My only issue with the good Rev. Matthew Harrison, who is the president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, is non-abortificient birth control is also a sin for Christians. Contraception of any form is a rejection of God's blessing of children. Scripture clearly teaches an important purpose of Christian marriage is bringing Godly offspring into the world.
"The Lord has been witness
Between you and the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
But did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce."
Malachi 2:14-16
I find it interesting that the inspired Word of God condemns divorce and reminds us an important purpose of marriage is the raising of Godly children in the same passage. North America's sexual revolution was started with the advent of contraception and the institution of marriage and the practice of raising Godly children has suffered as a result.
Non abortificient birth control has been historically viewed by Catholic and Protestant theologians as a form of Onanism. Onan practiced a very basic form of contraception (withdrawal before ejaculation) to deny his new wife Tamar children.
And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
Genesis 38:8-10
Nowhere in Scripture or church history has contraception been seen as a good thing. Evangelical church leaders, such as this courageous Lutheran have not accepted contraception as a result of new theological insights. Rather the marketing of the culture of hedonism and the concept that sex can be simply recreational for married couples has started to break down the solid theological teaching against contraception and we are reaping a whirlwind today. With the primary purposes of marriage lost in the majority of Protestant churches and with many Catholics deceived and losing sight of God's plan for sexuality, divorce in the church has skyrocketed and 40% of all Christian marriages now end in divorce. Many Christian families are childless or only have one child. Self identified "Christians" do wind up at abortion clinics to murder their babies. Many "Christians" killing their children at abortion clinics who I have counselled have had sex outside of marriage and have used contraception. Fornication is normal in many "Christian" churches and pastors have for the most part have gone silent and refuse to preach on sexual sins and contraceptive use.
In spite of our culture which has embraced contraception and has mostly rejected marriage and children, God's word still holds up children as good. The good news I believe, is God's word will prevail.....
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
Psalm 127:3-5
Having said the above, I applaud Rev. Harrison and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for waking up and standing against the Marxist Obama administration's attempt to impose immorality on religious institutions. I don't believe we would be here today if the church of Jesus Christ remained steadfast against all forms of contraception half a century ago. None the less, I rejoice Christians are starting to wake up now and are beginning to stand against the perverse tyranny gripping our nation today.
Who would have thought when the pill first came on the market half a century ago (and with the pill came all sorts of promises of freedom and happiness) that an American president would try to use the force of the state to impose the pill and other forms of contraception onto American religious institutions that didn't want them?
