Baptist Pastor at Southwestern Says Use of Birth Control Pills is Murder
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Tue, October 28, 2008
- Viewed 170
- (24) comments so far
“Some of you are involved in that exact same sin,” Dr. White said.
Oh my.
You can watch White’s sermon here...
What do you think?
WFAA.com is reporting: "A Southern Baptist leader and teacher has a message for women: Taking birth control pills is "murder" and a "sin." The opinion of Dr. Thomas White is reverberating around Baptist circles. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth shapes the Baptist pastors of tomorrow, determining the future of the church. That's why Dr. White's sermon earlier this month is getting so much attention. Dr. White is a mentor at the seminary, charged with helping future pastors make the right decisions. But earlier this month, a repentant Dr. White addressed those students.
He confessed that he and his wife had employed birth control pill years earlier. "The reason that we did it was my own selfishness," he said. "I wanted kids, but I wanted kids — not in God's timing, but in my timing." Dr. White now condemns the use of birth control pills, saying, "It's murder of a life." Dr. White condemns the practice because although the pill is supposed to work by preventing the release of an egg, it can also prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall...
Comments
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shane on Tue, October 28, 2008
I would assume that the Dr. himself is free from sin since he pointing out the “sin” of others?
Give me a break, put your stone down Doc, the church has made enough rules and regulations that keep people from God, we don’t need anymore!!
Thanks for the post Todd.
John Cheatham on Tue, October 28, 2008
I’ve heard this perspective before. Some birth control pills do that, so he is accurate. Not all do, but in many pills, one of the secondary mechanisms of contraception is “endometrial effects that prevent implantation of an embryo in the uterus” (wikipedia.org). This happens very rarely, but it is a secondary mechanism of many birth control pills (combined estrogen and progestin oral contraceptives). An embryo is a fertilized egg, so many (including myself) believe that is a child.
Side note to Shane: He’s not just pointing out the sin of others, but his own past sin which he was confessing. He believes this to be beneficial since many have no idea about this mechanism of oral contraceptives.
Check out this book for more in depth reading: Köstenberger, Andreas J. and David W. Jones. God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004. ISBN 1581345801
Brian L. on Tue, October 28, 2008
This reasoning helped us come to the conclusion that we didn’t want to use the pill, either.
Not to mention the increased risk of breast cancer, especially in those who have a family history of it.
I agree with John - he’s not throwing stones. He’s sharing his conviction and how that conviction affected him as well.
shane on Tue, October 28, 2008
I understand what he is saying and where he is coming from.
Why does he just not say then, this is my personal conviction on this issue instead of calling it a sin, that is the difference I believe.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians-I have no command from the Lord on this issue but I give you my opinion (1 Cor 8:25). I am sure we have a dealt with things in our past that we have changed our views/stances on, however when we change our mind/belief that does not make it a sin in someone elses life. There is a huge difference between your opinion and what the Word of God calls a sin. I have no issue with him sharing his conviction, just don’t call it sin when the bible is silent in this area.
John Cheatham on Tue, October 28, 2008
Logically, if it’s a sin to commit murder and the child would survive without the use of the pill and doesn’t because of the pill, then taking the pill in that circumstance is a sin. There’s nothing wrong with calling sin “sin.” He’s trying to educate people on what these pills do, so that less children will be killed. I don’t know how he said it, only how it was reported by WFAA, so I don’t know if he said it in a loving way or not. When I get time, I want to check out his message. I was very surprised when I learned about this in my seminary education. We’d definitely have to check the context to see what he said exactly.
CS on Tue, October 28, 2008
shane:
“I have no issue with him sharing his conviction, just don’t call it sin when the bible is silent in this area.”
Many forms of birth control contain abortifacients—that is, drugs that do not make the sperm and egg cease from joining, but instead cause the fertilized cell to be aborted and discharged from the woman’s body. We know, genetically, through modern science, that at the moment of conception where sperm and egg join that a new, unique human being has been created. So, anything that artificially causes that creation to be destroyed or deprived of physiological needs is killing it.
The usual definition of artificially ending someone’s life prematurely is, “murder.” This is clearly a sin, and where the minister would be correct in making such a statement.
Now, if the birth control does not impact the fertilized egg, and instead prohibits sperm and egg from joining, I’ve got no problems with anything there, and that would be something for each individual Christian to consider and prove for themselves.
—
CS
Becky Knight on Tue, October 28, 2008
The clinical definition of a pregnancy is when the fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall and the hormonal loop is established. If contraception prevents an egg from implanting, it is still pregnancy prevention, not pregnancy termination.
shane on Tue, October 28, 2008
From what I am understanding, the Dr. was/is talking about Birth Control pills and that is what I have responded to specifically, sorry for any mis-understanding. And as Becky has just stated-BC pills prevent pregnancy, they do not terminate a pregnancy. Please do not confuse abortion, which is murder and taking a BC pill which simply prevents pregnancy. Like CS said, the sperm and the egg joining “together” is when life begins, not before.
