Should Christians use Birth Control?

By Ricardo Barber

Should Christians use birth control? In the twenty-first century this has been an ongoing discussion among Protestants. Most evangelical Protestants welcomed the wave of new technology that brought about birth control. But a growing number of evangelicals are rethinking the issue of birth control. The number one reason for this swift turn in philosophy is the emerging abortion uprising. In the 1980’s conservative Protestants came along side the Catholics in the defense of the unborn and the veracity of abortion forced a reconsideration of other issues as well. After establishing that human life must be recognized and protected from the moment of conception, evangelicals recognized Intrauterine Devices [IUDs] as abortifacients, and rejected birth control with any abortifacient design or result.1 The Pill, Depo-Provera and Norplant are aborifacients as well. These contraceptives terminate, rather than prevent pregnancy. Instead of stopping the sperm from fertilizing the egg they prevent the egg from effectively implanting itself in the lining of the womb. This horrible method is nothing short of abortion. The mentality of contraception sees children as problems to be avoided rather than as gifts to be received, loved, and nurtured. Albert Mohler states, this line of reasoning must be rejected because it is an insidious attack upon God’s glory in creation, and the Creator’s gift of procreation to the married couple.2

Implications from a medical standpoint arise from the use of birth control. The Pill contains steroid hormones that are a thousand times more powerful than any natural hormone in the woman’s body and that alone causes health risks. What’s so ironic about contraceptives is that it is the only time in medicine when potent drugs are given to a healthy person whose health declines after taking the drugs.3 Pharmacist John Wilks in his book looks at the development of the birth control pill and their often-under publicized side effects. He says the woman’s chance of developing cervical cancer is increased, since it causes the production of a type of cervical mucus that makes it easier for cancer- causing agents to gain access to a woman’s body.4

After all that is said and done it seems that the natural process of family planning that the Catholics preach is less dangerous and more toward the divine order. The Bible nowhere in Scripture mandates to maximize the largest number of kids possible. The focus should then be not on what to do, but how to do. How should Christians go about developing a family? Natural birth control carries less threats and one of the great positives is that it requires more communication on part of the couple. It takes faith to use NFP: in both God and the partner. “This faith is well rewarded,” Stanford suggests, a stronger “courtship/honeymoon” among NFP users.5 The contraceptive mentality is running without restraint in society and Christians should not buy into it. Children are a gift from the Lord and not seen as troubles to be shunned, but always as gifts to be appreciated and received.6

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward (Psalm 127:3).


1 Albert Mohler, “Can Christians Use Birth Control?” Http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-05-08 (assessed May 8, 2006).
2 Ibid.
3 Jason Evert, Love, Sex, and Babies: How your Marriage can benefit from Natural Family Planning (San Diego: Catholic Answers, 2004), 38.
4 John Wilks, A Consumer's Guide to the Pill and other Drugs (Stafford VA: ALL Inc 1997), 30.
5 Joseph B. Stanford, “Sex, Naturally,” First Things 97 (1999): 29.
6 Albert Mohler, “Can Christians Use Birth Control?” Http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-05-08 (assessed May 8, 2006).