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It is argued that the use of a condom puts an artificial barrier in front of the possibility of creating life, which goes against the will of God. Only God should decide if a baby is to be created. Sex should be open to the possibility of conception. Other artificial contraceptives - caps and the pill are also forbidden.
The rhythm method is promoted as a "God acceptable" method of contraception; totally natural with no artificial barriers. However, at the same time it is promoted as being more effective than a condom at preventing pregnancy.
Are you trying to tell me that:
- keeping track of your menstrual cycle on a calendar
- working and marking out the optimum times for you to become pregnant
- which coincide with the times you have your highest sex drive
- then denying yourself sex at these times
- thus reducing your chances of conceiving to 3%
So if Christianity doesn't have a problem with contraception; just contraception that doesn't require forward planning - is this attitude designed to combat casual sex rather than low fertility rates?
If your argument is against casual sex then say so and stop encouraging unsafe sex and the spread of HIV.
Im pretty sure that Jesus would have had more to say about the needles suffering caused by the spread of a deadly incurable disease, than he would about couples avoiding pregnancy with rubber.
Finally, a quote from Mark Steel on God's mystified reaction to celibacy. Its only partly related, but it is a good one.
"No! Don't stop doing that, that's what we gave you those bits for!" - Mark Steel
Christians who use one of the modern, highly effective methods* of Natural Family Planning, not Rhythm, feel that observing and getting to know their bodies' cycles is a completely natural action of a human who is, as Jesus desires us to be, alive to the fullest. When a couple respects themselves and the Creator who fashioned them by acquiring this knowledge of when they are fertile and when they are not, when as a couple they are likely to conceive a child if they choose to express their love through intercourse and when they are unlikely to do so, then the knowledge they have sets them free to make a responsible decision. If they can accept the responsibility of a new child at that time, they lovingly, joyfully and sexually unite allowing the Father's will to be done. If they decide that they cannot accept the responsibility of a child at that time, they joyfully opt to express their love and unity in ways other than sexual intercourse for the days of their combined fertility. With all due respect, to refrain from using a powerful, pleasureful, amazing gift for a time because a couple is not prepared to accept the full consequences of the gift is qualitatively different from subverting an essential component of the very nature of the gift. That is the outcome of wrapping the man's penis in rubber or inserting it in other bodily orifices: the life-giving, being-fruitful element of God’s plan for us “from the beginning” is being denied.
ReplyDelete*Modern NFP: Sympto-Thermal Method, Creighton Method, Ovulation Method, Fertility Awareness Method.
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ReplyDeleteAs a highly effective method, if a couple only have sex when they know they can't become pregnant "the life-giving, being-fruitful element of God’s plan for us '“from the beginning”' IS being denied."
ReplyDeleteThere maybe no physical barrier, but there is a very real barrier to pregnancy. It is a highly effective method.
yeah i often thought about this too. if a condom is 'going against gods law'..i mean i bet ultimately..if we were still in harmony with god, wed have the ability to consciously decide if we want a pregnancy ourselves. only when that birth is in harmony and ready to happen would it happen..and the couple would be in control.. i believe this control was once ours. but now we lost that conscious control so we turn to contraceptives. so are they wrong or is the bigger picture, where did our power go?
ReplyDeletefor more takes on similar subjects check out my site at www.inifinitesoulsunite.ning.com