Again I have NO problem with anyone stating their convictions, please do not make it sin issue when in this case it is NOT there.
Great opinions though, and I enjoy hearing everyone’s views.
peace
Peter Hamm on Tue, October 28, 2008
The Catholic Church has taken this stance for decades, so have others. It is nothing new.
But not all forms of birth control pills act this way…
Joe Schmoe on Tue, October 28, 2008
My wife and i do not use birth control either, for the same reason.
now i have a vasectomy…
I did a lot research on this, and “the pill” or ORTHOTRICYCLENE is meant to prevent the egg from releasing…
When I tried to ask if it worked as an abortifacient (a substance or device, like an IUD that keeps the fertilized egg from attatching to the uterine wall), no one can answer, or will answer.
It’s not a sin to explain how the birth control works…. if we say that life begins at conception and that abortion is wrong, than we have to be consistent….. if we take a pill or insert a device that kills a fertilized egg, than is that NOT the same thing as an abortion?
with “The Pill”, the issue is that the doctor’s and information that I researched could not tell me what impact the medication would have on the uterine wall, or on a fertilized egg if one WAS released…
i would rather play it safe than sorry, and KNOW that no child conceived by my wife and I would be at risk of death at my own hand…
if you do not define life at conception but rather at implantation, as many do, than your convictions will be different, but i would encourage you to at least research this for yourself…. rather than slam a man who is trying to present the church with truth and fact…. look at the facts and the truth, and THEN make up your mind about it.
Joe Schmoe on Tue, October 28, 2008
You said:
The clinical definition of a pregnancy is when the fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall and the hormonal loop is established. If contraception prevents an egg from implanting, it is still pregnancy prevention, not pregnancy termination.
—-
that’s the definition of “pregnancy” not the definition of LIFE… most of us believe that life begins at conception, not implantation…
there have also been questions raised about that medical definition, and its origin…. some say the medical societies that determined that definition were influenced politically to make the statement.
Peter Hamm on Tue, October 28, 2008
Some would even say that the medical community believed for centuries (or perhaps millennia) that life begins at conception, and the people who decided that it didn’t were not physicians or scientists, but lawyers.
shane on Tue, October 28, 2008
I got a vasectomy 11 years ago, and I kid you not, when my senior pastor and his wife found out I was “reprimanded” for “destroying the temple of God”. They went on to tell me that by doing so that I was taking God out of the picture in Him blessing us with how many children he had planned for us, etc etc etc…
Not to change the subject but, have I sinned in getting a vasectomy?
by the way I am no longer a part of that church http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif
Brian L. on Tue, October 28, 2008
Shane,
I don’t think you sinned in getting vasectomy.
One of my concerns lies on the other end of the spectrum - spitting out children because they feel that to limit the number of children in the family is sinful.
Some people are having children when it is dangerous for both the woman and the child. The probability of having children with Down Syndrome increases every year after age 35 of the mother. Issues for the mother begin to creep in as well.
Someone challenged my wife and I (we have five kiddos, BTW) by saying (pardon the paraphrase - it was a number of years ago), “So are you using birth control or are you going to let the Lord give you as many babies as He wants?” We just smiled and walked away.
We use birth control, though not the pill or IUD. We choose to prevent conception, not just implantation, because as mentioned by others above, the CLINICAL definition of pregnancy might be implantation, but I don’t think that’s a Scriptural definition. And since I’ll be facing God and not the AMA or a heavenly OB-GYN, I’ll go with what I think is the Scriptural position.
shane on Tue, October 28, 2008
Brian,
Great insight and views, appreciate it!
My wife and I have 4 children, 2 biological and 2 girls we adopted when they were babies now 7 & 6. Of course we are so blessed to have our kids and are so greatful that God put those 2 baby girls in our lives as well they truly are God’s blessings! We are still contacted by the agencies we went through to adopt if we would be interested in “another one” as they call it. There are literally thousands of kids waiting to be adopted throughout our country alone and sadly many of them will not be and will grow up in foster care being passed along from family to family and being discarded when that family can no longer handle them. Where is the “outrage” from the church on this and why don’t all these “christians” who are in a fit over the pill/birth control doing something about our countries adoption issues and adopting one of these children from a biological parent who chose not to use birth control? Please don’t use money for an excuse either, it cost my wife and I $50k to adopt our two girls right here from the US, one from Georgia and the other from North Carolina and we went through Christian adoption agencies. We did not have $50k, yet God provided off my $23k a year pastoral pay and my wife staying at home with our other 2.
peace
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