My article on contraception was posted on r/Reformed yesterday. I was not surprised to find that the reactions were largely negative. A variety of objections and questions were raised, so I thought I’d give just a few additional thoughts to address some of them.
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There are any number of reasonable exceptions to the rule. As I state very clearly: “[T]here are situations where contraception would be acceptable, but only in pursuit of some end besides birth control.” Single, celibate women or women for whom pregnancy would be unusually dangerous obviously fall into this category. But that fact that some people find themselves in exceptional circumstances does not imply that all people are held to the exceptional standard.
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I think my biblical arguments are more than sufficient to prove my case, but nature and tradition are both valid (if fallible) sources of truth. Reformed theology is not biblicist. If you’re looking for a single Bible verse to condemn contraception, you’re not going to find one, but then again, you’re not going to find a single Bible verse to support many traditional, orthodox Christian beliefs.
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I hold traditional views on gender roles, but I am not a hyper-patriarchalist. In fact, I think much of that world is misguided at best and dangerous at worst. Furthermore, I make clear that one of my concerns is that this issue disproportionately effects women.
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I have written one article on human sexuality, but I have written several more about a number of other topics. I also preach and teach weekly in multiple settings. If you totalled all that together, I would be very surprised if the topic of sexuality comprised more than two percent of my public ministry. In other words, this is not a hobby horse.
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My main purpose in addressing the medical literature is to prove, first, that contraceptives are not neutral, but extremely disruptive to the body’s natural processes and, second, that much of the medical discipline approaches the issue from a decidedly anti-biblical perspective. I am not a medical doctor, nor do I intend to give medical advice. But I am convinced that many people do not understand or properly weigh these trade-offs, so I have presented them as a possible aid to that process.
I think this covers some of the primary concerns I saw, but anyone is free to email me at reid@rwroberson.com if any lingering questions remain. I’m happy to have good-faith exchanges with any interested parties.