One of the oddest phenomena in the current era is that there may soon be more Evangelicals spurning birth control than Catholics. It is a topic that has been gaining steam for some years in Evangelical circles, though they would never admit something so bold as that maybe H.H. Paul VI was right in writing Humanae Vitae.
Evidence of this small but remarkable and growing trend can be found over at Lawn Gospel (a very fine Evangelical blog that shies from nothing) in a post called Birth Control: The Partly Natural Family, Children Aborted from the Mind.
Another blog worth checking out to see how Evangelicals think about things is Alas, A Blog. They have a post called: The Bible Says that God is the only Opener and Closer of the Womb.
While Evangelicals employ different kinds of arguments, happily a growing number are filling their quivers and coming often closer to a teaching of the Church than many Catholics. Remember the first step toward the Church for the Scott and Kimberly Hahn was acceptance of Humanae Vitae.
Recently the venerable Western Confucian wrote about just this matter:
http://orientem.blogspot.com/2008/03/protestants-and-catholics-united.html
My response was pretty much the same:
I am always hopeful that when Protestants delve into this matter they are that much closer to coming home…
We are approaching 80 years since Lamberth 1931 set the ball in motion. Protestant apologists for the traditional anti-ABC stance of historic Christianity must sooner or later come to realize what Church alone uphold this ancinet if remarkably unpopular stance. The chance of a widespread return to this major teaching in “Protestant orthodoxy” (beyond a few small boutique communities) simply is nil.
That should be found to be very telling to those who are willing to be honest with themselves.
Folks who have not yet heard it can listen to the first 10 minutes of a talk that changed the minds and hearts of thousands – recorded right here in Columbus over a decade ago on the eve of Pentecost:
Dr. Janet Smith’s “Contraception: Why not?”
Walk and a six pack, SS?
I’ve fallen into this camp now, and regret contracepting for years. Anyway, I would say that certain thoughtful evangelicals *do* agree with the reasoning of HV. Some of us 9even those not on the road to Rome) appreciate Rome very much.
No Father J, EARLY morning combined with late dinner of fish and chips = 1 can of beer & asleep before 10pm.