe they’ll grow up to love and serve Christ. Because I believe that God has confirmed to us that He will bless His word in their lives and our love and commitment to them. So, I don’t have that fear. "

Next, James Dobson has also answered the question. I will briefly summarize his statement since the document will not allow me to copy and paste. To read the full article, visit the link.

Basically, he believes that the prevention of fertilization is not morally wrong, but that anything that prevents the implantation of a human being is wrong. He has done extensive research on what such contraceptives do just that. Ones that do in fact prevent implantation are intrauterine devices (IUD). The Norplant and birth control pills that only have the hormone progesterone do not reliably prevent ovulation, thus could result in pregnancy, and furthermore, failure to implant. He states that this "is problematic for those of us who believe human life begins at conception."

Now, birth control pills known as "combined" oral contraceptives that contain both estrogen and progesterone are significantly better at preventing ovulation. However, note that I said are better, not full-proof. Most of you know that I got pregnant on combined oral contraceptives. Dobson goes on to state that there is still a lot of controversy as to whether or not combined contraceptives prevent implantation if fertilization does occur. While most pro-life doctors he talked to believe it does not prevent implantation, they still don't know for sure.

So, I hope these two pieces added a more rounded view of the picture.