Evangelicals Now
Christian news worldwide
magnifying glass Search archives
home Home check the archives Archives Subscribe Subscriptions Advertising Information & booking of classifieds Adverts Find a local evangelical Church Find a church for the search engines and extremely curious! About us Contact us Site Map
Printable
Version

Christians and the contraception culture

Family planning?

CHRISTIANS AND THE CONTRACEPTION CULTURE
By Dr. E.S. Williams
Belmont House Publishing (http://www.belmonthouse.co.uk)
34 pages. £1.00
ISBN 0 9548493 1 0

This is a thought-provoking booklet. In the 21st century the arguments in the Protestant church about contraception have moved firmly from not ‘whether’ but ‘how’. When the believing church in the West seems indistinguishable from the world around it then it is always worth turning once more to the Scriptures and evaluating our position.

This short booklet sets out to critique the 2005 publication by the Christian Institute called Contraception: a pro-life guide.

The Christian Institute booklet argues that there are methods that are acceptable for Christians ‘pro-life’ working to prevent creation of an embryo, and others which damage the early embryo and should be avoided. Initially, Dr. Williams traces the history of the Family Planning movement, from its roots in population control and sexual liberation, up to the present day and the promotion of condom use and immoral lifestyles. He argues that Christians should have nothing to do with methods tainted in this way. However, there are many things that are misused in our society that we don’t shun as Christians (e.g. opium products — heroin v. morphine for pain-relief).

Dr. Williams also argues that God has never rescinded his creation mandate to humankind to multiply and fill the earth. Thus, Dr. Williams states that any contraception, even if permissible under Christian liberty, is never God’s best. Indeed, he seems to say that ‘pro-life contraception’ is an oxymoron. However, Dr. Williams fails to examine this command carefully and never develops any biblical theology of this issue.

Overall, he fails to establish that contraception is the moral evil he holds it to be. He is intemperate in his criticism of the Christian Institute, which has done so much to promote godly standards in our society.

Harriet Strain,
GP and member of the Independent Chapel at Spicer Street, St. Albans