I’m not sure why there’s such a big controversy surrounding the Christian use of birth control. Many church elders assert that it is sinful to use birth control. The Bible, however, does not even mention birth control.
Modern versions of birth control were not around during the time period that the Bible was written, so they were obviously not included. There is no scripture regarding them.
The only scripture that hints at contraception is Genesis 38, which tells the story of Er and Onan (Judah’s sons.) Some people will use this verse as proof against birth control. Onan used the earliest form of contraception to prevent pregnancy with his new wife. I believe people misunderstand this verse, however, because Onan isn’t punished for the act of contraception. Birth control wasn’t the issue. His actions were sinful because of his motives. He didn’t want any heirs to have a claim on his money, which was selfish and greedy.
So, what this verse tells me is that the sinfulness of birth control is really about an individual’s motives for using it. I know, I know; everyone’s motive for using birth control is to prevent the conception of children. That’s not what I mean when I reference motive. What I mean is this: why are the individuals involved trying to prevent conception?
If the reasoning is sinful, then it’s possible that the use of birth control could be sinful. Let’s use a married Christian couple as an example. They’re married, so sex itself isn’t a sin. But they really cannot afford to have a baby. If they have a baby, they will have no means to provide for it, because they are already struggling to provide for themselves. Is it wrong for them to use birth control? I would say no. Their motive for using contraception isn’t selfish; it’s the opposite, in fact.
The Bible also says that children are blessings several times. We all know this is true, but it’s not good evidence against birth control. It doesn’t offer any type of counterargument against the motive theory that we’ve just developed.
More churches are opening up to the acceptance of birth control now. It is mainly the Catholic church that still condemns modern versions of birth control. I’m not sure why though, considering that Catholic doctrine hints at the motive theory we just discussed.
A lot of theological thought was changed by the second Vatican council. In the document Gaudium et spes (the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) birth control was addressed. GS 50b says, “It also involves a consideration of their own good and the good of their children, already born or yet to come, an ability to read the times and their own situation … their behavior … must be ruled by conscience.” This section seems to confirm that not all contraception is sinful. As long as the motives are not sinful then the act of using birth control is not sinful. It depends on individual circumstance.
So, based on this evidence, it is my understanding that not all Christian use of birth control is sinful. And because we have no way of knowing whether a Christian’s motives are sinful or not, we have no right to judge. I’m not sure why there is a big controversy over contraception, because scripture and doctrine don’t support it.
