Is Artificial Birth Control
Biblically Acceptable?
by Debra Dykes
After searching the Holy Scriptures for specific examples and principles regarding procreation, I unhesitatingly state that there is no biblical defense in favor of artificial birth control. From the very beginning we've been told by God to "be fruitful and multiply." This command has been repeated several times, and never been nullified under any set of circumstances. In fact, mathematically, childbearing couples, on average, need at least five offspring in order to "multiply". This is due to childless families, celibate singles, homosexual lifestyles, and early-age death tolls. God may only send one or two children (ex: Sarah, Rachel) or he may send six or seven (Hannah, Mary) or even more (Susanna Wesley). It should be by His plans for He desires godly offspring (Mal 2:15).
God calls children gifts, rewards, blessings, heritage, fruit, arrows, glory, exaltation, etc. Who are we to contradict God? Or to refuse His gift? Esau "despised" his blessing, thus rejecting his birthright. He was later labelled an "immoral and godless" person (Heb 12:16).
Some say that because of financial reasons and the "evils of our day", we Christians should have few, if any, children. The Israelites did not heed this advice even during their bondage as slaves in Egypt (Ex 1:17,12,20) and Babylon (Jer 29:4,6).
Just think, if we had continued bearing the children we should have borne, America would have a far different make-up throughout it's leadership.
Some Christian leaders misquote Genesis 2:7, making strong implication that man has the power to choose when to "give breath" to offspring. This scripture clearly focuses on God as The Life-giver, not man. The large number of infertile couples attests to that.
Others say that the Onan incident (Gen 38:8-10) is irrelevant to the birth control issue. Here again, God's Word plainly says that Onan was killed by God because "what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord." Onan wasted his seed on the ground so as not to fill a fruitful womb after already performing the conjugal act. Deut. 25:5-10 explains what should have happened to him if he had only broken the "law of redemption": he would have lost a sandal and the wife would have spit on him. There is obviously a big difference between the two penalties. Onan's younger brother, Shelah, was not killed. He only broke the "law of redemption", and did not practice birth control.
God also had a great deal to say about the value of our sexual organs. If they are torn, bruised, crushed, or cut, God labels them as a defect or injury (Lev.21-22). In fact, a wife was to have her hand cut off if she seized a man's genitals even if trying to protect her husband in a fight (Deut 25:11-12). The death penalty accompanied a number of sexual abuses (Lev.20:13,15,16,18). No one emasculated was allowed to enter the assembly of the Lord (Deut.23:1).
We wonder if urologists and gynecologists would treat their vasectomy or tubal ligation patients differently if they thought these penalties were still imposed today! Perhaps they'd agree: "If it ain't broke, don't "fix" it!" God designed our bodies to function by His order. The woman's (womb-man) natural function (Romans 1:26), created by God and different from man's function, is childbearing and breastfeeding.
Contraceptives have been around since 1900 B.C. Egypt. Up until 1958 (my birth year) the church condemned birth control. Christian leaders and theologians consistently spoke and wrote against it: protestants like Charles Spurgeon, the Pilgrims, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Matthew Henry and Anthony Comstock, just to name a few. But, Margaret Sanger's, Planned Parenthood propaganda has been accepted wholeheartedly by today's generation. Psalms 1 says not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Today's "church" seems to be running with this wicked counsel.
Christians risk the many health problems incurred by artificial birth control and sterilization; such as, breast cancer, birth defects, blood clotting, embolism, heart attack, stroke, liver tumor, diabetes, prostate cancer, and dozens more. It is also a medical fact that the IUD induces abortion and "the pill" causes abortion 2%-50% of the time (With 30 million women that's 1.5 million annually, minimum). Christians are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice and to glorify God in our bodies, for they are the temple of God. Can we do that and use artificial birth control? No.
If a couple feels that childbearing would be dangerous, then perhaps self control (a fruit of the Spirit) through Natural Family Planning or Billings Method should be considered.
We must stop doing what is right in our own eyes and begin to be filled with discernment, leaning not on our own understanding, but trusting God. The whole Bible is profitable for reproof and instruction. Jesus Himself directs us to the Old Testament (Matt.5:17-19). The New Testament refers to it more than 1600 times.
As we seek the kingdom of God in our family planning, He will add all things to us that we need. God is the best family planner.
Debra is a Christian freelance writer and has created a Bible Study entitled....
"Freedom In Godly Family Planning"
You can contact her via E-mail for a copy.