Splitting the Condom

Forget about sex before marriage for a minute - if your a teenage male, I mean forget the arguments surrounding sex before marriage. What is wrong with contraception?

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:

1. keeping track of your menstrual cycle on a calendar
2. working and marking out the optimum times for you to become pregnant
3. which coincide with the times you have your highest sex drive
4. then denying yourself sex at these times
5. thus reducing your chances of conceiving to 3%

Is somehow NOT artificial?

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