Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Birth Control: A Guide for Engaged and Newlywed Couples

From PROTESTANTS AGAINST BIRTH CONTROL

If you are like almost every other recently engaged or newlywed couple, you have probably given some thought to the subject of birth control. Hopefully, you have even talked this over some with your soon-to-be mate. As you look forward to your wedding and your new life together, birth control is one topic that you and your future mate would be wise to discuss.

This article is designed to be a simple, brief review of the subject of birth control, from a Christian, Biblical perspective. It was written by a young couple who married not too long ago, and had to sort through the issue of birth control. Please read this through, and prayerfully consider its contents.

What is birth control?

With today's modern technology, the newly married couple is bombarded with more choices of birth control than ever before. There are dozens of options, and this can make thinking through the alternatives very confusing.

A distinction exists between contraceptive birth control (Contraceptives) and abortifacient birth control (Abortifacients). Contraceptives include the so-called barrier methods: the condom, the diaphragm, the cervical cap; and anti-sperm methods such as the sponge, jellies, foams and creams. These methods prevent sperm from fertilizing an egg, which starts a new human life.

Abortifacients cause abortions. To put it bluntly, abortifacients kill pre-born children. Most Christians consider that the use of abortifacients is a personal choice. However, very few have really taken the time to understand that abortifacients cause growing little sons and daughters to die.

ABORTIFACIENTS

What is "the Pill"?

The Pill is a group of more than 50 similar types of abortifacients. These pills are taken orally, usually every day. They have three ways of working:

1. They prevent ovulation by suppressing the part of the brain which signals for ovulation to begin.

2. They change the lining in the cervix to make it more difficult for sperm to pass through and fertilize an egg.

3. They prevent implantation of newly conceived human life on the lining of the womb.1,2

The first two methods are contraceptive in nature, the last one causes abortions. The developers of the Pill realized that using only the first two mechanisms would let too many women become pregnant. So they added a chemical which denies the growing baby the opportunity to continue developing properly. The new pre-born baby starves to death and passes out from the mother's body.

Very conservative estimates state that the Pill kills children between two and ten percent of the time.3 However, this does not account for two very important factors.

1. Many medicines such as antibiotics and several other external factors increase the abortion-causing nature of the Pill.4,5

2. Since 1988, the amount of the contraceptive component of the Pill was lowered, which allows the abortion-causing component of the Pill to come into play more often. This results in more abortions. It is estimated that some forms of the Pill of today cause abortions up to fifty percent of the time.6 Whether two or fifty percent, what Christians would ever consider gambling with the lives of their own children?

Among the more serious side effects of the pill are possible infertility, cervical cancer, breast cancer, tubal pregnancy inflammatory disease, increased chances of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, gall bladder disease, blindness, strokes, blood clots and even death.7,8,9

What is the IUD?

The IUD (Intra-uterine device) does nothing but cause early abortions. Inserted past the cervix, the IUD inflames the lining of the womb and stops implantation of the developing child.

IUD's do nothing to prevent conception from taking place. Their only function is to cause these early abortions.

Some side effects of the IUD are possible perforation of the uterus, temporary or permanent sterility, tubal pregnancy, future miscarriages, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even death.10

What is Norplant?

Norplant is a series of capsules which are implanted under the skin. It is designed to be effective for up to five years. Norplant acts as both a contraceptive and an abortifacient. Studies show that it may cause abortions fifty to sixty-five percent of the time.11

A growing number of lawsuits are being filed against the makers of Norplant because of the difficulty of removal. Reported side effects include weight gain, nausea, yeast infections, and acne. The most serious side effects include heart attacks, strokes and nerve damage.12,13,14

What is Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera is an injection received every three months. It acts as both a contraceptive and an abortifacient. It has the same three mechanisms that the Pill does, two are contraceptive, and one is abortion causing. Depo-Provera may cause abortions forty to sixty percent of the time. 15

Some side effects include an increased risk of breast cancer, mood swings, blood pressure problems, and weight gain.16,17

What is the future of abortifacients?

The abortifacients mentioned are the most common on the market. There are dozens of products in various stages of research, development or testing. RU-486 is just another of these human pesticides.

