Featured Family planning.

It's not really addressed in the Bible. Primarily because most of the methods we use today didn't exist in biblical times.

My wife and I have used birth control in various forms and have no problem with it ethically, theologically, or biblically. It isn't addressed explicitly (outside of maybe Genesis 38 and Leviticus 15) but when it is the context doesn't carry across. Many of the purification rituals and personal cleanliness obligations under the old Law are no longer required in the New Covenant.

I don't see it addressed in the Bible. This might well be a principle of freedom in Christ, or Christian liberty.

Now for a brief story: I remember talking with a good friend in seminary about family planning and I made an off hand remark that my wife and I were waiting until we were done with school and more established before having kids. He got very agitated and started condemning me in front of a bunch of people (outside the faculty lounge nonetheless.) It was a really weird moment. I just told him to calm down and that I don't think he had the right to speak into my life like he was. It got very testy and he refused to talk with me for the remainder of the semester. I don't know why people get so crazy about these issues. For me, freedom in Christ/Christian liberty, is a carefully applied principle. Here it seems to be appropriate.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enkIK6Wqqdk

I generally agree with John Piper's logic here...start about 3 minutes in for his discussion of choosing to have less kids for some reason.

 

Can't bring myself to use abortifacients. It is a tertiary method of the pill. When my wife and I found that out, we couldn't justify using the pill anymore.

 

And if the latter isn't limited, there may be more of the former. :laugh:

 

The answer is no it is not biblical, but the reason is there was no such thing from a medical prospect to address it at the writing of the bible. One problem with birth control is if done in a pill form it can and does cause abortions even when the couple are not aware of it. I tis highly likely that many Christian women who have used the pill have done an abortion and did not know it.
http://www.prolife.com/BIRTHCNT.html

As for a married couple who are seeking to limit their family size through natural means I see no reason to think it goes against the Lord's will, but I would be open to hear how and why if some feel it does..

 

The Bible has lots to say about providing for one's own family. Based on that, I say, if you can't feed 'em, don't breed 'em.

There's nothing worse to me than seeing a big family with the parents touting how they "trust the Lord" about childbirth, yet they are on foodstamps/welfare or living off the generosity of others.

That's not to say all big families do this, but I've seen it time and time again and it's hypocritical.

As Ann stated, there are times when barrier methods or other birth control methods are needed and appropriate.

 

I'd like to see your research results.

The phrase "go forth and multiply" from scripture echo's in my thoughts as I've read this thread. I don't remember anywhere where there's a qualifier added -- "go forth and multiply", except .....

If there is a qualifier situation/example, please let me know.

Bringing in modern ways to control birth as a reason is like saying God's word doesn't apply because we now have xyz that didn't exist when God inspired the recording of His word. God didn't know that today we'd have xyz and didn't know that we'll have tomorrow's abc?

What yardstick do we use to judge whether we or anyone else can "afford" to have children? Amount of money in the bank? House with separate bedrooms for each child? Whether we feed them beans and rice or steak and caviar? Ability to buy disposable diapers vs washing/re-using cloth ones?

I was one of 5 children who grew up on a sharecropper farm with an income well under any modern "poverty level" income. Yes, people said my parents shouldn't have had that many children because they couldn't afford them. Yet, we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothing for our bodies. Our parents provided for us, as the Bible dictates.

By today's standards (yardstick) we didn't have a nice home, stylish clothes, chicken McNuggets, and personal cell phones by age 5, nor baby-sitter TV and video games. There were many nutritious meals that are the equivalent of beans and rice. Plus, our parents provided much for us that didn't involve material possessions or dollars and cents.

For those advocating prevent the birth of children we can't "afford", which one(s) of my brothers and sisters should my parents have chosen to omit? Myself? If God had deemed anyone of us to be unneeded for His purposes, conception would not have taken place.

Before closing, my parents did not accept one cent of welfare. What little there was available, in my youth, compared to today's "entitlement" programs, tax credits, etc. They held a very poor opinion of those who chose welfare when they were capable of earning a living for themselves. OTOH, they gave, of what we had, to others who were indeed unable to provide for themselves.

In closing, should your parents have chosen to avoid your conception because of finances or any other reason? (your = each reader of this thread) Would it be blibical if they had chosen to interfere with God's plan for your life?

 

Labinsk, here is a well-known voice from the past (an early 1900s politician) lamenting birth control:

---Humans think they are wise and humane when they try to limit procreation. They are delighted thinking they have thwarted the Divine Will by restricting their number of offpring. Man may exult in defying the eternal laws of procreation, but judgment will follow sooner or later---

 

When I was in college, there were several families of married students who believed in "trusting the Lord" regarding birth control. Each of these families already had children and were on government assistance as the fathers were full-time students. Yet, the wives continued to get pregnant. They were then unable to care for the children they already had because the dad was a student and mom was sick, so the kids they already had were farmed out to other families to babysit and feed, free of charge, while mom and dad continued to pro-create. This was irresponsible and became a burden on others.

I know of a young couple who believe they are "trusting the Lord." Although neither of them had a job and no housing, they got married anyway and moved in with the groom's parents. The wife is now pregnant. A church member took pity on them and bought them an old trailer to live in. They sleep on the floor on an air mattress. While they are "trusting the Lord" they are living off the generosity of others and are clearly not ready to yet provide for a new baby.

Children are a blessing, yes. But having children and caring for them physically and spiritually is a RESPONSIBILITY. If other people (including the taxpayers) are feeding, housing, and clothing your family, I believe it is a sin to continue to pro-create under those conditions. Birth control can space out the pregnancies until a family is able to provide for its own.

Trusting the Lord is one thing. Letting other people pay for your fun is quite another.

 

I never understood how someone who has sex during a period the probability of conception is highest is "trusting the Lord" in the size of the family. He designed children to be conceived during this time, did He not? Not all methods of birth control are abortifacients (condoms, essure, vasectomy, etc.)

I find it comical we plan every aspect of our child's upbringing...yet it is not "trusting the Lord" to plan on the size of our family.

 

How about those that are saved later in life, and made decisions prior to salvation that affect family planning? i.e., vasectomy before being saved?

(on a side note, I was one of those people; after we were saved, my wife started praying for another child. Of course, still being new to it all, I was saddened about my decision that made it a biological improbability. About 10-11 months later, my second daughter was born. Then I made the decision to have a reversal; about 10 months later, my second son was born. My wife prayed for more children, but God didn't "open the womb" any more after that.)

 

Do you sit home and "wholly' trust God to provide an income for you or do you get up and go to work?

 

A second to Salty's :thumbsup:.