Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How about common sense? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 1598 | ||
Dear bjanko, good answer, my friend. You are absolutely correct about people (even Christians!) thinking of their situation as an exception. That is precisely why I have been saying that they must be under the spiritual counsel of a shepherd AND the Holy Spirit. (It is amazing how many selfish things can be attributed to the Holy Spirit, isn't it?) You are also correct that poverty alone is a poor (no pun intended) excuse for not having children. If I were to try and typify some possible factors for considering non-abortive contraception, it would be 1) Poverty and Government oppression (like China) The PROC expressly forbids more than one child, the punishment can be extreme! 2) Poverty and poor health care (like India) Having many children is certain doom for those truly finite resources and almost no medicine or hospital facilities. 3) Poverty and disease (like many parts of Africa) AIDS is a REAL epidemic. Bearing children without care is murder. 4) Poverty and political turmoil (like much of Africa and Asia) I am not real sure about this one, but moderation COULD be in order where terrorism and religious persecution are daily realities. 5) Poverty and overpopulation (many metropolitan cities) I am not a 'save the world from overpopulation' nut, but I have been to many places where there is no physical ability to keep more children. I am aware that you could hang them from the ceiling in hammocks, but prudence CAN be a factor. My friend, I am very much aware that now that I have gone 'out on a limb' to list possible factors. Now you are at liberty to just say, "1-5, No excuse! Christians have lived through that before." But these factors, sometimes more than one, affect millions of believers in a real way that we Americans cannot fathom. 'Armchair Quarterbacks' don't win football games. I am simply making a case for us to be moderate in our dictation of ethics, especially where the Bible is silent or unclear. Blessings to you in Christ Jesus. | ||||||
2 | How about common sense? | Bible general Archive 1 | Searchingfortruth | 2399 | ||
Dear gentlemen, I have found your discourse extremely interesting. Allow me to add a view items in favor of common sense. I too, believe that children are among the greatest gifts which our Lord has bestowed upon us. I also feel that there is no situation in which abortion is anything less than the murder of one of the greatest gifts from the Lord. However, I believe that the original question dealt with what the Bible said in terms of birth control. I will make the assumption that this is referring to artificial birth control such as a physical or hormonal method rather than "natural birth control" of abstaining during "fertile periods". To begin with the obvious, birth control as we know it was not available during biblical times and thus it could not be mentiones in the bible. However, if we look at this from a cultural perspective we are looking at two totally different things. In Biblical times, society was set up as a farming culture. Thus, with the addition of more children, the farmer would prosper more as there would be more people to till the land. Today, in our industrial-based society, more children mean more mouths to feed and I mean that very literally. For example. the Vatican has decreed that artificial birth control methods should not be used as they prevent God's children from being born(my words). In many South American countries where the populations of Catholics are extremely high, most couples do not use birht control. Many children are born and there is no food and very little clean water for them. They are so poor that much of the food they eat is collected daily from garbage dumps. Thus, many of these children die early in life because the socio-economic culture cannot support their life. Sorry I offer no Scripture, but to be honest, I do not know any passages which deal with this matter since we are not talking about murder(abortion) but rather the prevention of a pregnancy. Please let me know your thoughts. Peace |
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3 | How about common sense? | Bible general Archive 1 | SpreadWord | 49255 | ||
There are very few birth control options that do not have the possibiliity of causing an early abortion. The only ones that are guaranteed not to cause early abortion are those methods that prevent the sperm from ever getting to the egg. This would include Natural Family Planning, barrier methods such as condoms or diaphrams, or sterilization. Other chemical forms work by 1)suppressing ovulation and as a "backup" measure 2) making the uterine wall unsuitable for implantation. Therefore, the "pill" and other chemical forms can not be used with a clear conscience. If you have a "health condition" that requires use of "the pill" (ovarian cancer), I'd hope that a condom would be used in addition in order to prevent the possibility of a fertilized egg from being aborted. As far as birth control is concerned, we should look at the heart, and whether we truly desire the blessings of children that God is giving us. Psalm 127 does an excellent job of describing this. To simply state that children were an asset in a farming community and a liability in an industrial society is to allow circumstances to alter our faith. Here's a new concept...maybe we should adjust *our* lifestyle if we find that the blessing of children makes our current one difficult. Move from the industrial job to the farm. Maybe this is easier said than done, but if large farming families can make it so much easier, then why not? (This is somewhat said in jest because I think there were plenty of large, poor, farming families as well - my grandfather's family in particular). The point that I make is that birth control was invented by a self-centered society and actually promoted by a woman (Margaret Sanger) who was an adamant eugenist. Birth control is an evil perpetrated upon our land by anti-Christian feminists for the purpose of blurring the lines between the traditional roles of men and women established by God, and for the purpose of eliminating "undesirables." For proof of Sanger's disdain of minorities, read her original writings. |
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4 | How about common sense? | Bible general Archive 1 | rocketr22 | 120198 | ||
God has blessed me (along with the majority of other women) by creating me in a way in which I can reproduce. If I have no fertility issues I will continue having children until my child bearing years come to an end. God does not stop pregnancy because it is not the right time for someone to be pregnant. We see this in many cases from the pregnant 13 year old who was molested by a family member to unwed pregnant teenagers who say, well, I guess God wanted me to get pregnant or he would not have allowed this pregnancy. They are pregnant because God created us this way and what a blessing it is to be able to bear children! I believe that if I am walking daily with God and His will for me is to have more children he will lay it on my heart. I do not believe that I should just keep putting myself in the situation to become pregnant just because I am able. It is by God's design that I am able to have many children but God has also designed my MIND and HEART that tells me my place is not on the farm with 14 children. | ||||||
5 | How about common sense? | Bible general Archive 1 | SpreadWord | 120213 | ||
The "farm" situation was stated to be added somewhat in "jest," yet I know of some families for whom this has been the perfect solution. There are several issues to address here. First, God has indeed created most women (and men...it takes two...) to be able to reproduce. However, the first question I would ask is this, "Are you married?" If not, then stop right there. Abstinance is the only proper policy. I would not advocate birth control for anyone. If you have have a 13 year old who is in danger of being molested, then remove the danger! Don't cover it up by giving her birth control. This will only hide the problem and allow the perpetrator to continue to abuse her at will. The "unwed pregnant teenager" has already made her "choice" when she had voluntary intercourse. Once a girl is pregnant, then the baby should be protected. We should teach our children abstinance before marriage, not to use "proper protection." You state that "if I am walking daily with God and His will for me is to have more children he will lay it on my heart." God does not speak to an individual contrary to what He has already spoken in scripture. Your original question is "How about common sense?" I ask you, "How about Scriptural Sense?" The Bible is the only standard by which we should live our lives. The Bible says that, "Children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them..." Psalm 127:3-5 Psalm 128:3 reads, "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants about thy table." So...you may ask, what about common sense? Here is a very appropriate scripture (especially since many times birth control can lead to early abortion) "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12 (repeated very similarily in Proverbs 16:25) One last thing I want to comment on...you stated, "God does not stop pregnancy because it is not the right time for someone to be pregnant." Please provide book, chapter, and verse. My Bible tells me that it is God who opens and closes the womb. (Gen 30:22, Gen 49:25, Isaiah 66:9) The question is this, "Who determines when the 'right' time to be pregnant is? God or man?" I submit to you that God will close the womb if it is not the "right" time in His eyes, regardless of whether it is convenient for us or not. God's original command, which He has never rescinded, is "Be fruitful and multiply." If we do not wish to heed this instruction, let us remain single and abstinent. |
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