Life & The Pill

Warning: this post may be a sticky and uncomfortable read.  Bear with me, all I ask is that you take this as my own understanding and look into this subject on your own.

As I pondered the use of hormonal birth control I first had to question - do I truly believe life begins at conception?  A life that should be protected?  If life maybe doesn't start until further along in a pregnancy, then I really don't have anything to worry about with birth control.  When I examined human fetal development I could only come up with one logical answer - yes, of course life begins at conception!

You began when one unique egg from your mother joined with one unique sperm from your father.  At that precise moment your 46 chromosomes and unique DNA came into existence and your cells began dividing.  At that moment you were a developing human being.  An infant is also a developing human, as is a five year old, and a ten year old.  If anything had happened in your mother's womb to disrupt your growth when you were developmentally a zygote, then you would have never been born, or you may have been born with disabilities.  And no, you would not have simply been born at a later date, that would have been it for you, because you are the product of that one egg and that one sperm.  This is pure science.  It can be debated all day long, but the truth is crazy clear!  This is an area that people of any religious or non-religious affiliation can agree on.

The life issue is much more about when this life has value than if life exists or not, and maybe this is where our Christian principles come into play.  The most beautiful verses are in Psalm 139:
For you formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret,
and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
and in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, 
when as yet there was not one of them. - Ps. 139:13-16

 Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10

As believers and Christ-followers we are to cherish life.  I have found while volunteering at APRC that every life is a gift no matter the circumstances.  Women's lives have been changed for the better by meeting the Lord of life, but also by giving life to their children despite difficulties.  I have seen countless women move from despair to joy and gladness.  Life is valuable, even the tiniest new life.  Those who have suffered a miscarriage are painfully aware of this.  They are parents and always will be.

With that question answered, I went to figure out what the deal with contraception was.  The answers I found were that certain methods are not always successful at preventing ovulation or preventing fertilization, and when those goals fail it may be successful at preventing implantation of a fertilized egg (a zygote, a newly formed developing human being with his or her own DNA).  This is why you may occasionally hear the pill being referred to as an "abortifacient," or a substance that induces abortion.  Randy Alcorn is a Christian author who has very extensively researched this - initially with the intent and hope to show that the pill was safe and did not cause early abortions, but finding the opposite. Here is an outline of his findings:
Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?

This website clearly outlines which methods of contraception might cause an early abortion.
Can Birth Control Cause an Abortion?

The bottom line is that certain methods of birth control, including the pill, the ring, and the patch have the potential to end the life of a child in the very early stages of development.  (The IUD is the worst offender because it does nothing to prevent ovulation.)  You would never know if this happened.  Once I had this information, I knew I had to do something with it.  Not to do anything would make me a hypocrite, would endanger the children I hoped to have, and would set me at odds with my God.  Again, I'm just bringing you through my own development of convictions and beliefs and hoping that you take some time to consider your own and open the discussion with others if you haven't.

I went to my sweet husband and explained to him what I had discovered.  I expected him to fight the idea of going off birth control, he being much less "ready" than I for children.  In fact, I sort of wanted him to fight it and tell me to quit worrying so much.  I didn't really want to do this.  Instead he calmly said, "Well, I think we know what we need to do."

And then began a few days of crying out to God in total fear.  More on that next time! I think I've given you enough to chew on.