Evangelical Leader: Young Protestant Couples Rejecting “Contraception Revolution”

LifeSite ^ | November 3, 2006 | Gudrun Schultz

[NYer]

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, November 3, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Young Christian couples are re-thinking contraceptive use and biblical teaching on human sexuality, in response to a growing awareness of the social damage caused by the sexual revolution, a foremost leader in the U.S evangelical community told Christianity Today last month.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is a theologian and ordained minister, serving as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the leading educational institution of the Southern Baptist Convention. He said Christian evangelicals are questioning the effects  widespread reliance on birth control has had on society.

“In the first place, this generation has now come to adulthood at a time when we can take some stock of the impact represented by the sexual revolution and by the easy access to effective contraception and birth control,” Dr. Mohler said.

“And the burden now seems to be, ‘What did all of this mean? What was the affect of the birth control revolution? What kind of changes in human institutions and relationships came as a result of the Pill? What about the missing generation among us of children who would otherwise be present were it not for the easy availability of effective birth control?’”

The previous generation’s acceptance of a secular understanding of sexuality and marriage is no longer satisfactory to young people, Dr. Mohler said, who are challenging the separation between fertility and sexuality in the popular mindset.
 
“The second issue is, in this postmodern time, a recovery, among the young, of a biblical ideal of marriage. They are doing their very best to rethink the basic questions and, in doing so, they are embarrassed by the easy, rather unreflective embrace of the contraception culture that marked evangelicalism in the 1960s and 70s. So they want to rethink all this.

“The third thing is, I think, a deep embrace of a biblical notion of sexuality, post-the sexual revolution, has led many younger evangelicals to think seriously about this question, and all this adds up to giant question mark in the minds of many young Christians. Can we join the contraceptive revolution? And, if not, how do we think about these things in a way that will strengthen our marriages and be most pleasing to God.”

Dr. Mohler said survey indications showing almost half of pro-life Americans support easy access to the abortifacient morning-after pill reveals the lack of consistent thinking among evangelicals on the issue.

“What we face are many evangelicals whose understanding of these things is rather superficial at best and largely influenced by the culture. And so they know how to answer the question about the sanctity of human life correctly, in the main, but they do not know how to apply that to the question of birth control.”

Read coverage in Christianity Today:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/octoberweb-only/143...

[FarRightFanatic]

"But the doctor told her that the pill not only prevents ovulation but if you do ovulate and the egg becomes fertilized it prevents the fertilized egg from implanting on the uterine wall. They have decided not to use the pill because of that. Have you ever heard that before?"


Wasn't true in my case. I got pregnant with my second AND third children while ON the pill.

[svcw]

I got pregnant with my second while on the pill also. Lovely child. But it bothers me that there can be fertilized eggs that do not implant. I think that is what is also bothering my daughter.

[TaxRelief]

If you choose contraception, then you are not trusting the will of God. What is the evangelical position on trusting God?

[norge]

I trust God, but I stop at all stop signs.

[voiceinthewind]

Thanks for the ping, NYer. I have a large family, and we did it on basically one income.I have trusted in the Lord in all things, including how many children He has blessed us with. He has not let us down yet.

[rom]

I trust God, but I stop at all stop signs.

LOL!

[PleaseNoMore]

I trust God, but I chose a tubal ligation because of the effects pregnancy and child bearing had on my health. Four times, and a C section each time, was quite enough for me. Were I to conceive, carry and deliver a child again, I would most likely die. Is that God's will for my family and my children; to leave them motherless?

I am curious though. What is the church's stance on those who seek medical help with conceiving a child?

[PleaseNoMore]

]"To have coitus other than to procreate children is to do injury to nature"

So, a husband and wife are to have sex for the sole purpose of procreating? Um, I don't think so.

[PleaseNoMore]

I trust God, but I stop at all stop signs.

Amen, roflol!

[klossg]

"But the doctor told her that the pill not only prevents ovulation but if you do ovulate and the egg becomes fertilized it prevents the fertilized egg from implanting on the uterine wall. They have decided not to use the pill because of that. Have you ever heard that before?"

Yes this is true. When the pill originally came out it was in a much higher dose. At that time it was so hostile to the woman's cycle that she never ovulated. But, that dose also caused many deaths and illnesses. So, over time the dosage has been decreased. Now the dosage is much safer but also allows fertilization at times.

[klossg]

NFP is as effective as the Pill or patch. There are no side affects. NFP is birth control but not contraception, unless the couple cheats the system and doesn't abstain when fertile.

[statered]

Your user name is very appropriate. LOL

[L,TOWM]

Cool! The "Witch Hunt" tagline!

[steve-b]

Liberals are saying Evangelicals are going to stay away from Tuesday's polls in droves.

One of the media strategies is to dredge up as many Twilight Zone nut cases as possible, in order to create the impression that "evangelical" = "screwball".

I'm sure this article will get some press for that reason.

[steve-b]

Every sperm is sacred.
Every sperm is great.
If a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate.

[pollywog]

Catholic liberals are not true Catholics. You CANNOT be Catholic and pro-choice. period.

I agree.The value God places on life cannot be dimminished in ANY way. It MUST follow then, that a true believer will VOTE his conscience and morals.

[L,TOWM]

You ought to try our church. We REALLY need nursery helpers. 20+ kids below the age of two, four more on the way and an adult congregation of about 180. And about 40 of the adults are past child bearing age.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

I was reading some liberal ranting and victory predictions this morning.

I found myself wondering: What color are the skies on their home planetoids?

[klossg]

NFP is as effective as the Pill or the patch with no side effects. The Catholic Church does not say birth control is a sin in and of itself. It never has said this and never will. It says that Contraception is a sin. Contraception is inherently evil by design because it removes procreation from sex. NFP on the other hand uses abstinence to avoid pregnancy. Contraception uses sex to avoid pregnancy.

The Church is all behind good sex and understands that not everyone wants a large family. We are not talking the Rhythm Method. We are talking NFP. NFP is scientific and once learned is free and nothing separates a husband and wife.

I know it sounds crazy and extreme because very few people are aware of how well NFP works today. It uses temperature and mucus. It changes with each cycle a woman has. She might have to abstain on the 10th day to the 17th day one cycle. Then the next cycle she might have to abstain on the 24th to the 31st day. The next might be 6th to the 14th day. NFP tracks with her, even if she has PMS or gets sick or suddenly gets stressed out by her job.

Did you know that before 1930 no Christian Church accepted Contraception. Luther, Wesley, Calvin, ... they all knew and preached that it was a sin. And until 1930's Lambeth Conference all Christians accepted that as well.

[klossg]

"So, a husband and wife are to have sex for the sole purpose of procreating? Um, I don't think so."

I agree with you! And so does the Catholic Church. The teaching from Humanae Vitae is that one should not separate procreation from the unifying affect of sex. They are both important. And one can use birth control but not Contraception. And the birth control is based on abstinence. Abstain during the fertile time if you do not want a pregnancy. It is clear that the Catholic Church sees the benefits of sex beyond procreation. But, they don't do an end-around his call for us to love one another as he loved us. He gave himself completely to us. He offered himself on the cross completely. And through his grace, he asks us to do the same.