Victor R. Claveau, MJ
Artificial conception is any method of preventing conception by unnatural means or by the use of artificial barriers such as condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, etc. Using Artificial means to prevent conception is considered to be a serious (mortal) sin.
Sterilization involves procedures that render men or women “sterile” – that is incapable of conceiving a child while still capable of sexual relations. These practices are intended to be permanent.
Abortifacients are like human “pesticides” that cause the destruction of human life in the womb. Birth control pills, inter-uterine devices and pharmaceutical products such as “morning after” pills, RU-486, DepoProvera, Norplant are abortion producing drugs and devices. Less than 1/4 of all abortions in the US are actually surgical abortions while an estimated 78% “quiet” abortions (almost 7 million a year) are caused by abortifacients.
Natural Methods of Birth Control are neither contraceptive nor abortifacient. They challenge the married couple to understand their own fertility and to make decisions together about their family life. Through natural methods, married couples can open their wills to God and not exclude His will from their marital relations.
Gen. 1:27-28 (Gen. 9:1; 35:11) – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…”
Ps. 127:3-5 – Lo, sons are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
1 Chr. 25:4-5 – Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazi-oth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him; for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
1 Chr. 26:4-5 – And Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the first-born, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sachar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammi-el the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Pe-ullethai the eighth; for God blessed him.
Hos. 9:10-17 – Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to Baal, and became detestable like the thing they loved. 11 Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird–no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 12 Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim’s sons, as I have seen, are destined for a prey; Ephraim must lead forth his sons to slaughter. 14 Give them, O LORD–what wilt thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. 16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit. Even though they bring forth, I will slay their beloved children. 17 My God will cast them off, because they have not hearkened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.
Ex. 23:25-26 – You shall serve the LORD your God, and I will bless your bread and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 None shall cast her young or be barren in your land; I will fulfil the number of your days.
Gen. 38:9-10 – But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also.
Dt. 25:5-10 – “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his brother who is dead, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot, and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, The house of him that had his sandal pulled off.
Lev. 20:13 – If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them. (wasting seed).
Lev. 20:15 – If a man lies with a beast, he shall be put to death; and you shall kill the beast (sterile sex).
Lev. 20:16 – If a woman approaches any beast and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them (sterile sex).
Lev. 20:18 – If a man lies with a woman having her sickness, and uncovers her nakedness, he has made naked her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood; both of them shall be cut off from among their people.
Lev. 21:18-20 – For no one who has a blemish shall draw near (the sanctuary), a man blind or lame,…or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles;
Dt. 23:1-“He whose testicles are crushed or whose male member is cut off shall not enter the assembly of the LORD”.
Dt. 25:11-12 – “When men fight with one another, and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, 12 then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall have no pity”.
Rom. 1:26-27 – For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. (natural function of woman = childbearing).
1 Tim 2:15 –Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.
Acts 5:1-11 – Ananias/Saphria slain for withholding part of gift.
Gal. 6:7 – Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (accepting pleasure, denying fruit).
Mt. 21:19 – And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (see also Mk 11:14).
Gal. 5:19-20 – Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery…
Note: The word sorcery as used above was translated from the original Greek word “Pharmakeia”, which, in general, was the mixing of various potions to prevent or stop a pregnancy (sorcery = pharmakeia = abortifacient potions).
Rev. 9:21 – nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their immorality or their thefts.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) [AD 70] “The second commandment of the teaching is: ‘You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery’; you shall not corrupt boys; you shall not be sexually promiscuous; ‘you shall not steal’; you shall not practice magic; you shall not engage in sorcery; you shall not abort a child or commit infanticide. (2)
St. Hippolytus of Rome [post AD 222] “For this reason women who were reputed to be believers began to take drugs to render themselves sterile, and to bind themselves tightly so as to expel what was being conceived, since they would not, on account of relatives and excessive wealth, want to have a child by a slave or by any insignificant person. See, then, into what great impiety that lawless one has proceeded, by teaching adultery and murder at the same time!”
Note: Up until 1930 every Christian denomination in the world condemned artificial contraception.