Two passages in the Bible are sometimes interpreted as being opposed to birth control. First, after the creation, God said to man, "Be fruitful and multiply":
And God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (NAS, Genesis 1:28)
Second, Onan was condemned when he used a form of birth control known as coitus interruptus:
Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also. (NIV, Genesis 38:8-10)
However, Onan was probably condemned for his refusal to provide offspring for his dead brother, not for using birth control.
The Bible gives clear, direct guidance on many topics of morality, but not on birth control. Any inferences from the Bible are, of necessity, based on deductive reasoning and are subject to error.
Many Christian churches traditionally opposed birth control. The opposition was based partly on interpretation of the Bible, partly on disdain for any sexual pleasure, and partly on myths about human reproduction:
At one time it was believed the male sperm was the only factor in human reproduction and the sperm was regarded as humans in miniature. Hence spilling it out was tantamount to abortion as well as a waste of a precious element. From Thomas Bokenkotter, Essential Catholicism, Doubleday, 1985, p. 334.
It is now known that sperm cells are not miniature humans; a man's sperm must unite with a woman's egg before a baby can be formed. Furthermore, sperm cells not ejected from the body simply die after a few weeks anyway, and are continuously replaced.
In the twentieth century, scientific knowledge of reproduction, sensitivity to women's rights, and concern about overpopulation produced great changes in attitude. Most Christian churches now say reproductive decisions are private matters between husband and wife and their consciences; artificial birth control methods are no longer discouraged.
The Roman Catholic Church is a notable exception. The official church teaching still opposes all forms of birth control except abstinence and the rhythm method, saying, "Each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life." However, this is not presented as an infallible teaching of the Church, and Catholic couples may follow their own consciences after giving careful consideration to the Church's teaching.
Although attitudes about birth control have changed, most Christian churches continue to condemn abortion as a means of birth control.
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