People Magazine: Duggars “won’t rule out having baby #20″ « No Longer Quivering
When I read this article I became afraid for the Dugger family because I firmly believe that it is God's will to protect your own health and well being.
On the subject of the Dugger family (whom I much admire in many ways), desire to let God decide their fate despite the fact that Mrs. Dugger is over forty years old and has had numerous pregnancies some involving C-sections. Her last pregnancy was problematic involving an emergency C-section giving birth to a baby weighing less than two pounds. Today I read on the internet that the Duggers have decided not to even consider the use of birth control seems to me bordering on suicidal at worse and or prideful at best. It would seem sensible to take a more holistic approach in making a decision that could have a catastrophic consequences on 21 people. I truly understand their desire to live according to God's will, as well they should but I believe that scripture gives us every encouragment in all cases to choose life and in the Dugger's case they are not choosing well nor wisely in deciding to have more children.
Christian literature indicates that "A tiny minority, less than 1 percent of Christians (both evangelical and Catholic), rejects every form of contraception, sterilization and even Natural Family Planning. This response we might call the minority or fundamentalist position. These Christians insist on God’s sovereignty in procreative matters and do not accord human responsibility and freedom any significant role in procreation within the sexual/marriage act. They do not see the unitive and procreative meanings of the marriage covenant and act as two separable aspects. The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity: An A-To-Z Guide To Following Christ in Every Aspect of Life. This article goes on to discuss Biblical guidance in this matter, " the Bible does not directly address the subject of contraception, throughout the Old and New Testaments children are considered a great blessing from the Lord. In the Old Testament barrenness is considered to be a lamentable state. In Genesis 1:28 the command to be fruitful and multiply is seen to be integral to the meaning and stewardship (responsible parenthood) of the marriage union in creation. Eve’s statement “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man” (Genesis 4:1) reveals God as integral to the creation of each new life. In conceiving and bearing children we are cooperating with God. Every birth is a sign of God’s ongoing commitment to creation, work in redemption and extension of the kingdom. At the dawn of salvation history, it is the birth of a child that is proclaimed as joyful news, and the joy that accompanies the birth of the Savior is seen to be the foundation and fulfillment of the joy that should be experienced as every child is born into the world.
... in the light of New Testament teaching that other concerns, such as service to God’s kingdom, can take precedence over marriage and family (1 Cor. 7), the biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28) need not be interpreted to mean that parents always have to bear the maximum number of children. Rather, the objective of marital partners must include cultivating an environment that is conducive to the growth of partner-fellowship between the couple and an optimal number of children who may receive adequate nurturing, attention and education. If this involves the assistance of artificial contraception, we should use it responsibly and with caution. The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity: An A-To-Z Guide To Following Christ in Every Aspect of Life.
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