birth control, plan B, and abortion

Atown

Christian Gamers Alliance Amazon Store Manager
Staff member
i had a very interesting conversation with another guy the other day cuz i was sharing what has happened and he asked me what truely was the difference between all these things. i said primarily BC and PB are prevention, while abortion is killing but i didt htink it was that great of an answer. and then it got me thinking.... so yeah, thoughts?
 
Plan B is also called the "morning after pill". I'm wiki'ing it right now for a link but my net is running mad slow this morning so it might be a while :D
 
Ahh, here's the gist of it:

"Plan B" or Emergency Contraceptives were developed to interrupt procreation when taken after intercourse. The original concept was to create a drug that could prevent a rape victim from having a pregnancy. Nowadays it is often taken to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex.

Plan B is considered by pro-life sources to be an abortifacient. It's manufacturers and the pro-choice movement claim that it isn't. It's up to you to decide for yourself who's right -- both sides have a vested (and financial) interest in being right, so you can't really take their word for it.


Now, the question of morality...

Abortion is murder. As a psychology student, we studied the development of unborn children, and basically they show signs of congitive development before you even know that you're pregnant. A leading Developmental Psychologist was asked when life begins... she said that after years of study she has come to believe that "life begins... with a kiss."

If life begins so early, then that means that abortifacients (drugs that prevent fertilized eggs from being nourished) are also murder tools.

Contraceptives... many Christians would disagree with me, but I don't think that contraceptives themselves are wrong.

I think that using contraceptives to escape the consequences of your actions is wrong, especially if those actions are sinful. But there can be real reasons to take contraceptives in a family setting. My mother, for example, cannot have any more children -- she reacts very negatively to pregnancy and so she was told that having another child would kill her (she has three.) Now, she chose a medical procedure rather than pills, but this could be a laudable reason to take contraceptives.

Unfortunately, the normal reason for taking contraceptives is so that one can sleep around without consequences, and that's just straight out wrong. If the pill is being used to condone sin, it's wrong.
 
i shuld have setup the appropriate circumstance. the assumption for the questions posed would be that the contraceptives be used within marriage and between the 2 that are married >.>
 
PlanB is essentially the same thing as an abortion. After a potential conception, the drug interrupts the growth process. I don't plan to address them separately from this point.

As for "Is abortion wrong?" the Bible may not come out and say it directly, but we can infer it from reading Luke 1:41-43. Mary has just been told by an angel that she is to become pregnant with Jesus. She hurried to see her relative, Elizabeth, who is carrying John the Baptist.

Luke 1:41-43 said:
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped for joy in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Upon Mary just walking into the room, John the Baptist lept for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Even John, a fetus, felt the presence of the Lord...despite the fact that Jesus couldn't have been more than a few days past the point of conception. If there had been PlanB or abortion...Mary - a shamed woman for being with child before she was married could have killed Jesus.

The Bible is basically telling us that life begins at conception, not birth.

As for birth control, I'm not certain. Although, "the pill" is only 99% effective. I wonder if that other 1% is God having his way? :)
 
After countless hours of study (OK, it was like 4, and I did it like 6 months ago), I have determined that life actually begins before conception.

Jeremiah 1 says that he was called before he was in his mother's womb to be a prophet. The absolute latest that we can Biblically say that life begins is 18 days after conception, at which time the placenta begins supplying the fetus with blood-- for in the blood is life, says Deuteronomy in several places.

As far as birth control like condoms, the pill, vasectomy,... I would say to pray about it. It sounds like a copout (and it might be), but I have wrestled with this for a long time and have been unable to come to a conclusion.
 
After countless hours of study (OK, it was like 4, and I did it like 6 months ago), I have determined that life actually begins before conception.

Jeremiah 1 says that he was called before he was in his mother's womb to be a prophet. The absolute latest that we can Biblically say that life begins is 18 days after conception, at which time the placenta begins supplying the fetus with blood-- for in the blood is life, says Deuteronomy in several places.

Agreed on this.

As far as birth control like condoms, the pill, vasectomy,... I would say to pray about it. It sounds like a copout (and it might be), but I have wrestled with this for a long time and have been unable to come to a conclusion.

I have been thinking about this part though a lot. While I understand that there are health implications, by using birth control methods, are you not saying that you do not believe that God truly knows what is best for you? By using contraception aren't you putting your trust in something instead of Someone?

Gen
 
Gen, I vacillate between that position and the idea that a father actually does have some Biblical authority to determine the size of his family, as determined by Psalm 127:3-5.

3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
The owner of the quiver is the one who determines when it is full. The real question is, is the owner of the quiver the father or God?Here is a blog from a woman who is struggling with this issue in the same light as me.
 
There is alot of truth to the old saying "Put your trust in God but lock your car doors." Its not that I don't trust God not to keep theives out of my car, I just don't trust people not to try. What happens say, you don't lock your door, your car is broken into and vandalized and you go and ask God why he didn't protect your car and he replies "Why didn't you lock your doors? Had you locked your doors, the spirit of easy access that I placed in them would've caused them to bypass your car."

