One of my readers accused me of using my daughter’s essay to “promote my own personal gospel of no-birth-control”. I thought it was a pretty strong accusation, and worthy of its own post.
While part of her comment is correct–this blog is a place of “promotion” if you will, it is certainly not “my own personal gospel” I am promoting. And even though she specifically asked me to “spare her of the Bible verses”, I am afraid I would have little to talk about if not for the authority of Scripture on which I stand.
I did not say:
- “Children are a blessing…”
- “Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them…”
- “His wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the center of the house, and his children live olive plants around the table…”
- “And why did I make them (man and woman) one? Because I desire godly offspring…”
- “He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of thy womb.”
- “It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.”
- “All the days were written for me before as yet there were none of them.”
This is THE gospel, not mine.
If you choose to use birth control, I DO NOT stand in judgement of you…for that is not my job. This blog is meant exclusively to bring light to the idea that GOD LOVES GIVING US CHILDREN–sometimes lots of them! For those of us who do have this conviction, it is tiring, and dreadfully heart-breaking, to receive negative comment after another from the very people who call themselves children of God, while they ignore everything He says about children. It’s not about “proving that you birth-control people are wrong”, it’s about begging the people of God to share His heart toward children, rejoicing with us, not sneering at us (and making comments that hurt our children’s feelings!). Naturally, in trying to express this notion, I have to oppose the current vein of our culture’s thinking, and incidentally, make some people mad. However, it is no new gospel, nor my own made up idea, that it is as natural as breathing to have lots of children.
There are many points on which one may have a valid argument; that this is all my own personal gospel is not one of them.
5 comments
This might not have anything much to do with your last post. I just wanted to share this, though.
While I was growing up, (30 or so years ago) it was accepted and even expected that teens would engage in pre-marital sex. What was the main concern of the parents, and then also of the teens? PREGNANCY!!!!
There was no talk, or very little, of diseases or heart break, or reputation, or other.. no telling that the future spouse would not be the first, that there would be other experiences in the memory bank…The only concern was “unwanted” pregnancy!
I suppose that also has something to do with our attitude toward children today. They are seen as obstructions to our own pleasure and personal accomplishments in life!! And that is the reverse of what it should be.
Your Bible quote on this blog about why God wanted the two to become one, for Godly children, also assumes that sex is for procreation, first of all….but God has made it very enjoyable, so that we will do it often, much more often than needed just for procreation. This is a blessing!
But the devil has turned its purpose around and said sex is NOT for procreation, but ONLY for pleasure, and that if reproduction is a result, that we must kill it and prevent it from happening again!
It just seemed odd to me to reflect on my upbringing and to remember THE ONLY REAL SPOKEN SCARE of pre-marital sex—“WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU GET PREGNANT?!”
A very thoughtful response, anon. And perhaps one could go so far as to say that when parents allow the children to use birth control to prevent pregnancy (and many do), instead of teaching them and enforcing the commands of God regarding sex, they allow the sex-for-pleasure-as-long as-it doesn’t-disrupt-my-life habit to be instilled and just carried on into their marriages.
I guess that’s what you were trying to say…good point.
W.W., i don’t know why this did not post yesterday, but here is another thought I had which I’d like to share with you all…
If God’s blessing of children could be compared to a fantastic composer giving us melodies to improvise, it would be more obvious that it is wrong to say to Him, “NO MORE!” We would, by our own choice, listen to the variations of only two very sweet melodies all the rest of our lives—let’s say they are “Rock of Ages” and “Amazing Grace”. No more. All life long, and we could have had more. We had told the composer that we have our hands tied up just coming up with enough great variations for these two and, really, we don’t have time or energy for any others.
Then, let’s also think about the composer’s viewpoint. He is out of business, at least with us. He has so many brilliant ideas that he would love to express and to share. He would like to bring more joy and wonder to those who would receive his music. But he has been refused. They do not want any more. There is no one to help him use his music. There is no one to hear it. There is no more music.
You see, birth control is not just about our point of view. It is also about God’s.
It is our choice, and as you say, we are each accountable for everything we do. Freedom with responsibility.
Ooops! let me follow up and apologize for that one. I do not know God’s point of view. I am only guessing. He may not see things that way at all, since He knows the ending before the beginning. His ways are higher than ours! Still, I wonder if there is a lack of expression because of our lack of cooperation….
OOooh…being a musician myself, I love that point of view! And it goes along great with today’s post, which I am about to write!