I Thought This Post Was Brave - Stacy McDonald - Infertility

[GenerationCedarchip]

I often find plenty to snark about on the VF disciples' blogs. However, this guest post on infertility in Stacy McDonald's blog struck me as a very brave one considering the expectations laid on women in quiverfull circles. Post is here:

yoursacredcalling.com/blog/2011/06/the-little-things/

[maybeizfundie]

RC Sproul Jr. wrote a post that touched on similar things. He's more abrasive and includes both birth control and obsession with pregnancy among the errors, but he was clear on the idea that a small family does not automatically mean "God's disfavor".

rcsprouljunior.blogspot.com/2011/06/ten-ways-not-to-look-at-children.html

Travelling in my fundie circles all these years, I have only run into *one* person who had issues with my not having children every year. And he was strange anyway, and had "issues" with breastfeeding, so he accused me of using breastfeeding as birth control. I think that he, like many other people of all persuasions, just couldn't concieve (haha) of a person not preventing conception and not having 32 children. (He is no longer our pastor, natch)

I guess because that is my only experience with that kind of weirdness, I don't see the post as brave, but perfectly consistent with their teaching about God opening and closing the womb, and God's plan being better than our plans.

[GenerationCedarchip]

I see the post as consistent with stated teachings on God opening and closing the womb, but from my experience in those circles, there's a difference between stated teaching and actual practice. And there's a lot of pressure laid on women if they don't have 4+ kids at least. It didn't used to be that way, but as quiverfull has gotten more trendy, I know that men in my cousin's church (still-fundie branch of family) have been passed over for elder because their wives didn't have enough children.

Also, in some circles, if you cannot have your own children, you're pushed to adopt. That's definitely not uniform, though, because some fundie circles are very obsessed with the idea of bloodline and become somewhat anti-adoption because of it. I don't know where the McDonald brand of Presby falls, but I do know that the PCA tends to be very pro-adoption.

[ladypuglover]

Stacy wrote this in the comments

Stacy McDonald says:

Friday, June 24, 2011 at 11:52 am

Hannah – Thank you for your thoughts, but keep in mind, not everyone can or should adopt. Still, thank you for reminding us it is always an option

I want to tell her that not everyone can or should give birth to a bio child either. Some for medical reasons and some because thier parents would abuse or neglect them.

[lilah]

Go for it!

I am guessing that having been indoctrinated into thinking she needs to have 10+ kids to be a valuable woman it would take Christa awhile to come around to adoption. Also they might not be on the adoption banwagon because of the expense factor or amount of government intrusion.

[nonymouse]

I struggled with infertility before my husband and I decided to pursue adoption, which worked out beautifully for us. However, we also used good old medical science and have a biological child as well, and this is where I get confused and, well, downright defensive. If you believe that God opens and closes the womb, wouldn't you also believe that God created everything, including infertility treatments? Not trying to hijack the thread, just trying to wrap my head around it all. And my gosh, I would love to see the responses if I ever posted a comment on how I had to have myself sterilized in order to prevent a condition that causes early miscarriage. Exploding heads can be fun.

[ladypuglover]

I struggled with infertility before my husband and I decided to pursue adoption, which worked out beautifully for us. However, we also used good old medical science and have a biological child as well, and this is where I get confused and, well, downright defensive. If you believe that God opens and closes the womb, wouldn't you also believe that God created everything, including infertility treatments? Not trying to hijack the thread, just trying to wrap my head around it all. And my gosh, I would love to see the responses if I ever posted a comment on how I had to have myself sterilized in order to prevent a condition that causes early miscarriage. Exploding heads can be fun.

I know, I refuse to have anymore because my next one could very well kill me or so the doctor's say. As it was i got to spend 6 months in the hospital with the last one so I kind of trust that they know what they are saying. Bet you 10-1 that i would be told to pray more and have more faith even though I feel God and I are cool about it.

[nonymouse]

Hoping that things turned out as well as they could, Ladypug.

[camdendayton]

I struggled with infertility before my husband and I decided to pursue adoption, which worked out beautifully for us. However, we also used good old medical science and have a biological child as well, and this is where I get confused and, well, downright defensive. If you believe that God opens and closes the womb, wouldn't you also believe that God created everything, including infertility treatments? Not trying to hijack the thread, just trying to wrap my head around it all. And my gosh, I would love to see the responses if I ever posted a comment on how I had to have myself sterilized in order to prevent a condition that causes early miscarriage. Exploding heads can be fun.

I think they denounce fertility treatments for a few reasons:

1. To be consistent with their denouncing of BC.

2. General mistrust of medicine, especially OBGYNs.

3. Probably most important: embryos are sometimes created and then "killed," and believing that life begins when sperm enters egg makes this "murder."

4. To show that Kate Goselin wouldn't qualify ;-)

[raineymott]

RC Sproul Jr. wrote a post that touched on similar things. He's more abrasive and includes both birth control and obsession with pregnancy among the errors, but he was clear on the idea that a small family does not automatically mean "God's disfavor".

rcsprouljunior.blogspo.com/2011/06/ten-ways-not-to-look-at-children.html

I'm pretty sure my dad left the first comment on that post.

[lilah]

I think they denounce fertility treatments for a few reasons:

1. To be consistent with their denouncing of BC.

2. General mistrust of medicine, especially OBGYNs.

3. Probably most important: embryos are sometimes created and then "killed," and believing that life begins when sperm enters egg makes this "murder."

4. To show that Kate Goselin wouldn't qualify ;-)

Not to mention that GLBT folks use IVF and who'd want to be in the same class of people as them?

Zsu-zsu has a major haterade for IVF, even its own catagory on her blog. stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/IVF