The Protestant Pill Problem

The Article of Faith That Keeps Believers Uncomfortably Agnostic

Apostate: a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle.

Protestants, we still have a problem.

Young people looking more closely than ever at abortion and birth control, and Protestants are once again asking their leaders hard questions about hormonal contraception (HC).

The acceptability of using hormonal contraception is one of the most unsettled matters in Protestant ethics with its ties to abortion. Therefore, research on the topic must be urgent and ongoing, right?

Wrong.

It’s been 64 years since the first birth control pill was approved by the FDA, and despite honest efforts at achieving moral clarity on its use, Protestants remain content to be unsure.

Catholics have it easy. They have theological and philosophical reasons for rejecting contraception outright. At least on paper. No need to struggle with the hormonal effects of endocrine disruptors. No need to wonder about the implications of evidence that we can’t or won't get. No need to worry about repenting for sins possibly committed in ignorance.

Catholics say the pill is wrong. Abortionists say the pill is fine. Protestants say we don’t know or can’t know; therefore, freedom in Christ and charity for all.

But will we ever know? Can we ever know? Have Protestants ceded the issue and accepted HC with all its ambiguity forever?

The Protestant contraception agnostics maintain a unique article of faith that allows them to accept HC and reject abortion at the same time.

It’s a concept I call hedged contraception.

Hedged Contraception

For Protestant HC users, hedged contraception goes like this…(read more)