There is an interesting post on the phatmass.com blog titled, “In Their Own Words, Protestants Against Contraception.”

Phatmass is a Catholic apologetics blog. The post’s premise is that the Catholic prohibition against contraception is more in line with the position of the overall Christian church, historically, than is the Protestant’s current non-prohibition.

It lists direct quotes from Reformation leaders such as Luther, Calvin and Wesley relative to the topic of contraception.

The gist of the post…

“Few realize it today, but before 1930 all Christian churches opposed contraception as an unnatural and thus impermissible interference with God’s design for human sexuality.

That changed when, at their 1930 Lambeth Conference, Anglicans began permitting the use of contraception on a limited basis; other denominations quickly absorbed the secular sexual morality that flooded into the Protestant world. Today no Protestant church maintains the historic Christian faith on this issue. Only the Catholic Church has stood firm and resisted the onslaught of secularism in sexual ethics.

Things grew so bad in the Protestant world that by the early 1970s some Evangelical leaders were advocating not only contraception, but even abortion. At that time abortion and contraception were viewed as “Catholic” issues. When abortion was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973, these Evangelicals rethought the issue and became firmly prolife.”

A few of the Reformation leaders quotes…

MARTIN LUTHER

(SIXTEENTH-CENTURY FOUNDER OF LUTHERANISM)

“[T]he exceedingly foul deed of Onan, the basest of wretches . . . is a most disgraceful sin. It is far more atrocious than incest and adultery. We call it unchastity, yes, a sodomitic sin. For Onan goes in to her—that is, he lies with her and copulates—and, when it comes to the point of insemination, spills the semen, lest the woman conceive. Surely at such a time the order of nature established by God in procreation should be followed. Accordingly, it was a most disgraceful crime. . . . Consequently, he deserved to be killed by God. He committed an evil deed. Therefore, God punished him” (Commentary on Genesis).

JOHN CALVIN

(SIXTEENTH-CENTURY FOUNDER OF CALVINISM)

“The voluntary spilling of semen outside of intercourse between man and woman is a monstrous thing. Deliberately to withdraw from coitus in order that semen may fall on the ground is doubly monstrous. For this is to extinguish the hope of the race and to kill before he is born the hoped-for offspring” (Commentary on Genesis).

This topic deserves a serious approach because many good Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, have disagreed about the answer to the question, “Is contraception prohibited?”

I believe it is also an important topic because it forces us to realize that many sexually related questions, even today, can not be addressed purely via Scripture…even today. Consequently, we should be hesitant to be to quick to condemn other Christians for sexual activity that is not CLEARLY and DEFINITIVELY addressed in Scripture.

I happen to agree with the current Protestant opinion on contraception-that it is not prohibited. I believe that the church leaders’ mention of Onan prove that they were attempting to ban contraception utilizing a Biblical story (Onan) that really had nothing to do with contraception. Onan was committing a sin because he disobeyed God’s order to continue his brother’s family line; not because he “spilled his seed.” But, I can respectfully understand why the Catholic Church and (historically) the Protestant Church have thought otherwise.

Either way, it is an important and interesting discussion.

Posted: December 6th, 2006 under Uncategorized, Christian Sex, Contraception.
Comments: none

The young, un-married, actress that plays Mary in the new movie, “The Nativity Story,” has recently announced that she is pregnant.

And, so far, it appears as if Christian mercy and charity are prevailing…

“Amid reports that the teenage actress who plays Mary in the new movie “The Nativity Story” is pregnant out of wedlock, some Christians are wondering how to respond to a lead character’s personal life in a movie they have enthusiastically embraced.”

“The 16-year-old actress, Keisha Castle-Hughes, plays the role of the Virgin Mary in the Hollywood rendition of the story surrounding Jesus’ birth, which opens in theaters Dec. 1. In October, the agency that represents her confirmed she is expecting a baby in the spring and the father is her boyfriend of three years.”

“Boatwright said he hopes that although Christians don’t want to condone sex outside marriage they also don’t want to be too judgmental.”

“This young woman played Mary, the mother of Jesus,” Boatwright said. “I’m praying that if she doesn’t already have a relationship with our Savior that she soon will. And I’m praying that little unborn child will someday proclaim Jesus as Messiah.”

“Richard Ross, co-founder of the national abstinence movement True Love Waits, took a similar approach, advising Christians not to react to Castle-Hughes the way the world expects them to react.”

“William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, said the secular media was deprived of the juicy story they were betting on when the Vatican and Catholic and Protestant groups throughout the world did not withdraw their support of The Nativity Story based on the lead character’s personal choices.”

“Jimmy Hester, who founded True Love Waits with Ross, voiced concern that Christians will miss an opportunity to explain to teenagers why Castle-Hughes’ situation is not ideal.”

“This is just another illustration that our society does not truly value the biblical plan for sexuality,” Hester told BP. “Platforming this actress in this movie only serves as justification for sexually active teenagers and others who support such behavior, and makes it more difficult for young believers to hold up God’s plan for sexual abstinence until marriage.”

Wouldn’t it be great if (with this situation) we [Christians] manage to react properly, for once?

We should support this young woman’s decision to keep the child.

We should extend loving support for both her and the child.

None of the above reactions mean that we are promoting pre-marital sex or pregnancy; it simply means that we are reacting as Christ would have us to act - humbly, mercifully and realistically.

Posted: December 1st, 2006 under Uncategorized, Christian Sex, News.
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