Religious Arguments Concerning Contraception and Abortion

Contraception: A means of stopping conception (pregnancy) taking place

by chemical or mechanical means.

There are a variety of viewpoints on contraception from the different

Christian churches. Most couples in modern society feel the need to

control the numbers of children that they have. The Roman Church

teaches that all artificial (chemical or barrier) are wrong as the

primary reason for sexual intercourse should be to have children.

However the RC church does not condemn natural family planning which

means that the woman is aware of the times when she is fertile and the

times that she is not. There is much controvosy over these views

especially in places where there is overpopulation. Many Roman

Catholics use birth control and settle their own consciences.

"It is right and proper for parents to regulate the number of children

that they have and the spaces between the children, but not be means

that which artificially make it impossible for sexual intercourse to

result in conception (pregnancy)." [Catholic Truth Society]

Most Anglican and other Protestant denominations accept birth control

as long as both partners agree to its use:

"The Anglican view of contraception is that a couple may practice

forms of contraception that are acceptable to both partners" [Church

of England priest]

Note: Since 'all' the churches teach that sex should only take place

inside marriage the question of contraception outside marriage does

not arise. However unwanted pregnancy is seen as undesirable.

Abortion: Stopping the development of a foetus by chemical or

mechanical means.

"Life must be protected with the utmost care from the ...

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...hen considering the issue is "Is

Abortion Murder?" as no Christian should contemplate murder (6th

commandment "You shall not kill"). Obviously a fully grown baby

emerging from the womb is alive in its own right but is the union of

sperm and ovum (the zygote) "alive" in a recognised sense ? The foetus

has a 'brain' and a circulatory system - is this enough? Should we

consider the moment that the foetus can survive outside the womb as

the moment it becomes alive? Then do we consider the use of medicine

to keep it alive? It is vital for Christians to be able to answer this

question for they must support one side of the argument. Either the

doctors who perform the operation are removing an unthinking,

unfeeling bundle of protoplasm from the mother's womb or they are

killing a human being capable of experiencing sensations.