Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: @sun.acs.udel.edu:correll@sun.acs.udel.edu (correll) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: A Perfect Example Message-ID: Date: 18 Jan 90 05:06:53 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Delaware Lines: 38 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article djo@pacbell.com (Dan'l DanehyOakes) writes: > No. I'm afraid that the anti-birth-control position is arrived at >by examining Scripture, not with the idea of puzzling it out to see what it >really means, but by coming to it with the preconceived notion that birth >control is wrong (probably because it leads to -- GASP! -- sexual freedom) >and seeking out quotes that can be made to mean what one already believes. > >Dan'l Danehy-Oakes I hope the point of this paragraph was not to imply that "sexual freedom" is a benefit of contraception. I see nothing in Scripture that would indicate that "sexual freedom" as the term is used by the world today is pleasing to God, quite to the contrary. Even married couples are not entitled to "sexual freedom" in the sense that they have autonomous control over their sexual behavior. For instance, I Cor. 7 couples are commanded to engage in intercourse regularly as a deterrent to immorality. There really cannot be any such thing as sexual freedom in the sense of being able to be involved in sexual activity without experiencing the consequences. This idea violates the principle of Gal. 6:7 that says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." The further we deviate from God's ideal, whether in homosexualiy, adultery, premarital sex, or whatever, the more dire the consequences. If even contraception is really displeasing to God, there will be consequences for those who use it. For instance, I believe it is Mary Pride who says that the reason Christians have not been terribly effective in combating the practice of abortion is that they have adopted worldly attitudes toward children, the family, and sexuality. Maybe she has a point. -- ---\ Sharon Correll \--------------- ----\ University of Delaware \-------------- -----\ Academic Computing and Instructional Technology \------------- ------\ Research and Development \------------