Birth Control and Contraceptives

People in biblical times practiced various methods of birth control. Some methods, such as prolonged breast-feeding, had a degree of effectiveness. Most were simply quackery. Though the Bible mentions some ancient attempts at aiding conception (Gen. 30:14-16), it says nothing about contraception. Still, the Bible gives principles that apply for today. Nothing in Scripture precludes the use of birth control and contraceptives. The story of Onan (Gen. 38:6-10) is sometimes cited, but its focus is the motivation for prevention of pregnancy.

Such motivations may include a desire to space out children, or concern for a mother’s health after a difficult pregnancy or childbirth. Modern medicine offers many ways to delay or prevent childbirth altogether, including condoms, diaphragms, birth control pills, intrauterine devices, and other methods. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy. Sorting out which is best for personal use can be confusing and overwhelming.

When discussing these methods with a health care provider, remember a few principles from the Bible. From the beginning, in Genesis, God puts an infinite value on human life. Every life, from the moment it begins, has value in God’s eyes. Birth control pills prevent an egg from releasing into the woman’s body, so that sperm and egg will not meet and together form a fertilized egg. When a fertilized egg is ejected, however, deeper moral concerns are raised. Abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the church.

Decisions on whether to bear children and how many children to have are deeply personal. Still, life must be respected in our decisions of how to delay or prevent conception.

For a deeper understanding of the issue involved, we suggest people go to the following link: https://www.adventist.org/en/information/official-statements/statements/article/go/-/birth-control/