Part II "The Bondage of the Pill" - A Hard Pill to Swallow

Okay, if you made it through 'Part I' relatively unscathed, then congratulations. As I reread it today, I found it was pretty difficult to follow my own train of thought, and when I finally got where I was trying to go, I switched tracks. Hopefully Part II will be a little easier to follow...

First let's clarify what we're talking about. Here is what Webster says about our terms:

birth - n. the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent, the act or process of bringing forth young from the womb

control - v. to exercise restraining or directing influence over

birth control - n. control of the number of children born

While doing some research for this topic, I came across some Q & A from Desiring God (the ministry of John Piper) on the issue, which can be found here. They, like many church leaders today, take the stance that birth control is permissible in the Christian marriage if used under the correct assumption that children are a gift from God. They also state, "The Bible nowhere forbids birth control, either explicitly or implicitly, and we should not add universal rules that are not in Scripture."

Explicitly, I grant. Implicitly, I take issue with. If one looks at the entire biblical narrative of marriage and childbearing, you will find NO support for the use of birth control. That seems like it would be a big deal. But not for the pro-control crowd.

To the reformers, something with no biblical support was far from being included in their doctrine. Why should it be any difference for us? Do we need a "Thou shalt not close thine own womb" - to get the point across? You would think that we would get the idea, since time after time God blessed the barren with children, and they actually saw it as a blessing! It seems that since the wide-spread acceptance of birth control, we now see pregnancy as an interference in marriage, a mere sideshow to its 'real' purpose.

But many take this issue as one of 'moderation'. (That's right, I said moderation and I'm not talking about alcohol) They figure that since many gifts of God are to be enjoyed in moderation, why not children? Interesting argument, but that's about it. The true demarcation line is this:

Conception is the CREATION OF HUMAN LIFE.

No other material gift from God can be compared with it.

In simplest terms: life is not ours to moderate. We don't have the right to sit on the throne of human wisdom and decide when and when not, to have the possibility of creating human life. As A.W. Tozer once stated, "Just because you have the power to do something, does not mean you have the right to do it." We don't have the opportunity to choose our children's eye color, height, weight, skin tone, genetic peculiarities...so why should we venture to think we should be able to decide upon their creation? Arrogant, wouldn't you say?

Webster says that control is "exercising restraining or directing influence over" something. Hmmm....so we ascribe all else to Christ, but leave child bearing to our own discretion . "Oh", we say, "that must be our own decision!" We are the only ones with enough wisdom to know how to grow and manage a family, right? Nope, wrong again.

So am I saying that all types of birth control infringe on God's sovereign pleasure in creating life(as Piper would say)? Now you're getting it...

I'll close with two quotes:
The first from Pastor Matt Trewhella:
"If you were to list all the reasons why Christians use birth control, you would see that they are the same reasons why a woman aborts her child. The number one reason (according to all studies ever done) a woman aborts her child is because the child is an inconvenience. The child interferes with the mother's (or the father's) pursuit of happiness or possessions. When we use birth control, we are embracing the same anti-child mentality. We are saying that our pursuit of so called happiness, our pursuit of possessions, is more important than obeying God. The question is,"How can we abrogate God's design for marriage and expect to really be happy?"

In the Church today, we "warehouse" children. We don't want them around us during the church service. Many pastors are advising newly married couples to use birth control the first two years of their marriage so they can have time to get used to each other without having undue stress added to the marriage. The cause for abrogating God's command to "be fruitful and multiply," is the same as the cause for abrogating His command "you shall not murder" - self-centeredness! One of the main reasons why the Church has failed to act against abortion is because it embraces the same anti-child mentality as those who advocate the murdering of the helpless preborn.

We have no God-given right to manipulate God's design for marriage by using birth control. As long as we continue to make "possessions" and"self" our god and as long as we look at children as a diaper bill rather than a blessing, we will never see the Church act in mass against [birth control]. God help us to have His view of children and to obey His commands!"

And finally a quote by Sam and Bethany Torode:
"As married persons, our part is to remain open to children, by becoming one flesh and refusing to compromise that union....

But every time husband and wife come together, they ought to do so in earnest, in an open embrace, withholding nothing from each other -- including their fertility. By participating in marital relations, they should be indicating their willingness to accept whatever naturally follows; during the fertile times of a woman's cycle, this may include children."

Verses for Meditation:
Psalm 127, 128
1 Thess 4

Recommended readings:
The Bible and Birth Control by Charles Provan

Stay near your computer...I'll get that interview up someday.

Bro. Hank

"What if God meant marriage to make us holy, more than happy?" - C.S. Lewis