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Contraception

Contraception. Its Significance within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Natasha Wallace, SCTR 19: Religions of the Book June 4, 2007. Judaism. Sexual intercourse is considered to be an important part of marriage within Judaism.

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Contraception

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  1. Contraception Its Significance within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Natasha Wallace, SCTR 19: Religions of the Book June 4, 2007

  2. Judaism • Sexual intercourse is considered to be an important part of marriage within Judaism. • Views on contraception vary with each branch, depending on how Jewish law is interpreted. • Orthodox Judaism – allows contraception under certain circumstances. Example: the mother’s life would be endangered by pregnancy. Condoms and diaphragms not used as methods because they block the path of semen. • Conservative Judaism – more lenient; allows birth control, but encourages adherence to Jewish Tradition. • Reform Judaism, other liberal branches – accept contraception according to couple’s personal ethics.

  3. Contraception and the HB • Arguments against contraception are commonly based on several accounts in Genesis: • Genesis 1:22; 8:17 – “Be fruitful and multiply” • Genesis 38 – Onan uses the withdrawal method of contraception while having intercourse with his brother’s widow, and is killed by God as a result. • These passages are used to assert that wasting the seed is sinful, going against God’s command to populate the earth.

  4. Christianity • Like Judaism, Christianity’s various branches differ in their opinions on contraception. • Catholic Church – opposed to any form of artificial contraception; natural family planning is encouraged among married couples. • Eastern Orthodoxy – permits use of contraception if not an abortifacient, and if children are not excluded from the marriage entirely; couple consults their priest beforehand. • Protestantism – vast diversity of views on birth control, from conservative to liberal.

  5. Contraception and the NT • Contraception is never directly addressed in the New Testament, but procreation is a gift from God. • Mark 10:13-16 – Children are said to be closest to the Kingdom of God. • Luke 1:5-80 – The miraculous conceptions of Jesus and John the Baptist. • 1 Timothy 2:15 – Paul says parenthood is an important part of devotion, acknowledges God’s power to create life. • Revelation 9:21 – Condemnation of "magic potions" may refer to early contraceptives and chemical abortions.

  6. Islam • No ‘official’ view on contraception within the Islamic community. • Opinions vary within both Sunni and Shi’a branches. • Some Islamic countries embrace family planning as a method of preventing overpopulation and establishing a stable economy.

  7. Contraception and the Qur’an • Surahs 6:151; 17:31 – ‘Do not kill your children for fear of want.’ • Can be interpreted to suggest that all Muslims should trust in God to provide them with what they need, instead of preventing pregnancy. • Surahs 3:6; 16:70-78; 22:5; 31:33-34 • God creates and sustains life. • Surah 39:5-7 • Showing ingratitude to God’s creation brings retribution.

  8. Contraception in the Hadiths • The withdrawal method (‘azl’) is mentioned repeatedly in numerous Hadiths, often depicting the prophet Muhammad expressing his approval. • Hadiths according to Jabir, Abu Sa’id, ‘Umar Ibn Khattab, and other early members of the Muslim community.

  9. Contraception/Infanticide in the Ancient World • No knowledge of the interaction between sperm and egg • Semen thought to produce human independently once incubated within the womb. • Infanticide denounced repeatedly in HB, NT, and Qur’an, respectively, possibly influencing view that wasting “seed” kills potential whole children, not just half of the “equation.”

  10. Main Questions • Do the Hadiths contradict the Qur’an’s emphasis on children and the family? • Do religious leaders in impoverished nations have an obligation to encourage the use of condoms in order to prevent diseases, or help control the population? • Should these ancient Qur’anic and Biblical beliefs be disregarded, reinterpreted for modern relationships, or followed as literal commands from God? • How does our understanding of biology now affect how we look at scriptural views of reproduction?

  11. Articles • Reform Jewish activists unite with Christian organizations to protest the FDA’s obstruction of the Plan B pill (10/26/05) • An alliance between Christian and Jewish organizations attempting to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions. • Emergency contraception denied at a pharmaceutical chain in Atlanta (3/8/07) • Critics of the pill argue that it “encourages promiscuity and unprotected sex.” • Vatican debates use of contraception in AIDS infected counties (5/4/06) • Church and health officials questioning whether preaching abstinence will help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa. • Islamic scholars debate over the use of contraception to control populations (5/6/05) • Pakistani officials are in favor of developing more family planning programs within their country, though conservative Islamic leaders are in opposition.

  12. Works Cited • Adams, Jason T. “Birth Control, Contraception, Christian Sexuality”. Omsoul.com. One More Soul. 5 April 2007 http://www.omsoul.com/pamphlet146.The-Bible-vs-Contraception.html • Akbar, Khalid Farooq. “Family Planning and Islam: A Review”. Muslim-canada.org. The Canadian Society of Muslims. 15 April 2007 http://muslim-canada.org/family.htm#control • “Religion and Ethics – Contraception”. Bbc.co.uk. 3 June 2007. British Broadcasting Company. 20 March 2007 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/islamethics/contraception.shtml • Rich, Tracey R. “Kosher Sex: Jewish Attitudes Toward Sexuality”. Jewfaq.com. 15 April 2007. Judaism 101. 30 March 2007 http://www.jewfaq.org/sex.htm#BirthControl • “The Ancient Roots of Judeo-Christian Sexual Prohibitions”. Cybercollege.com. CyberCollege. 2 June 2007. http://www.cybercollege.com/history.htm

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