Can a Christian be involved in distributing contraceptives if it will reduce the number of abortions?
Question:
I am a hardcore Christian and live my life for God. I try to do the right thing even if that means suffering for it. I ended up getting a job where I am the "Health and Wellness Coordinator" at a college. I felt at peace and that God provided it for. It has many great opportunities. Although, my boss wants me to purchase condom machines, provide condoms and other sex-related things to students. I do not know how I feel about this because I do not support sex before marriage, but I also do not support abortion. I would rather much provide condoms and other things to students so they can have safe sex than to have them get an abortion. I have asked my pastor and my friends and they both have different answers. One says it is guilt by association and I am promoting sex before marriage. And the other said that they will provide condoms and other things whether I am there or not, so it is better to do my job and just let students know if they ask that I do not support it. What do you think?
Answer:
"And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"? --as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just" (Romans 3:8).
One way people come to incorrect conclusions is to weigh to options and even though one option is wrong, if they can reason that some good might come of it, they conclude that it is the better way to go. The truth of the matter is that you cannot use wrong to produce right.
Condoms and other forms of birth control only reduce the odds that a child will be conceived from an act of sex. Only sterilization comes close to giving a 100% prevention of pregnancy. For example, if 100 couples used condoms when having regular sex during a year, about 19 of those couples will conceive a child before the year is out. That is because condoms can and do fail for a variety of reasons.
Now add to this another fact. Most couples realize that if they have sex without any form of contraceptives, they are likely to produce a child. Using the example above, 85 out of 100 couples not using any contraceptive will conceive a child in a year's time if they are having sex regularly. Thus the fear of the possibility of producing a child causes couples to delay or forego sex until marriage. But when you reduce the odds, more people are tempted to take the gamble that a child won't be produced. Therefore, it isn't a simple argument to say that available contraceptives will reduce the number of abortions because the availability of contraceptives increases the number of sexual acts drastically.
"Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions had used a contraceptive method (usually the condom or the pill) during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users report having used their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users report correct use" [Jones RK, Darroch JE and Henshaw SK, Contraceptive use among U.S. women having abortions in 2000–2001, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2002, 34(6):294–303].
Thus your argument that providing contraceptives doesn't necessarily reduce the number of abortions.
A second flaw is that you are weighing one sin against another. You have determined that one sin is worse than another. But we know that God doesn't look at sin the same way we do. To Him all sins are wrong. That's why lists of sins, such as "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8), throws us for a loop because we don't usually see cowardice, disbelief and lying to be equal to murder or fornication.
So let's go back to the beginning. Your job requires you to distribute contraceptives for people who are committing fornication so they can reduce the possibility of facing the consequences of their sin, thus encouraging this sinful practice. It bothers you, and I think that is rightly so. Even if we couldn't pinpoint an exact sin as we have in this case, Paul still warns, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:22-23). To put it bluntly, you shouldn't be doing things which you are not certain is right.
The world thinks it strange when Christians take stands against wrong. "In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you" (I Peter 4:4). Because of my beliefs, I can't work in a corner grocery store because it would require me to sell alcohol and cigarettes, both of which I believe are harmful to use. People without such moral stances will find that decision strange, but I would rather be confident that I'm doing right by my fellow man and God.
And besides, your actions will speak far louder than your words. A mismatch between words and actions is called hypocrisy.
Response:
Thank you so much I really appreciate your wisdom on this. I have heard many good things about you from others.