Granted we don't know what God would say. But from my reading, God always acts through our action not our inaction. God wants the blind to see, but they have to open theiry eyes. God wants the paralyzed to walk but they have to pick up their mats and walk.

When it comes contraceptives, maybe the idea of the family is big enough, starts with putting on a condom? And if God wants you to have another child, will a condom truly stop Gods plans? Condoms break, have holes, pills are forgotten or not consistent in the amount of hormones.

I'm not fighting, just providing a differing view. My position is that if you are overweight, you can pray to God all you want for weightloss, unless you get off the couch, God can't work miracles through you. Even Jesus parables talk of how action is rewarded and inaction is punished. The virgins who keep enough oil in the lamps are reward, those who do not keep enough oil are not. The servant who eagerly awaits the return of his master is rewarded, the one who sleeps misses out, the business people who grow wealth while their master is gone are rewarded while the one who buries money because he is worried what the master thinks should he loose it, is not rewarded.

===EDIT===

Anyway, from my standpoint, Gods plans will not be circumvented. If God intends for you to have another child, you can wear a condom, be on the pill, use a UID and the morning after pill and that child will be born. I suppose in a sense, its not much a differing point of view then Genesis in that she says that if God does not intend for you to have a child, then not using any form of birthcontrol will not result in a pregnancy.
 
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locking your car doors is not like preventing life. My wife and I struggled with this for a time but have now resolved to follow my understanding that God is the only one for me to decide how many children we are to have. but keep in mind that all things are permissible but all things are not beneficial such as smoking and sugar and caffeine
 
The use of birth control does not circumvent Gods plan. To assume that it prevents life is to take the position that God is not all powerful and unable to overcome mans inventions.
 
Birth control is a tricky term. Strictly speaking, abortion is a form of birth control, widely used in, for instance, China: it controls the number of births. In another way, so is abstinence: if you aren't engaging in the appropriate activity, you certainly can't produce a child...barring divine or medical intervention!

"Conception control" is really a more useful term, and more in line with the meaning of "contraceptive." Conception control is preventing conception from occurring. Since most (but not all) believe that life begins at conception or later, it skips the "ending a life" phase of the argument for the vast majority of people.

Disclaimer: If you are uncomfortable with a discussion of how different forms of contraception work, stop reading now. :)

Conception control would include barrier methods (including the condom, diaphragm, or sponge), the timing of sexual activity, and the use of spermicides in various forms. In my opinion, all three should be treated equally in a discussion of the moral and theological implications.

The "grey area" is those methods which primarily prevent conception but which can, as a backup or side effect, interfere with a fertilized egg or embryo. These include the IUD (which can damage a developing embryo if fertilization does occur), as well as hormonal methods such as "the Pill", the ring, the birth control patch, or Norplant (which is injected under the skin. It would also include the IUS, a hormonal version of the IUD. (That distinction isn't usually made in the US, but it is helpful in a discussion of the implications of the device.)

Most (if not all) hormonal methods work primarily by preventing ovulation, or the release of an egg. No egg, no conception. However, they are controversial because of some of their backup methods: preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterine wall or preventing the egg from being properly maintained if it does implant. This results in the failure of the egg. (Death of the embryo, if life has begun.) It may also slow the egg's progress through the fallopian tubes, with the intent that the egg will fail before reaching the uterus itself.

The "morning after" pill works in much the same way as standard hormonal methods, except that it isn't used until after sex has occurred. The issues are the same: does it interfere with a life? Different methods act at different stages, so Pastori's latest estimate of eighteen days, for instance, would permit some of these methods.

End disclaimer

I have intentionally left this as a reporting of the relevant facts. I would encourage further discussion on the implications of those facts.
 
hmmmmm.....

As much of my own thoughts on this subject would probably fill up a page... i don't have all the time to type it all up.... (and a little bit of laziness..... AND if Atown really wanted my opinion he could just ask in RL)

To put my belief in the simplest form, I believe there is a time and a place for each (besides abortion). I don't like the idea of "plan-b" because i've heard of to many odd side affects; yet the only time i would think plan-b to be necessary was in a rape. I've heard of countless opinions on rape (whether or not you should or shouldn't keep the baby); and as much as i think about it, i can't bring myself to the conclusion of having a women have to give birth to a baby that was forced upon her.... moving on *awkward silence*

For birth control... honestly, i would only give it to married couples *cough*because married couples should be the only people having sex*cough*. I believe there are certain scenarios of birth control being necessary; yet honestly, i will probably controdic myself on this topic. (spell check) When my sister got married, they weren't ready to have a baby, yet she did become pregnant. For the first 4 months of pregnancy all we heard was, "I should have used the birth control pill". Yet, now that we have a BEAUTIFUL new member of my family, no one, is regretful of anything.

Another problem is, birth control, is still technically killing the baby. It is destroying your hormones that keep the baby alive (or the politically correct term "fetus" not baby).

I've probably rambled to much but.... ANYWAYS.

Good topic Atown,
God Bless.
 
There are legitimate uses of contraceptives outside of marriage, as well. A family member of mine had extremely bad menstrual cycles.. so bad that she almost had to go in for blood transfusions. The pill helped to regulate her a little bit so that her period wasn't as bad and she avoided several health risks in her teen years.
 
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