Contraceptives in the Bible

    Onanism: One of the Contraceptive Methods mentioned in the Bible is the "Withdrawal Method" or "Coitus Interruptus" practiced by Onan in Gen.38… and "what he did greatly offended the Lord, and the Lord took his life" (Gen.38:10).

    What happens in Gen.38:6-10, is that the husband of Tamar died living her without children, and Judah, following the Law of Levirate, "said to Onan: Unite to your brother's widow, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother's line. Onan, however, knew that the descendents would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother's widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended the Lord, and the Lord took his life". Since them, it is known as "Onanism" the Withdrawal Method.

    The Bible: All the Contraceptive Methods are against the most elementary teachings of the Bible on Sex. God created man "male" and "female", and gave them the commandment "be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth" (Gen.1:28). Since this first chapter, the Bible talks with respect and dignity about sex, always in the context of marriage, and to have children. To have sex, trying to avoid the conception of a child, is exactly the opposite of this elementary principle.

    In the Bible, a large family is a blessing from God (Ps.127:24, 128:2-4), and childlessness in marriage is a curse and a great sorrow (Gn.30:1, 1S.1:6,11, Is.4:1, Lk.1:25). A numerous progeny was promised to the Patriarchs (Gn.12:2, 17:26, 26:24).

    The Catholic Church teaches not to use contraceptives, except the methods of "Abstinence", and the "Rhythm Method" when there is a very serious social problem, or a sickness . If you use any other Method,   you can not receive Communion, in the words of Pope John Paul II... to be able to receive Communion, you have to confess your sin, and stop the Contraceptive Method, wherever it is. If you had surgery, just confess your sin.

    The Twentieth Century has been one of extreme polarization on sex: We spent our efforts most of the century on how to have sex without having children, the contraceptives; and we finished the century working on how to have children without having sex, the "in vitro" fertilization and cloning.

    Contraceptives do not reduce abortions but increase them: The contraceptive mentality--which is very different from responsible parenthood, lived in respect for the full truth of the conjugal act--are such that they in fact strengthen this temptation when an unwanted life is conceived.
    Indeed, the pro- abortion culture is especially strong precisely where the Church's teaching on contraception is rejected. Certainly, from the moral point of view contraception and abortion are specifically different evils: the former contradicts the full truth of the sexual act as the proper expression of conjugal love, while the latter destroys the life of a human being; the former is opposed to the virtue of chastity in marriage, the latter is opposed to the virtue of justice and directly violates the divine commandment "You shall not kill"....despite the differences, contraception and abortion are often closely connected, as fruits of the same tree... of sin!
 

Methods of Contraception:

    1- Abstinence: Not to have sex.

    2- Lactational Amenorrhea Method: Breastfeeding usually suppresses pregnancy during the first 6 months, while there are no menses.

    3- Rhythm Method: It is based on the normal fact that women can become pregnant only once a month, about 14 days after the first day of the last menstruation. Because on that day the ovule is released, and only lives for about 24 hours.
    There are four ways to do the Rhythm Method: Calendar Method, Basal Body Temperature, Cervical Mucus Method, and Symptothermal Method.
    The Calendar Method consists in not to have sex during the 8^th day after the first day of menstruation until the 18^th day.
    The Temperature Method, is done by the wife, taking her temperature in the mouth daily after the menstruation with a special thermometer, Ovulindex, and not to have sex until 3 days after the temperature rises one degree. The day the temperature rises is the day of the ovulation, and the ovule only lives 24 hours, and the 3 days wait is for precaution, and best results.
    The Mucus Method is based on the fact that the day of ovulation the wife has a thicker mucus in the vagina. It is recommended also to wait 3 days after the mucus appears.
    When the wife pays attention to the changes of her body on the day of the ovulation, raise temperature of the body, and mucus in the vagina, she can do the Method without even using thermometer.

    4-Spermicides: Are chemicals, usually monoxinol-9, that inactivate or kill sperm. They are available as aerosols (foams), creams, vaginal tablets, suppositories, and dissolvable films.

    5- Condoms (male and female): This is the Method used to have sex with a prostitute, because you are not exposed to his or her possible venereal decease, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, AIDS…

    6- Diaphragms, use by females.

    7- The Intrauterine Devices (IUDs): Coil, loop, the T-shaped device, inserted into the uterine cavity. The contraception is due not just to the metal, but the metal releasing cooper or progestin. The cooper-releasing IUDs interfere with the ability of sperm to pas to the uterine cavity. The progestin-releasing IUDs also thicken the cervical mucus and change the endometrial lining.

    8- Withdrawal, or Coitus Interruptus: To withdraw the penis from the vagina at the moment of ejaculation. The Onanism, of Gen.38, mentioned above.

    9- The Pill: A hormone taken orally daily, usually a combination of estrogen and progesterone, or only progestin. Taken daily. The main problem of the hormone is that it facilitates the formation of clots in the blood, and may produce phlebitis in the legs or abdomen, or clots in the lungs, heart, kidneys, brain… they suppress ovulation, thicken the cervical mucus (preventing sperm penetration), change the endometrium (making implants less likely), and reduce sperm transport in the upper uterus (fallopian tubes).

    10- The Injection: There are three kind of injections, all of them with the same serious problem of the pill. 1- Monthly Injection with a combination of strogen-progestine. 2- Injection every two months of Noristerat, only progestin. 3- Injection every three months of Depo-Provera, only progestin.

    11- Norplant Implants: They provide effective contraception for up to 5 years, with the same actions and serious problem of the pill. The Norplant system consists of six small flexible capsules made of Sylastic tubing which are filled with a synthetic progestin (levonorgestrel). The capsules are inserted just under the skin on the inner side of a woman's upper arm using a minor surgical procedure.

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