With Pen in Hand..

Well, I am delighted to see that, according to one of Bro. Hank's last posts, there is now a viewership of well over 1 million people for this blog. Sorry for the extended absence. I've been away on the other side of the world in an undisclosed location the last couple of months and presently, as in the near future, I will be without a high speed connection. At any rate, though it seems almost unfair with Hank leaving town, I think I will jump into the 'Bondage of the Pill' debate on the other side of the slippery slope or perhaps just farther down. At any rate, it wouldn't be any fun at all to have everyone on the same side of the issue. However, given that I will have a few days until his return, I will probably make the opening post tomorrow or the next day so if any of the other contributors are planning to jump in, I would enjoy the company. I cannot resist making a few parting shots beforehand however..

As much as I love Luther and especially the satirical use of his classic in this thread I would not accept many of his beliefs without question. To say marriage is not meant for pleasure is in effect to deny Song of Solomon its canonicity (if that's a word) which in fact he may well have done. According to many scholars he roughly (and poorly) exegeted Psalms and history tells us he was not as skillful at handling beauty and love as he was at dealing with judgment and heresy. More on that later..

And to say the weight of scholarship and theological prowess in the nineteenth century and before is against birth control is undoubtedly the case, but I have not noticed in the introduction to this topic a discussion of the means of birth control utilized then and now. That may perhaps be of some account. In the time of Christ, I believe the only way to reduce the pain of many diseases was suicide.. now we have morphine.. Suicide does not find much support in Scripture and morphine isn't mentioned to my recollection, yet I do not see anyone picketing the drugstore (except the contraceptive aisle).

Anyway, more to come.

Peace in Jesus
EP