Question for fellow Christians

[rheff78]

I'm curious. I don't pretend to know what other christian religions think but I want to make sure what I think is true. Do most (or all) christian religions believe as the Catholic CHurch does when it comes to abortion (taht life starts at conception) and the use of contraceptives (the catholic church is against them). Just wondering.

 

[sandandfoam]

This is what the Anglicans say on abortion:-
The church combines strong opposition to abortion with a recognition that there can be limited conditions under which it is morally legitimate. Such times as when a pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, where the mother has been raped, where the foetus is at risk of being seriously handicapped.
In all cases Anglicans stress the need for "compassion for the mother and a proper responsibility for the life of the unborn child". They therefore recognise that it may be necessary to come to different conclusions about different situations. The emphasis being on demonstrating Christ's compassion in all situations.
And on contraception:-
The church recognises the complex ethical issues raised by modern techniques of contraception and assisted conception i.e. IVF, AIH and AID.
In each case the church urges that the morality of the action itself; its legal consequences; the genetic element; the personal consequences to the child be given utmost consideration.
What Does The Anglican Church Teach About Abortion?

 

[ChristineES]

Baptists believe that life starts at conception, too. We don't think that keeping from getting pregnant is wrong, though.

 

[Starfish]

The LDS perspective: Life begins before conception, though we don't know exactly when the spirit enters the body. Abortion is wrong with the exception of the actual threat to the mother's life or in extreme cases such as rape. In those cases much prayer to seek God's will is needed. All life is sacred.
Also with the subject of abortion, our Church believes all children have the right to a home with a mother and a father. Therefore when an unwed pregnancy happens, the parents should marry and raise the child together. If that's not a good solution, the child should be offered for adoption.
Birth control: Since we believe there are spirits waiting to be born, we are encouraged to marry and have children. The number, and the timing, is strictly a matter between the husband and wife and God.

 

[jolakoturinn]

Birth control: Since we believe there are spirits waiting to be born, we are encouraged to marry and have children. The number, and the timing, is strictly a matter between the husband and wife and God.

Given what you said about life above, do you believe the utilisation of contraception is objectively wrong?

 

[Blentyn chan Celi]

I have been a protestant all my life.
I can only speak for myself when I say that abortion is immoral in all instances. I cannot justify taking one life to protect another, but that’s easy for me to say because I will never have to make such a decision.
As far as contraceptives go, my wife will be on birth control until I finish my degree. I think it would be irresponsible of us to have children we can’t feed.

 

[nutshell]

Given what you said about life above, do you believe the utilisation of contraception is objectively wrong?

You will get various answers from LDS posters, but most (I suspect) do not believe the use of contraception is wrong.

 

[Starfish]

Given what you said about life above, do you believe the utilisation of contraception is objectively wrong?

No I don't believe it's wrong. It's a matter of personal quidance from God. I don't think the LDS Church takes an official position on it.

 

[Mister Emu]

I think we, the Catholic Church, are alone in our view of contraceptives... but the majority of Christians agree with us on abortion...

 

[jolakoturinn]

I think we, the Catholic Church, are alone in our view of contraceptives... but the majority of Christians agree with us on abortion...

*nods* I was just curious.

I suppose the contraceptive thing depends on whether you believe you can have sex and yet bar the creative process or not.

 

[rheff78]

Ok, thanks for that. ANotehr question for LDS members. Nutshell and Starfish, you seem to think other LDS members will have different opinions. Does the Mormon Church not have an official Doctrine outlining the Mormon faith?

 

[Starfish]

Ok, thanks for that. ANotehr question for LDS members. Nutshell and Starfish, you seem to think other LDS members will have different opinions. Does the Mormon Church not have an official Doctrine outlining the Mormon faith?

Well, as far as birth control, yes. Here's the official statement:

"It is the privilege of married couples who are able to bear children to provide mortal bodies for the spirit children of God, whom they are then responsible to nurture and rear. The decision as to how many children to have and when to have them is extremely intimate and private and should be left between the couple and the Lord. Church members should not judge one another in this matter.
"Married couples should also understand that sexual relations within marriage are divinely approved not only for the purpose of procreation, but also as a means of expressing love and strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife."

Although it doesn't say birth control exactly, this is what it's talking about and it is okay.
I know an OB/Gyn who was also a Mormon bishop. One of his patients wanted advice on birth control from a spiritual standpoint. He told her to go home, talk to her husband and pray about it; then come back and let him know her decision.

Please let me know if this doesn't answer your question. I'd be happy to help further.

 

[Te Deum]

For those unfamiliar, here is the Catholic view:

Abortion

The Catholic Church is completely oppossed to abortion in all circumstances. A child never deserves to die for any reason. All children deserve the chance at life. As Canon 1398 states, "A person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication." Excommunication is the highest penalty the Church can give to someone.

