I have a question about birth control. Until recently, I was under the impression that being on “the pill” meant that a woman did not ovulate and therefore, could not get pregnant. Upon some research, I was horrified to find out that women taking the pill can actually ovulate up to 50% of the time. When this occurs, the egg is harder to fertilize, but if it does become fertilized, the lining of the uterus will not allow the zygote to be attached, therefore causing the zygote to be aborted without the woman ever knowing it.
What is the pervading Christian thought on this? My husband and I are not Catholic, and we do not have a problem with birth control, but if it is essentially working like the morning after pill I want nothing to do with it. We were both surprised that no church other than the Catholic church has taken a stance on this.
There IS no pervading Christian thought on this issue. There is no pervading thought even among Christian OB-GYNs, it turns out. The reason is that they truly don’t know the pill’s effect on the uterine lining and just exactly how abortifacient it is. There is no data to support the claim that the pill causes miscarriages. It would be very helpful if such data existed!
I read an excellent booklet by Dr. Bill Cutrer about a Christian perspective on birth control (Family Building: Fact, Fallacy and Faith) and he didn’t say anything about women on the pill ovulating up to 50% of the time. Frankly, I am suspicious of that claim for more than a few women. He also said that a fertilized embryo is amazingly able to start growing in the most inhospitable environments, such as the fallopian tubes, intestines and even spleen, so the abortifacient characteristics of COC (combination oral contraceptives) are not absolute.
His perspective is that couples should be aware of the risks of the pill to both the mother and the unborn baby, and alternative contraceptives should be considered. The evidence is not as strong as some would make it out to be, but nonetheless other forms of contraception would be good to discuss.
I hope this helps; I would suggest you get the pamphlet and read it for yourself (you can order it from FamilyLife at www.familylife.com).
Sue Bohlin
Probe Ministries
Sue Bohlin
Sue Bohlin is an associate speaker/writer and webmistress for Probe Ministries. She attended the University of Illinois, and has been a Bible teacher and conference speaker for over 40 years. She is a frequent speaker for MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) and Stonecroft Ministries (Christian Women's Connections), and serves on the board of Living Hope Ministries, a Christ-centered outreach to those dealing with unwanted homosexuality. Sue is on the Bible.org Women's Leadership Team and is a regular contributor to Bible.org's Engage Blog. In addition to being a professional calligrapher, she is the wife of Probe's Dr. Ray Bohlin and the mother of their two grown sons. Her personal website is suebohlin.com.
What is Probe?
Probe Ministries is a non-profit ministry whose mission is to assist the church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview and to equip the church to engage the world for Christ. Probe fulfills this mission through our Mind Games conferences for youth and adults, our 3-minute daily radio program, and our extensive Web site at www.probe.org.
Further information about Probe's materials and ministry may be obtained by contacting us at:
Probe Ministries
2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 2000
Plano TX 75075
(972) 941-4565
[email protected]
www.probe.org
Copyright/Reproduction Limitations
This document is the sole property of Probe Ministries. It may not be altered or edited in any way. Permission is granted to use in digital or printed form so long as it is circulated without charge, and in its entirety. This document may not be repackaged in any form for sale or resale. All reproductions of this document must contain the copyright notice (i.e., Copyright 2022 Probe Ministries) and this Copyright/Limitations notice.
