The Truth

“There is something distinctly precious and unique about human life. In God’s estimation, it is so precious and so unique He commands that it must be protected, it must be preserved. It alone represents ‘the image of God.’ This precious human life is not to be treated violently by other human beings. The One who creates life certainly has the right to appraise it. Simply speaking, it is God’s way of saying, ‘Life is so important no one has the right to murder it. Don’t end it. Let it live. Because all humanity represents my handiwork; it is Mine to do with as I please. My image is, in mysterious ways, stamped into human life.” - Charles Swindoll

With all of the well wishes and congratulations that have been coming our way, we’ve heard our fair share of “Have you guys figured this out yet? Do you know where babies come from?” and the list could go on. While nearly 100% of these comments are coming from dear friends and family and are meant in a joking manner, those questions have been ringing loud and clear. Not because of the words, but because of a decision that Rahul and I made during our first year of marriage. One that I am almost positive few people know or understand.

So with some prompting from the Lord and some current information from a dear friend, I’ve decided to share with each of you a fact that revolutionized our marriage and thus, our family.

During one of our first semesters in seminary, Rahul and I were enrolled in an Ethics course. We had this incredible assignment of writing a 15 page paper on a “hot moral topic” plaguing the world today. I chose abortion, something I’ve always been passionate about since seeing the beautiful blessings of adoption lived out in my own family. As I began to pour over research and books, papers and scientific information I began to see a common 3 word term arising in much of the literature: birth control pills!

Confused and searching, I went down the halls of our married dorm to visit a counseling major, whom had also become a close friend. As if ordained by God himself, she pulled out her current research assignment, an entire paper on just that, the birth control pill. We started comparing our sources, researching more in depth and made a discovery that was both haunting and chilling, yet one that led to freedom and a more complete trust in the Lord than I had ever imagined possible!

My friend and I began a journey of discovery that day, one that led to a finding that blew me away and it may do the same for you: birth control pills do have the ability to cause early abortions. Yes, read it again. It’s true. Although I’ve had many discussions with doctors who will not budge despite the evidence, what we found on our ethical adventure so impacted my life that Rahul and I knelt before our Lord and prayed for guidance, strength, wisdom and trust as we removed the very birth control pill from our marriage.

This is why it hit so close to home. We never even considered doing a thorough study on this particular form of medication. Why? It was simply what you did when you got married. No church leader ever counseled us against it, we never heard it discussed in our Sunday School Class or amongst anyone in our circle of friends. Why? Because the truth is hidden, it’s buried somewhere in the standards of the world and sadly, it’s one of the biggest lies that we as Christians are fed.

Randy Alcorn has devoted a complete book to this topic entitled, Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions. This quote is taken from him:

“In summary, according to multiple references throughout The Physician's Desk Reference, which articulate the research findings of all the birth control pill manufacturers, there are not one but three mechanisms of birth control pills:
1. inhibiting ovulation (the primary mechanism),
2. thickening the cervical mucus, thereby making it more difficult for sperm to travel to the egg, and
3. thinning and shriveling the lining of the uterus to the point that it is unable or less
able to facilitate the implantation of the newly fertilized egg.

The first two mechanisms are contraceptive. The third is abortive.

When a woman taking the Pill discovers she is pregnant (according to The Physician's Desk Reference's efficacy rate tables, this is 3 percent of pill-takers each year), it means that all three of these mechanisms have failed. The third mechanism sometimes fails in its role as backup, just as the first and second mechanisms sometimes fail. Each and every time the third mechanism succeeds, however, it causes an abortion.”

Furthermore, Alcorn addresses those individuals who deny such research:

“I have received a number of letters from readers, one of them a physician, who say something like this: "My sister got pregnant while taking the Pill. This is proof that you are wrong in saying that the Pill causes abortions-obviously it couldn't have, since she had her baby!"

Without a doubt, the Pill's effects on the endometrium do not always make implantation impossible. I have never heard anyone claim that they do. To be an abortifacient does not require that something always cause an abortion, only that it sometimes does.”

And that is just a brief synopsis! The evidence is staggering and alarming. I could spend so much time trying to put this information in my own words, but yet feel so inadequate to do so. That’s why I’m going to point you towards two amazing web sites that will provide you with all the information, statistics, scientific and medical findings, as well as a Christian perspective that you’ll need to begin your journey of understanding.

Finally, why did I share all of this?

Simply put because what we discovered reminded us that we are to honor God in every part of our life and that we are to trust Him in ALL things. It’s easy to give Him control over some parts of our life, while holding on to others. After all, we start to reason, that we know what’s best for us. But, we don’t. We never will. Thankfully, He does. And in our family He’s decided to bless us with four, and we’ve decided to trust Him and His timing, always.

I also shared because undoubtedly many of you have never heard. I’m not asking you to jump on board, I’m not writing this to judge, I’m not signing you up for natural family planning- I’m just asking that you prayerfully consider the evidence and allow God to lead you. I’m convinced that He’ll take you to a place that will bring Honor and Glory to Him. A place where you’ll find peace and freedom and you’ll begin to trust him with ALL!

Link One- Perspectives on Birth Control Pill

Link Two- Synopsis of Randy Alcorn's Book