Over the past few months I have had discussions with a couple of Christian bloggers who support contraceptive use in marriage. Inevitably our discussions led us to the link between abortion and contraception.
I will start out by saying that it is true that many Christian couples can and do use contraceptives without ever resorting to abortion as a back up. That doesn’t mean however that the two are not connected and I would say that logically, historically and even morally the widespread use and acceptance of artificial contraception made it possible for legalized abortion to exist.
I also discussed the connection a while backhere. It’s clear that not only are the two connected, but that since Christian women, (even Catholics whose religion forbids the use of contraceptives)contracept at the same rate as other women, they also abort at the same rates.
Today I came across this article by a Reverend Mark H. Creech, of the Christian Action League in North Carolina. I always enjoy reading an article by a Protestant who has come to the same conclusion that the Catholic Church has always maintained, namely that contraception is wrong and that it is a part of the abortion problem. Further Rev. Creech speaks to the fact that being pro contraception undermines the pro-life movement. Here are some excerpts.
Yet, I am deeply concerned the war on abortion will never finally be won unless pro-life Protestants are willing to strike at the root of the problem – contraception. Unfortunately, for too long, contraception has been seen as an “over-the-top” Catholic issue. But few realize Protestants consistently spoke out against the practice until 1930, when the Anglican Church — swayed by growing social pressure — caved in and allowed it in certain circumstances. Thus, the Trojan horse entered the house of God.
Consider 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.”
Perhaps you’re thinking some deranged medieval Pope must have made that statement. Hardly! It was Martin Luther, the Father of the Protestant Reformation who said it.
Other Protestant forefathers besides Luther also opposed contraception. John Calvin, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, and Matthew Henry, to name a few, condemned it.
Jones also quotes Ralph McInerny, professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, who says, “With ‘technological progress’ the moral case against contraception is even stronger … ” McInerny believes the “new abortion technology will lead Evangelicals to re-think their position in favor of contraception.” McInerny says, “I think it’s got to. Given the goodness of heart and the liveliness of faith there, it’s got to carry over sooner or later. There’s a continuing coming together on this issue. In the practical, moral order, it’s just to hard to distinguish between taking a life and preventing one.”
Let it suffice to say contraception and abortion are the twin-children of a Medusa-like god with vipers on her head that represent a self-centered, anti-child, materialistic, non-theistic quality-of-life mentality that God will not indefinitely suffer as a rival.
I fully expect to get some comments on this item from dissenting Catholics and Christians who want to hang on to their falsehood that one can be pro-contraception and credibly pro-life. That they can use contraceptives but because they personally would NEVER choose abortion it’s not a problem. To them I would like to introduce Jill Filipovic, feminist, pro-abortion, pro-contraception and non Christian. This is Jill’s view.
I also have a hard time with the idea that a person shouldn’t have sex unless they’re willing to accept the consequence of pregnancy. I think God made sex pleasurable for a reason, and that it isn’t irresponsible to engage in sexual activity for pleasure alone. I know quite a few conservatives who have sex for pleasure, who use birth control, and who aren’t looking to become mommies and daddies — but will hypocritically argue against reproductive rights.
Jill has a point and I this is one time that agree with her. It it is hypocritical. It weakens your witness.
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