Posted on 09/09/2019 10:37:16 AM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The effective separation of sex from procreation may be one of the most important defining marks of our age–and one of the most ominous. This awareness is spreading among American evangelicals, and it threatens to set loose a firestorm.
Most evangelical Protestants greeted the advent of modern birth control technologies with applause and relief. Lacking any substantial theology of marriage, sex, or the family, evangelicals welcomed the development of “The Pill” much as the world celebrated the discovery of penicillin — as one more milestone in the inevitable march of human progress, and the conquest of nature.
At the same time, evangelicals overcame their traditional reticence in matters of sexuality, and produced a growth industry in books, seminars, and even sermon series celebrating sexual ecstasy as one of God’s blessings to married Christians. Once reluctant to admit the very existence of sexuality, evangelicals emerged from the 1960s ready to dish out the latest sexual advice without blushing. As one of the best-selling evangelical sex manuals proclaims, marital sex is Intended for Pleasure. Many evangelicals seem to have forgotten that it was intended for something else as well. For many evangelical Christians, birth control has been an issue of concern only for Catholics. When Pope Paul VI released his famous encyclical outlawing artificial birth control, Humanae Vitae, most evangelicals responded with disregard — perhaps thankful that evangelicals had no pope who could hand down a similar edict. Evangelical couples became devoted users of birth control technologies ranging from the Pill to barrier methods and Intrauterine Devices(IUDs). That is all changing, and a new generation of evangelical couples is asking new questions.
A growing number of evangelicals are rethinking the issue of birth control-and facing the hard questions posed by reproductive technologies...First, we must start with a rejection of the contraceptive mentality...
(Excerpt) Read more at albertmohler.com ...
Full article at link. Dr. Mohler of course is a Southern Baptist, so he will be reticent to simply re-state and affirm what the Catholic Church laid out so plainly and prophetically in the now 50 year old document 'Humanae Vitae.' (Of Human Life) which reaffirmed the Church's commitment to uphold the sacred and inseparable link between the procreative and unitive dimensions of sex and marriage. This - right as the Pill was released to the public, and abortion would soon be legalized all over the Western world.
When one examines the moral and spiritual chaos of our society today, it's worth considering, what exactly lays at the root of it all? From marital discord, to homosexuality and transgenderism, to #MeToo and the plague of fatherlessness -- it's clear that the implications of the sexual revolution extend far beyond a couple's bedroom or medicine cabinet. (And speaking of medicine cabinet, the *physical* consequences of contraception and lax attitude towards sex cannot be underestimated either: from the rise in STD's to various cancers linked to the pill/IUD's, etc...)
Just a mess all around. And in refusing to question the inherent morality of birth control, much of the Christian witness in the modern world has been invariably compromised for decades.
More about Al Mohler here:
https://pulpitandpen.org/2019/09/07/something-is-terribly-wrong-at-southern-seminary/
No one should use hormonal birth control. It is an abortifacient. If the birth control fails then it causes an abortion. So therefore no one should use the pill, or any other hormonal birth control.
“So therefore no one should use the pill, or any other hormonal birth control”.
I agree.
Vasectomy works.
It took me a long time to realize that contraception, such as the pill, is bad for society. I think the Catholic Church gets this much right, at least.
While it is true that “people have always had sex”, I think it is also true that society has rarely been so obsessed with sex. Sex today is just “always good”. If you’re not having constant sex, then “something’s wrong with you”.
In fact, if sex and procreation are linked (as they always have been), society would tend to be a bit more circumspect about sex. We say “sex sells” (it does) and then we surround people with sexuality. Because, you know, that’s how you get rich. That’s probably not a good thing.
A moral society, one which is able to exercise some control over their libido, would help us avoid some of the trouble we see today. That doesn’t mean all the women need to wear hijab. But perhaps some return to moral standards would be a good thing.
Well i’m no theologian so I’ll leave that to others on the board to discuss.
But I can Definitely Say that looking for your next dopamine hit, whether it be from drugs, booze, gambling, food or sex is going to lead to JUST BAD THINGS and you’re never satisfied.
And when empty “hits” leave you lacking in life, more and more dangerous experiences are needed for the same “hit”.
And then things go downhill Really Fast.
God gave us these wonderful chemicals in our bodies to make us feel good and many of us managed to even screw that up.
The whole culture has shifted on sex matters. People have always had sex, and did so outside marriage before we had birth control pills. But the culture was different then, and if any accidents happened, often couples would get married. Nowadays you rarely see such weddings because of a pregnancy.
It would be interesting to have discussions about the overall impacts on society of birth control and the whole sexual revolution and change in attitudes surrounding sex.
Well, for thousands of years, couples who had had enough kids and didn't really want more had probably discovered all of the whiz bang 20th century stuff. I'm just guessing. But a generation of people became convinced that they had discovered a whole new world and they all felt obligated to obsess over it.
I’m Eastern Orthodox and the traditional teaching of the Church on ABC is... no. In fact the Church generally will not marry those who do not want, or who are not ready for a family. In recent years there has been some movement towards a very limited tolerance based on economy (oikonomia) for specific situations such as when a family already has as many children as they can support and/or take care of or where serious health risks may attend pregnancy. However the Church still teaches that the ideal response in such cases is sexual abstinence. But acknowledging the reality that not all couples can live a life of complete continence this concession is sometimes made. Usually it must be discussed with your spiritual father in confession. When ABC is used it must never be abortificiant or involve self mutilation. This generally places the burden on the husband.
