Religious views on birth control
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Religious adherents vary widely in their views on birth control. This can be true even between different branches of one faith, as in the case of Judaism. Some religious believers find that their own opinions of the use of birth control to differ from the beliefs espoused by the leaders of their faith, and many grapple with the ethical dilemma of correct action versus personal circumstance and choice.
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[edit] Christianity
Among Christian denominations today there are a large variety of positions towards contraception. The Roman Catholic Church has disallowed artificial birth control for as far back as one can historically trace. Contraception was also officially disallowed by Protestants until 1930 when the Anglican Communion changed its policy. Soon after, most Protestant groups came to accept the use of modern contraceptives as a matter of Biblically allowable freedom of conscience.[1]
[edit] Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church remains morally opposed to contraception and orgasmic acts outside of the context of marital intercourse, believing that all sexual acts must be open to procreation. The only form of birth control permitted is abstinence. Modern scientific methods of "periodic abstinence" such as Natural Family Planning (NFP) were counted as a form of abstinence by Pope Paul VI in his 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae.[2]
Catholics have voiced significant disagreement with the Church's stance on contraception.[3] The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued probably the most heavily dissenting document, the Winnipeg Statement. In it, the bishops argued that many Catholics found it very difficult, if not sometimes impossible, to obey Humanae Vitae. Additonally, they reasserted the Catholic principle of primacy of conscience.[4] Theologians such as Charles Curran have also criticized the stance of Vitae on artificial birth control.
[edit] Protestantism
Author and FamilyLife Today radio host Dennis Rainey suggests four categories as useful in understanding current Protestant attitudes concerning birth control. These are the "children in abundance" group, such as Quiverfull adherents who view all birth control as wrong; the "children in managed abundance" group, which accept only Natural Family Planning; the "children in moderation" group which accepts prudent use of a wide range of contraceptives; and, the "no children" group which sees itself as within their Biblical rights to define their lives around non-natal concerns.[5]
Meanwhile, Protestant movements such as Focus on the Family view contraception use outside of marriage as encouragement to promiscuity.
| Sex is a powerful drive, and for most of human history it was firmly linked to marriage and childbearing. Only relatively recently has the act of sex commonly been divorced from marriage and procreation. Modern contraceptive inventions have given many an exaggerated sense of safety and prompted more people than ever before to move sexual expression outside the marriage boundary.[6] |
[edit] Islam
The Qur'an does not make any explicit statements about the morality of contraception, but contains statements encouraging procreation. Various interpretations have been set forth over time, and at the time of this writing, discussions on the web can be found easily that take various positions. Early Sunni Muslim literature discusses various contraceptive methods, and a study sponsored by the (Sunni) Egyptian government concluded that not only was azl (coitus interruptus) acceptable from a moral standpoint, but any similar method that did not produce sterility was also acceptable.[citation needed]
- "It is permissible to use condoms so long as this does not cause any harm and so long as both husband and wife consent to their use, because this is similar to ‘azl (coitus interruptus or “withdrawal”). But it reduces the sensation of pleasure, which is the right of both partners, and reduces the chance of conception, which is also the right of both partners. Neither one of them is allowed to deprive the other of these rights. And Allaah is the course of strength."[7]
However, there are several schools of thought on this as well as other issues concerning Islamic morality. In Iran, a Shia Islamic country, contraceptive methods are not only taught to married couples, but also encouraged to youngsters through posters and advertisements.[citation needed]
Generally, Sunni doctrine is more restrictive than Shia in this matter.
[edit] Judaism
The Jewish view on birth control currently varies between the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform branches of Judaism. Among Orthodox Judaism, use of birth control has been considered only acceptable for use in limited circumstances. Conservative Judaism, while generally encouraging its members to follow the traditional Jewish views on birth control has been more willing to allow greater exceptions regarding its use to fit better within modern society. Reform Judaism has generally been the most liberal with regard to birth control allowing individual followers to use their own judgment in what, if any, birth control methods they might wish to employ.[citation needed]
When Orthodox Jewish couples contemplate the use of contraceptives, they generally consult a rabbi who evaluates the need for the intervention and which method is preferable from a halachic point of view.[citation needed]
[edit] Sikhism
Sikhs have no objection to birth control.[citation needed]
Whether or not Sikhs use contraception, and the form of contraception used, is a matter for the couple concerned.[citation needed]
[edit] Hinduism
There is no ban on birth control in Hinduism.[citation needed]
Some Hindu scriptures include advice on what a couple should do to promote conception - thus providing contraceptive advice to those who want it.[citation needed]
However most Hindus accept that there is a duty to have a family during the householder stage of life, and so are unlikely to use contraception to avoid having children altogether.[citation needed]
Because India has such a large and dense population, much of the discussion of birth control has focused on the environmental issue of overpopulation rather than more personal ethics, and birth control is not a major ethical issue. [citation needed]
