Prevention of Pregnancy

How can such hearts be graced with faith and fear of the Lord and with the mind of a child of God? How can God’s blessing rest upon such a home? We verily believe that God’s wrath hovers there.

1921 Carl Manthey-Zorn Northwestern Publishing House

The following is an excerpt from a chapter titled On Marriage from Questions on Christian Topics by Rev. Carl Manthey-Zorn, published by Northwestern Publishing House, the official publisher for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

The Lord God blessed the first married couple and said to them: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." Gen. 1:28. This blessing and word of God extends over all married people down to the very end of time. The prime purpose of marriage is the orderly propagation of the human race. And the Holy Spirit makes the Psalmist to sing. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them." Ps. 127: 3-3a. And to them that fear the Lord, the Holy Spirit has caused this song to be sung:

"Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord:
That walketh in his ways.
For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands:
Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house:
Thy children like olive plants round about thy table.
Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed That feareth the Lord.
The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion:
And thou shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, And peace upon Israel.

— Psalm 128

And among God's chosen people, Israel, married people were very sad who were not blessed with children, and a barren woman would weep and pray for children. Such a woman had reproach to bear among men, and the finger of scorn was pointed at her. But those women were esteemed and praised as being highly favored who were mothers of many children.

How do matters stand nowadays in this world and, to a great extent, oh, to such a great extent, in Christian Churches?

Nowadays people pity and feel sorry for a woman who is the mother of many children. They regard her as one that is highly afflicted. Yea, they sneer, and point the finger of scorn at such a woman; she has reproach to bear. And a fruitful woman nowadays will weep and lament at seeing child follow child in rapid succession. Married people nowadays rejoice when they find themselves blessed with few children or with none at all. A large family is not looked upon as a blessing, but rather as — as what?

As a curse? People do not make the words of God their thoughts, the psalms of God find no echo in their hearts; they make the speech of worldly people their thoughts, and their hearts echo the vile utterances of certain contemptible preachers who by word and pen declare: You cannot blame parents for trying to keep from having many children; such conduct is right and proper; he that has but one or two children can bring them up better than he that has a dozen; the average man hasn't money enough to properly support and educate a lot of children; and why should a woman be tortured with the bearing and nourishing of a lot of children and with all the work that falls to the lot of such a manifold mother? Thus people are willing to marry, but the prime purpose of marriage they are not willing to achieve. Married women, yea, such as are only engaged, aye, even girls in their teens, lend their ears to "wise" women who teach them how to prevent pregnancy. And in their married life they put these teachings into practice. They will "not have" any children, or they will "have" one or two, just as they like, and just when they get ready. They prevent pregnancy if they like and whenever they like.

Now, we are not going to speak of the means that are employed to prevent pregnancy. No, indeed. But we shall say this: At a certain social gathering a lady said with a smile: "American mothers do not have many children." "No," was the reply ,"but that remark uncovers a quagmire of abominable filth." Yes, indeed, such abominable doings made marriage far filthier than a pig-sty.

And how can such hearts be graced with faith and fear of the Lord and with the mind of a child of God? How can God’s blessing rest upon such a home? We verily believe that God’s wrath hovers there.