Extreme Bigot...Yup, That's Me

I believe in (mostly) black and white. There's quite a bit of grey area, and there are some places where something could very well be "right" for one person, and "wrong" for someone else. But there's a whole lot of black and white. And I see more and more black and white as I get older and learn more about the world. It's most inconvenient.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about contraception, primarily because of the HHS mandate. I've been fairly ignorant about it though, since I'm a virgin and, thus, have never used it. Until recently, I've had a fairly "moderate" view of contraception. I come from a large family and I currently have seven siblings (yes, that number will likely go up). We're not Catholic or Mormon. We're just Christians who know that children are a blessing and who don't use contraception. Simple as that.

 

Contraception = Evil?

However, I hadn't ever really considered contraception wrong. I don't plan to use it, because...well, I'm not scared of having a family, I guess. I viewed contraception like a lot of people view abortion: "I don't like it, but you can use it if you want." Or perhaps like drinking a lot of beer or smoking: it isn't a good idea and is bad for your health, but it isn't "wrong".

I still have no problem with the idea behind contraception: preventing conception. You can avoid children if you want. It's none of my business. But, I have now discovered the fine print of contraception, and my nice little un-bigoted viewpoint kind of just exploded. Basically, I can no longer call myself pro-life and support most contraceptives. Because of abortion.

Yes, abortion. The vast majority of the time (ninety-something percent, generally), contraceptives prevent conception. But if you read the fine print on the back of the pill bottle or other packaging, the secondary method is to prevent the embryo from implanting in the uterus. Thus, a very early abortion. This goes for the very common contraceptions, such as IUDs and the Pill, as well as the vast majority of other contraceptives.

This view probably appears extreme, even to other pro-lifers. But, frankly, putting a stop to the loss of human life is never extreme, or bigoted.

"If to be feelingly alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures
 is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics
ever permitted to be at large." ~ William Wilburforce

Some people protest this view because contraceptive pills are sometimes used for health purposes, not to prevent conception. This is regrettable, but also kind of silly. Contraceptive pills treat the symptoms of these diseases; they don't treat the disease itself. For example: ovarian cysts are (appropriately) painful cysts that form as a result of ovulation (when a woman's ovaries releases an egg for possible fertilization and pregnancy). Birth control usually prevents ovulation and, thus, prevents ovarian cysts; however, it does not cure the disease. The birth control serves as an extreme kind of pain-killer.

So, unfortunately, a practice that our culture has deemed normal and harmless, is anything but. It's always uncomfortable when we realize we've been wrong. It certainly isn't fun for me (my thought upon discovering this was 'Shoot, another thing I have to oppose.'), but to oppose abortion and not oppose chemicals that cause abortions would simply be hypocritical.

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