All posts tagged: Birth control

The Ethics of Birth Control. Part 4

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  This post concludes our four-part series on the ethics of birth control. Here, Mark Driscoll discusses five “levels” of birth control and the biblical and scientific amorality of each of them. Adapted from Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. There’s no doubt the Bible says children are a blessing, but the Bible doesn’t seem to address the specific topic of birth control. Is this a black-and-white topic, or does it fall under liberties? Level 1: No Birth Control At the very least, every Christian married couple should cover every aspect of their marriage with prayer, including future children God may bless them with. Through prayer, the Christian couple is demonstrating faith in the goodness and sovereignty of God over all of life, including the womb. Some Christian couples determine to use only prayer in their family planning. As a result, they simply enjoy normal marital sexual relations and trust that if God desires that they have children, he will provide according to his timing. When a Christian couple chooses this approach, trusting that whatever happens …

The Ethics Of Birth Control. Part 3

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  Content adapted from Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll. There’s no doubt the Bible says children are a blessing, but the Bible doesn’t seem to address the specific topic of birth control. Is this a black-and-white topic, or does it fall under liberties? Mark Driscoll provides some thoughtful responses to common anti-birth control arguments. Does God command people to have children? It is argued that God commands his people to have children, yet in Genesis 1:28 we read, “God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.’” Children are a blessing, not a command. Were we commanded to have children, then those who never marry, like Jesus, and those who are barren would be in sin for not obeying God’s command. To turn a blessing into a command is a common error of legalism, which twists something we get to do in delight into something we have to do in duty. Christian married couples typically should desire and pursue children, either on their own or through adoption or fostering, and …

The Ethics of Birth Control Part 2

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Today we’ll continue the conversation with insights from Mark Driscoll, looking at 16 biblical truths that impact how we should view this issue: The Bible says children are a blessing, but the Bible doesn’t seem to address the specific topic of birth control. Is this a black-and-white topic, or does it fall under liberties? Nowhere in the Bible do we find terms such as contraception, birth control, or family planning. Still, the Bible does speak to those issues in principle. Therefore, to best answer these and other questions, we have to begin with a Christian worldview and then explore how the Bible principally establishes ethical guidelines by which contemporary birth control questions can be answered. The biblical worldview necessary for answering this question is comprised of sixteen truths. Truth 1: God is the Creator and author of human life. (Genesis 1–2; Deut. 32:39; Ps. 139:13–16) Truth 2: God made humanity in his image and likeness, which means that human life is unique and sacred. (Gen. 1:27; James 3:9) Truth 3: God intends for human beings to fill the earth. (Gen. 1:28; 9:1) Truth 4: …

The Ethics of Birth Control. Part 1

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Today I would like to introduce a subject that has been in the news for the past week. A subject of utmost importance that I think every believer must be aware of. It is the Ethics of Birth Control. Crossway Blog has a Series on the ethics of birth control and I would like to share their thoughts here. Adapted from Ethics for a Brave New World, Second Edition, by John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg The twentieth century saw major changes in humankind’s understanding sexuality—the sexual revolution, the rise of varying understandings of sexual orientation, and of morally permissible sexual activity. The methods of conceiving and gestating a baby have also dramatically expanded. During the last half of the twentieth century there has been a steady increase in the use of birth control devices—for Christians and non-Christians alike. Despite a long tradition of hesitation in regard to birth control, both pragmatic and biblical considerations have led many Christians to conclude that birth control is morally acceptable. Before jumping into the ethics of birth control, it’s …