Another article, another controversial subject. 🙂 But to be honest, I started this blog thinking that it is so weird how some topics are not being talked about in the church. Moreover, you cannot even ask some questions without seeming too “brave” or shameless. Well, we want to know; we want to obey Jesus in every sphere of life. So if your leaders blush after hearing words such as “condom” or “penetration,”… well, my blog doesn’t blush, and it answers every question a young Christian wife can have. So I hope you’ll stick around, sister. 🙂 Okay, without further postpone let’s answer the question – Can Christians use birth control?
What IS Birth Control?
I will not give you a Wikipedia-like definition. What I can do is explain it to you in simple words without complicating it with medical terms. Birth control is using tools that help you not get pregnant. It is as simple as that – of course, there are different methods of doing it, and we will talk about them in a second.
But before that happens, let me just say this – why on earth is it called “birth control”? It does not prevent you from giving birth! If so, it prevents the… conservation? concept? conception? You know which English word I have in mind. Eh, it’s not easy having English as a second language 🙂
Anyway, back to the subject. We are talking calendars, pulling out, condoms, pills. There are some other ones, like this weird thing that hooks inside of you and… well, no, thank you, we will not talk about that. Unless you are really curious, then drop me a comment or an email, and I’ll make sure to dig more into this. For now, let’s focus on the most popular methods.
Can Christians Use Birth Control? Let’s See What The Bible Says
Bible does not talk directly about modern anticonception – I mean, I haven’t stumbled upon a verse that says “Use condoms and you shall be condomned” – got that? Condom-ned *laughing at her own joke*. Sorry, I had to throw this lame joke; it was too tempting 😀
But the Bible gives us some advice and tips on what attitude we should have towards that subject. Let’s see:
Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.'”
This one’s easy – God wants us to multiply. Children are a blessing. But I don’t see any indicator that would say we need to have as many kids as we can and as quickly as we can.
Luke 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Looks like the answer to “Can Christians use birth control?” sounds “Yes” in this one. In this verse, God calls us to be responsible. To plan, organize, and calculate. But also, as we know: Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” We can plan as much as we want, and God still has a better plan 🙂
So let me say this – we can use some birth control (not all of them align with Christian faith, but I will explain soon), but if we get pregnant anyway, it is always a blessing. If God wants you to have children before you think you are ready, He will make sure for it to happen. No condom will stop Him. I mean, if a virgin got pregnant because of His power…. 😉
The Attitude of the Heart
I think, just like with everything, the most important thing is having the right attitude of the heart. For example, if you consider anticonception because you want to control everything like a maniac, well… But if you want to use it because you want to peacefully experience Song of Songs before you will be want to become a parent – nothing wrong with that.
In fact, I personally recommend waiting to have kids at least some time after getting married. I explain it more in this article: Why You Should Wait With Having Kids.
It all should be balanced and prayed over. And, what is also important, both of you should be okay with that. So if one of you answers “No!” to Can Christians use birth control, while you are convinced it is okay, then take some time to talk and pray about it together. The worst thing you can do is push something into your partner by force.
So, Can Christians Use Birth Control? Let’s Talk Specifics
Well, I could write a whole article specifically for each birth control method (and maybe that’s exactly what I should do!), but for now, let me briefly explain why or why not each of them aligns with the Bible.
Pills
Absolutely not. Sadly, my husband and I made the mistake of using them. We were ignorant, didn’t check it completely. And believe me, if I could go back in time I would never swallow a single pill! We sinned with this one, and we were terribly sorry – but hey, Jesus died for such sins too! So, we are forgiven, and now we know better than to use pills. Never again!
First of all, there are two basic kinds – again, I will not go into medical stuff here, but what it does is it freezes the wall of the egg – so when the little guys out of sperm (again, don’t know the English word, you have to forgive me) hit it, they… die. Even if they already connected with an egg.
For me, it sounds scary and simply not right. Also, it is so unhealthy! You can die from it, it destroys your health, hormones, etc. I still suffer some of the consequences of this tragic choice. For the love of your body and your future child, don’t go into pills.
Calendar
Calendar is simply planning which days you can make love and not get pregnant. So, basically skipping it when you’re ovulating. No health damage, just responsible planning and paying attention to your body. This is a total YES!
Pulling Out
I’ve heard some people do that, and it works, yet some others said that it never does. But no matter what the rate of protection is in this one, there’s nothing sinful or going against faith here. If it makes it more comfortable for you two, knowing you will pull out, then sure, go for it. It’s actually similar to:
Condoms
It’s basically like pulling out without actually pulling out since sperm does not get inside. 😀 There is no health risk included unless you are allergic to latex. It’s another yes!
Can Christians Use Birth Control? Final Thoughts
As Bible, in many places, but especially in Song of Songs, underlines, sex is supposed to be fun and bonding. Yes, it allows us to have children, but it is not the only purpose of it. And I think if we start treating it as a reproductive tool only, we will not be much different than animals.
It is also about the love and God-glorying pleasure that He wants us to experience safely and in peace. There are plenty (or at least three :)) totally okay methods of birth control that Christians can use freely without compromising their faith or health. So, can Christians use birth control? Yes, they can use some of the methods after carefully examining their heart and motives.
Do you agree, or have some other thoughts? I would be delighted to hear them – feel free to use the comment section.