The latest abortifacient being used at several sites across the U.S. is the methotrexate/misoprostol combination.18 Like RU-486, it is purely abortifacient and not contraceptive. Methotrexate is an extremely aggressive chemical used in chemotherapy to eradicate cancer.19 Unfortunately, it also acts very brutally towards the pre-born child. Any standard drug reference manual should warn against pregnant women using this drug for any reason for the "risk to the unborn child" that it poses.20

There are also several vaccines being developed to prevent pregnancy. Some versions claim to be effective for up to five years. They work by stimulating the woman's immune system to produce antibodies which attack the sperm or any newly conceived baby. All of the methods being tested seem able to produce abortions and kill helpless human life.

CONTRACEPTIVES

What about contraception?

As mentioned before, only a few methods of birth control called contraception are truly contraceptives. These are the condom, the diaphragm, the cervical cap, and the anti-sperm agents. While these methods do not cause abortions, a Christian couple should still weigh the facts carefully and consider Scripture before deciding to use one of them.

Although abortifacients and contraceptives are not the same thing, it is a mistake to assume that they are not related. Both have so much to do with how we view Christian marriage and children. Society views children as a burden; the Bible views them as blessings and gifts (Psalm 127:3-5).

Before you decide that contraception is what you really want, ask yourself, "In light of Scripture, why do we want to deny ourselves blessings and gifts from God?" Ask yourself, "Can we plan our family better than God can?"

We invite you to join us in the conviction that children are among the most wonderful blessings and gifts in the world. We believe that God can plan our families infinitely better than we ever could!

Footnotes:
1. The Pill: How does it work? Is it safe?, Couple to Couple League Int'l Inc., PO Box 111184 Cincinnati OH, 42511-1184, (1993), pp. 2-3.
2. Ehmann, Dr. Rudolf. Abortifacient Contraception: The Pharmaceutical accutical Holocaust, Human Life International, 7845 Airpark Rd ., Ste. E Gaithersburg, MD 20879, (1993), p.1.
3. Infant Homicides Through Contraceptives, 2nd ed, Eternal Life, PO Box 787 Bardstown, KY 40004, (1994), p.1.
4. Ibid., p. 2.
5. Ehmann, pp. 16-17.
6. The Birth Control Game: With Lffe, American Life League/ Pharmacists for Life, PO Box 1350 Stafford, VA 22554, (1990), p. 2.
7. Appleton, Joan. The Pill: The Oral Method of Contraception, Pro-Life Action Ministries, PO Box 75368 St. Paul, MN 55175, (1995).
8. Oral Contraceptives Facts Sheet, Pharmacists for Life, PO Box 1281 Pawell, OH 43065-1281,(n.d.),p. 1.
9. The Medical Hazards of the Birth Control Pill, Child and Family Reprints, PO Box 508, Oak Park, IL 60303 (1969),p. 32.
10. lnfant HornicidesThroughCaltraceptives,p. 22.
11. lbid,pp. 28-29.
12. Norplant Facts Summary, Pharmacists far Life, PO Box 1281 Powell, OH 43065-1281, (n.d ), p. 2.
13. Reynolds, Barbara. Women Suffering frorn Norplant Arm-Twisting, U.S.A Today, (July 15, 1994), p. 15A.
14. Norplant Systems Package Insert, Wyeth Laboratories Inc., Philadelphia, PA 19101.
15. lnfant Homicides Through Contraceptives ,p. 28.
16. Ibid, pp. 11-12.
17. Beil, Laura, Popularity of Depo-Provera Soaring Despite Concerns of Minority by Women, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, (November 27,1995), p. 7E.
18. Beginnings, Pharmacists For Life, Vol. XI No. 5, p; 3.
19. Gr.iffith H. Winter. Complete Guide To Prescription and Non-prescription Drugs, 7th ed, The Body Press, 360 N. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90048 (1990) pp. 634-635.
20. Ibid.
21. Infant Homicides Through Contraceptives, p.40.
22. Beginnings, Pharmacists far Life, Vol. XI No. 2, p. 3.
23. Birth Control Game: Gambling With Life, pp. 2-3.

The Protest of a Protestant Minister Against Birth Control

by MATT TREWHELLA, MISSIONARIES TO THE PREBORN

Sunlight was just beginning to break over the darkness of the morning as my wife and I hurl toward the entrance of the cold brick-faced building. Fear and apprehension gripped me each step of the way. A thousand questions and thoughts raced through my mind. "How much pain will there be? Why the heck did I ever do this in the first place? Maybe I should just leave."

