The Value of Children Part 3

The discussion that the previous articles have generated have been extremely interesting, and I hope, helpful. The goal is for us to think and to examine our motivations. I know that I am.

That's what brings me to the topic of this post: birth control. It has come up in some of the discussion threads, and really, if we did not have birth control, then we would naturally be having more children, would we not? So, I think that in this discussion it is appropriate for us to examine this as well.

Let me begin by saying that, as one comment pointed out, not everyone takes birth control to simply avoid pregnancy. Many women have praised the Lord for the miracle of the pill. And honestly, so have many men. Why? Because it helps reduce the symptoms of PMS, cramps, and other difficult trials that women experience each month. That alone makes this type of BC a gift from God.

However, I believe that the pill form, or the shot form of BC has a major drawback. (Even if you believe that it is alright to severely limit the number of children that you have.) It is not with the fact that they block ovulation that concerns me, it is the fact that they change the environment of the uterus so that a fertilized egg has difficulty attaching to the wall. In this regard, the pill can act very much like a morning after pill. Unfortunately, many evangelicals are totally unaware of the pill's having this effect.

Even though this form of BC is very effective in preventing ovulation, it is not 100%. Most educated folk are aware that, even if you take your pills correctly, there is still around a 1% chance that you will become pregnant. (Read your package insert, if you dare!) This means that, occassionally, you will ovulate regardless of the pill. The problem is, you have no idea that this is happening. Further, that egg, if fertilized, will be entering into a hostile environment because of the pill. Most likely, it will be unable to attach to the wall of the uterus and will be passed.

If the pill still results in a 'succesful' pregnancy 1% of the time, then one must wonder how often fertilized eggs die because of the environment change that BC causes in the uterus. I think that it occurs far more often than one might think. (I would really appreciate some feedback from some medical types on this.) This makes me wonder if this is truly a type of contraceptive that a pro-life individual would want to use. If they do, then I think that need to check out the validity of what I am saying at the very least.

As for the other 'barrier' type contraceptives, after reading the previous posts, let your conscience be the judge. I only ask that you consider why you do not wish to have children, and make certain that you are not loving the things of this world more than children created in the image of God.