Since Jan. 23, 1973, when Roe v. Wade forced all states to allow abortion, over 46 million surgical abortion have been performed - an entire generation is dead. 24% of all pregnancies end in abortion; 1 in 4 humans dies from this! 80% of unborn children diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted. What percentage of abortions are because of rape? Just 1%. For incest? Only 05.%. That means nearly 98% of all abortions are because the mother did not love the child. Statistics are from the Human Life Alliance.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2271. "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish. [Didache 2, 2: SCh 248, 148; cf. Ep. Barnabae 19, 5: PG 2, 777; Ad Diognetum 5, 6: PG 2, 1173; Tertullian, Apol. 9: PL 1, 319-320.] God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. [GS 51 # 3.]"

2272. "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. 'A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,' [CIC, can. 1398.] 'by the very commission of the offense,' [CIC, can. 1314.] and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law. [Cf. CIC, cann. 1323-1324.] The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society."

2274. "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being. Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, 'if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human fetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual.... It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence.' [CDF, Donum vitae I, 2.]"

2322. "From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a 'criminal' practice (GS 27 # 3), gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church imposes the canonical penalty of excommunication for this crime against human life."

Artificial Contraception:

First off, the Catholic Church is not opposed to all forms of contraception but rather artificial contraception.

In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued his landmark encyclical letter Humanae Vitae (Latin for "Human Life"), which reemphasized the Church’s constant teaching that it is always intrinsically evil to use contraception to prevent new human beings from coming into existence. Simply put, artificial contraception is contrary to the will of God.

Contraception is "any action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act [sexual intercourse], or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, proposes, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible" (Humanae Vitae 14). This includes sterilization, condoms and other barrier methods, spermicides, coitus interruptus (withdrawal method), the Pill, and all other such methods..." (Read More)

Artificial contraception is wrong because it is opposed to the natural law of God. Some argue we need contraception to cut down on unwanted pregnancy and abortion. But, there should be no sex outside of marriage to begin with, this is condemned in the Bible. Even looking at a woman/man lustfully is a sin (Matthew 5:29). So, if sex is left just for the married then they should always be open to the transmission of life.

Some forms of contraception (such as the morning after pill) can even produce an abortion. These forms of contraception kill upwards of 12 million lives in the US each year. (Source)

Scripture also condemns contraception:

Gen 1:28, 9:1,7; 35:11 - from the beginning, the Lord commands us to be fruitful ("fertile") and multiply. A husband and wife fulfill God's plan for marriage in the bringing forth of new life, for God is life itself.

Gen. 28:3 - Isaac's prayer over Jacob shows that fertility and procreation are considered blessings from God.

(See More examples)

What about using condoms to stop AIDS?

We still must not use artificial contracpetion like condoms.

Artificial contraception damages the gift of self. It destroys martial bonds because it prevents the trasmission of life. For those who argue condoms should be supported because they will save lives in the fight against AIDS, condoms will not save lives. What is needed is education to change the lifestyles of these people. They must be taught that chastity is to be valued and sexual relations outside of marriage is wrong. This is a must and if we can teach this we can save more lives.

If condoms are allowed then many countries will begin to support sex outside of marriage and I gurantee that AIDS will skyrocket. People do not realize that the AIDS virus is so small that it can be transmitted through a condom. Condoms are not effective.

From a comment in a Catholic News Agency Article:

We can see from results in Africa that the use of condoms spreads AIDS rather than stopping it. Tanzia went from 3 cases to over 2 million with condom use, while Uganda went from a 30% AIDS rate to only 6%, after it stopped condom use. Clearly condoms spread rather than stop AIDS transmission. The Church is right in rejecting them.​

And again it comes down to our faith. We are not to question God's Church. We should seek to understand everything and not just believing statements immediately, but we must never go against the Church's teachings on faith and morals. As Pope Paul VI proclaimed in his infallible encyclical, Humanae Vitae, artificial contraception is contrary to the will of God.


Contraception is only harmful to women:

Hormonal contraceptives, besides being abortifacient, have horrific side effects for the women who use them. From high blood pressure to blood clots 2 to heart attacks 3, to migraine headaches, to menstrual problems after you quit taking the drug, hormonal contraceptives (the pill, Norplant, and Depo-Provera etc) can wreak havoc on a woman's body. It is no coincidence that the rise in breast cancer followed ten to fifteen years after hormonal contraceptives first became readily available 4. It is also no coincidence that many women who have been on the pill for years and now want children, find they are now infertile 5. Infertility has become a national epidemic, with couples spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying desperately to conceive. Unethical doctors continue to become wealthy prescribing contraceptives and then treating the side effects.(Source)