As I entered the door, I figured these were my last moments to bolt and run. I thought back to when I had done something similar six and a half years earlier and remembered the words that blazed across my mind when the procedure began--l will never do this again! Yet there I was, about to have a vasectomy reversal. What could possibly bring a man to the point where he would be willing to go under the knife once again?

Two UnBiblical Beliefs

Only two things could convince a man to get a vasectomy reversal.

1. a radical restructuring of his beliefs, or
2. a nagging wife.

For me it was the former.

In 1985, I held two beliefs which convinced me that getting a vasectomy was fine. The first belief was that God nowhere in Scripture condemns the use of birth control, therefore it must be okay. The second belief was that God wants us to use"wisdom," therefore in today's economy and because of my emotional makeup it would not be wise for me to have more than two children, and I already had two. Both beliefs are unBiblical.

The first belief, that God no where in Scripture condemns the use of birth control therefore it must be okay, fails to recognize the very first command of God in Scripture. It is found in Genesis 1:28. God says, after creating man and woman, "be fruitful and multiply." This is not a suggestion - it is a command!

By virtue of the fact that God commands us to be "fruitful and multiply," He speaks against birth control.

When we use birth control, we are saying, "No, I won't be 'fruitful and multiply!"' We are disobeying God and we are abrogating one of His intents for marriage (Gen. 2:24).

Some would say that this command no longer applies because the earth is full. This teaching that the earth is overpopulated or may soon be is a humanistic, pagan myth. Christians who teach this display their ignorance and sadly show once again that too often the presuppositions of popular 20th century Christianity are the same as the world's.The truth is, all the people of the world standing side by side in a four foot square area each could fit in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, leaving the rest of the world wide open. (Read The Economics and Politics of Race: An International Perspective by Thomas Sowell.)

The second belief, that we must use "wisdom," is nowhere supported by Scripture and reveals our lack of trust in God to meet our needs. If God wants us to "use wisdom" i.e. use birth control, then why is it that whenever people in the Scriptures have many children God declares it is because He has blessed them? In I Chronicles 25:4-5, we read that Hamen had 14 sons. For what purpose? To financially burden him? No. God did it to bless him the Scriptures say!

God views children as rewards, gifts and arrows from Him (Psalm 127:3-5). He views them as a blessing (Deuteronomy 7:13,14), and as a sign of His approval (Exodus 23:25,26). Most Christians would view houses from the Lord as a gift, reward, blessing, or sign of His approval, yet, if they received four or five houses, I highly doubt any of them would say, "Well, we better use wisdom" and begin to practice house-control, not accepting more than two. Obviously, God's view of children is very different from ours.

Historical Teaching

For too long birth control has been looked upon as a "Catholic issue". It is fast becoming a "Protestant issue" however, as Protestant ministers like myself protest the heretical teaching of birth control that is being propagated in Protestant churches. We must understand that the Church, whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, spoke consistently for 1900 years against birth control. Only in the last 75 years have Protestant churches begun to peddle this belief that God thinks it's okay or wise for us to use birth control.\

Listen to this quote, "The purpose of marriage is not to have pleasure and to be idle but to procreate and bring up children, to support a household. Those who have no love for children are swine, stocks, and logs unworthy of being called men or women; for they despise the blessings of God, the Creator and Author of marriage." some Protestants would say, "This quote is obviously them ad dribblings of some medieval Pope." It is not. Rather, it is the founder of the Reformation, Martin Luther who said this. Protestant Christians need to realize that their leaders consistently spoke against birth control up until about 75 years ago.

Who are some of the leaders besides Luther? John Calvin, John Wesley, Robert Dabney, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Zacharius Ursinus, Heinrich Bullinger, Cotton Mather, Herbert Leupold, Johann Keil, Franz Delitszch, Matthew Henry, Adam Clark and John Machen, just to name a few, spoke against the use of birth control.

The founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, once stated, "The most merciful thing a large family can do to one of its infant members is to kill it." This does not shock most Christians today because they agree with her and quote her daily. " I can't handle more than two." "I can't wait until you grow up and move out." "Will this be your last?" (Asked in church after a couple announces they are having a third child; no congratulations of course) All of these statements and those like them parade the party line of Planned Parenthood, and are in opposition to our Protestant forefathers.

Time has come for those of us in Protestant Christianity to come to grips with the teaching of scripture and our historical heritage and begin to follow the teaching of God and our forefathers, rather than the teaching of Margaret Sanger.

Blood in our Bricks

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 baby-murder. God help us to have His view of children and to obey His commands!