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Contraception in Biblical Marriage

 

Scripture declares that “righteous” sexual relations can only occur within the boundaries of marriage, between a covenant wife and her husband; other instances[i] are immoral.  Those who violate this divine dictate risk exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and so-called “out-of-wedlock” pregnancy.  The use of contraceptives during immoral sexual behavior does not mitigate the sinful nature of these acts, though a pregnancy and the spread of STDs may be averted.  The practical reality is that contraception theory and practice are two different matters.  In theory, sexually active women wishing to have two or less children will use contraception for 20 years; in practice, nearly half of all American women will have had at least one abortion by the end of that period.  And safe-sex theory purports that proper application of the “condom code” (100 percent of the time) will prevent pregnancy and STD transmission; in practice condoms are not used all of the time and even if they were used, the rate of failure would be 5-10 percent.  [Roughly 25 percent of sexually active teens in the US have been infected by a STD[ii] and, in Canada, infection rates have increased every year from 1998 to 2002.[iii]  In Canada, 42,162 teenage girls became pregnant in 1997 and a majority of these girls ended their pregnancy through an abortion.[iv]]  The biological reality is that all sperm and ova, and all male and female sexual organs, if working as designed, function specifically toward human reproduction. 

Although humankind has reached unprecedented levels of mastery over the biological conception process, little is understood about the spiritual reality of conception - how God takes a sperm, which has no soul, and an ovum, which also has no soul, and unites the two to create human life (“in-the-flesh”) with a soul; a life that has a divine purpose and an eternal destiny, known unto God before conception.  Christian couples who use contraception technologies, believing their decision is following God’s will or has His blessing, need to consider the spiritual consequences of their actions at both personal and societal levels.   

The worldview behind the advocacy of “birth control” is rabidly anti-Christian.  [Feminist icon, Margaret Sanger - free-love and population control advocate, eugenicist, founder of American Birth Control League (now Planned Parenthood), and Humanist of the year in 1957, wrote: “It {Birth Control} gives us control over one of the primordial forces of nature[v]…There is no antagonism between the good of the individual and the good of society.  The moment civilization is wise enough to remove the constraints and prohibitions which now hinder the release of inner energies, most of the larger evils of society will perish[vi]…Through sex, mankind may attain the great spiritual illumination which will transform the world, which will light up the only path to an earthly paradise[vii]...By knowing ourselves, by expressing ourselves, by realizing ourselves more completely then has ever before been possible, not only shall we attain the kingdom ourselves but we shall hand on the torch of life undimmed to our children and the children of our children.”[viii]]  Modern birth control techniques have not heralded earthly paradise.  Instead, proliferation of contraception technologies and awareness has resulted in: (1) less morality in society; (2) more adultery; (3) less respect for the welfare of women (married or single) by men; (4) unprecedented access and exposure to pornography; (5) unprecedented levels of abortion; (6) unprecedented use of reproductive technologies to help “mature” women thwart their mal-functioning or expired so-called “biological clocks”; (7) unprecedented pandemics of STDs; and (8) ever earlier initiation and involvement of teenagers in the sexually-active lifestyle.  Moreover, the less than replacement birthrate in Canada is the result of rampant use of birth control. 

Indoctrination into birth control ideology is now so pervasive in society that liberal-minded Christians have coined the term “pro-life contraception.”[ix]  Without scripture to substantiate their assertion, adherents claim that use of birth control technologies, which are not abortifacients, is morally righteous.  An obvious spiritual paradox arises when a Christian couple, who assert God is fine with their use of birth control technology, find themselves expecting another child.  When birth technology fails and things get “out of control,” the result is still “fruit of the womb,” God’s “reward.” There are no “unwanted” children in the biblical family, not “too many” children for God’s Kingdom.  Each time God creates human life, which has overcome the arsenal of pharmaceutical pills, jells, foams, injectables and prophylactics arrayed against its conception; our Creator declares His stand against contraception.  And those who answer the question “Do you wish to continue with the pregnancy?” with a “no,” declare their stand against God’s will.    

Christians must strive for “righteous sex,” not addictive sex, not mechanistic sex.  Righteous sex is intended for pair bonding and procreation.  Key elements, if God is to bless sexual intimacy, include: (1) the couple must be married; (2) the act must be open to the transmission of life; (3) technology must not be used as a crutch to replace weak self-control; (4) abstinence must be exercised in step with fertility cycles and family planning goals - couples longing for a baby find the most fertile days of the month to have sex, couples not wishing a pregnancy conform their intimacy to infertile days; (5) the husband must respect his wife’s fertility cycle; and (6) the wife must respect her own fertility cycle.   

Ge 9:1;  Dt 28:4;  Ps 37:11, 127:3;  Zep 3:12;  Mt 5:5.


[i] Here, “instances” mean activities causing sexual stimulus and orgasm. 

[ii] Meg Meeker, Epidemic: How Teen Sex Is Killing Our Kids (Washington, D.C.: Regency Publishing, 2002), p.12.

[iii] Allison Hanes, “Teen Pregnancy Rates Lowest Yet, Study Finds Better Informed, But Not Any Less Sexually Active,” National Post, May 17, 2007.

[iv] Heather Dryburgh, “Teen Pregnancy,” Health Reports, Vol. 12, No. 1, Statistics Canada, Catalogue 82-003.

[v] Margaret Sanger, Pivot of Civilization, 1922, from www.pro-life.net/sanger/pivot_fw.htm,3/2/01, Ch. 9, p.8.

[vi] Ibid, Ch 10, p.3.

[vii] Ibid, Ch 12, p.3.

[viii] Ibid. Ch 9, p.8.

[ix] “Christians and the contraceptive culture – a critique of the Christian Institute’s ‘Contraception: a Pro-Life Guide,’ first published in November 2006.  See www.belmonthouse.co.uk/contraception.htm, 9 June 2007.