Unfortunately, and especially in the West, some of the Orthodox jurisdictions have in practice become quite lax on this point. And it must be admitted that among the laity, respect for the traditional moral teaching of the Church is generally no better than among other Christian denominations including Roman Catholicism which is even stricter and admits no exception at all.
Where he falters, here, as I see it, is that while he accepts the overall Biblical/theological argument against the rejection/disabling of natural fertility, he can't quite see how this could apply to "every" act of sexual union.
Bu that's the standard that applies to all other moral choices: they are judged on an "each act" and not an "overall" basis.
I would not bank with a financial institution that said they can't vouch for every transaction being free of intentional fraud, only that their "overall" approach was "in general, honest."
I would not go to a doctor who said that he does not renounce the killing of patients precisely every time, though he is against killing "as a general rule."
I would not support a judge who said he would abide by the Constitution as written "for the most part," but he doesn't feel obliged to follow the Constitution in "each and every case."
I would say that the connection of normal, natural sexual intercourse with the normal, natural pattern of fertility is part of God's design, our "Constitution." And (to borrow a familiar phrase) what God has joined together --- sex and fertility ---- no man should put asunder.
“It took me a long time to realize that contraception, such as the pill, is bad for society. I think the Catholic Church gets this much right, at least.”
I’m not a Catholic and I agree.
I’ve never used birth control (eight children will attest to this) but the big thing for me is that sex has never been reduced to a casual way to pass an evening.
The very first time I had sex changed my life because there was the very real chance that I was getting pregnant.
That meant I took this very seriously and I was also very convinced of my husband’s commitment to me or else I would not have been doing that with him.
Birth control diminishes that need for commitment and it also takes a very serious decision and makes it trivial.
All of the girls I grew up with had the trivial experience and none of them...not one...are still with the boy/man that they had their first experience with. And they all regret that first experience to some degree or another.
Birth control is a lie promulgated by vicious, evil, lesbian feminists.
Sex without Marriage is like Knowledge without Wisdom.
Sex is about intimacy between folks who love each other
If not then married men and women would stop after her eggs run out and some women do I hear
I saw a freeper two days ago here claim sex only was for procreation...
Dayum
Father of five
What has always vexed me was how the pill was suppose to free women from pregnancy and able to enjoy sex for sex and orgasms of which as we know girls rule
But what happened was it just dropped barriers that made sense....that hesitation women once had unless in a marriage or even a committed relationship
Most women have sex but don’t use anything and if impregnated they either kill the baby or have illegitimate kids pell mell
The pill had profound unintended consequences that led to feminism strengthening and in my opinion more than any other force has created a culture we here oppose
Woke feminist women empower nearly every corrosive element taking down western culture in ways impossible before feminism and the pill
Who knew...
Further as a dad to young people from 12-31 I can attest women today have sex like men wished they had on Caligulas barge
Sex simply for orgasmic pleasure with someone they barely know and are only physically attracted to
My boys get very put out with so many slutty upper middle class white girls
I know it sounds crazy but the girls attitude is why mess it up with feelings let’s just get it on
More permissive than a pro footballer or frat boy who looks like Brad Pitt
I’ve seen with my own eyes the text of a girl so beautiful whose butt sits on that church pew every Sunday and who’s parents think an angel complaining what’s wrong with just having sex with whomever you want no strings attached.....
The stigma for high school girls giving group blow jobs or worse is no longer what it was
Girls in my day went native on quaaludes and folks talked Monday morning and other girls scolded
Today not much scorn
It’s sad
I think the moms are to blame
They act like high school girls and boss the home and the fathers are lame
I’m an old dad and it shows in my sons
Any teen girl who’s pretty and sticks her toe in the sex and power pond and suddenly has boys at her feet all empowered and likes sex .....as in a lot.
You’ve got a problem that’s hard to put back in the proverbial bottle....that’s what convent schools once were for I guess
Now way too may girls are those girls...I’m stunned by it and I’m at ground zero
Affluent suburban America
Plano or Frisco Texas
Mountainbrook Alabama
Madison county Mississippi
Eastern Shore Mobile
North shore New Orleans
Northern Atlanta
Same culture ...girls gone wild empowered by mostly unattractive lesbian feminists who have not one clue the ramifications of what they hail as equality sexually for girls
This was gaining momentum in the late 50s and 60s and finally was sadly approved in 1973.
It should be noted that HV only restated traditional Catholic (and Protestant) teaching. No major Christian group allowed ABC prior to 1930.
I worry for the world that my kids will inherit.
The root cause of our downward spiral, as Mohler describes, is “the contraceptive mentality” which can be fostered even in marriages. It divorces the inextricable links between life-marriage-sex in the sacred God-designed paradigm for humanity.
See also: Adam and Eve after The Pill
https://humanumreview.com/articles/eberstadt-adam-and-eve-after-the-pill
Beat me to it. Once upon a time the Catholic Church came up with the rhythm method and even that was frowned upon by some.
Anybody have any idea why Catholics had so many children? Anybody?
Yep, hubby had one after we were done having kids. Easy fix to not having kids.
It's a mess because people know that artificial birth control is wrong. But, they wanna do it because they think that having that control will make things better for them.
I suppose it never occurs to them that our good Lord is in charge. Always was. Always will be. So why not go along with our good Lord? He DOES know what's best for us.
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