Contributed by: evilscientist
I've been following various discussions on a friend of mine's blog. Issues regarding religion, specifically the religious right vis-a-vis abortion and birth control. Not being one to stand idly by on an issue, I'd thought I'd throw my 2.14 cents worth into the discussion.Now religions, for the most part, oppose abortion. Some also oppose birth control apparently seeing it as “early term abortion”. The reasons given by them are a respect for life as well as it being against God's will. I will tackle these two arguments in turn.
The respect for life argument would be a good one if the same group of people who claim abortion doesn't respect life are also in favour of capital punishment. If taking life is wrong, it's wrong in all cases regardless of the supposed innocence of the victim. Add to this, the people who oppose abortion, also tend to oppose social programs that would help all the unwanted children that a lack of abortion create. So this group of people destroy their own argument through their actions. They apparently only respect life if it's in the womb, after that, it's not important.
With respect to birth control, the life argument falls even flatter. Since no life is being created, there's no reason to oppose birth control on this ground.
Now as to God's will, the whole freedom of religion argument comes into play. Hard as it may be for the religious to believe, there are non-religious people in the world. Any argument using God fails for these people since it's not part of their religious viewpoint. Forcing people to follow the tenets of one religion on others is just as wrong as doing the opposite. Therefore as an argument to force society to comply, “God's will” fails.
With respect to birth control, Christians can't agree amongst themselves that it's right or wrong. So there few arguments using religion that they can use here that they're collective action hasn't already destroyed.
I feel there is a real reason that organized religion pushes the sinful nature of birth control on it's members. It all has to do with bums in seats. It is, in general, difficult to convert people from on religion to another. Since recruitment (conversion) isn't bringing in the followers (and their tithes) in droves, the only other way is to create the followers through reproduction. Religions that permit people to use birth control will inevitably suffer a dwindling of followers. In fact, one sect of Christianity that forbade sex as sinful, died out since their conversion rate was well below the death rate.
Since no religious leader worth his salt wants to see empty seats, and hence an empty collection plate, it's in organized religion's best interests to prevent any form of birth control, either pre or post conception. This is the driving force behind the proscriptions, despite the pablum given the faithful as to what the reason is.
Evilness
http://www.evilscientist.ca/article.php?story=2005032918242110