Christian morals

33. Is it lawful for a woman to undergo sterilization?

No, it isn’t because any woman who undergoes sterilization does not want to have children at all or she does not want to have any more children, which is contrary to the sound doctrine.

Only God can close up the womb of a woman (for instance God closed up the womb of the wife of Abimelech and the wombs of his female servants, who were able to bear children only after Abimelech returned Abraham’s wife and Abraham prayed for Abimelech – cf. Genesis 20:1-18).

How could we consider the sterilization of a woman a lawful thing when according to the Scripture the sterility of a woman is a punishment inflicted by God? We have seen the case of the wife of Abimelech and of his female servants, but there are other Bible verses which attest what I have said. For instance, the law says: “If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless” (Leviticus 20:21 – NKJV), which means that God will punish them by preventing them from having children (that is to say, by closing up the womb of the woman or by preventing the man from begetting children, or by doing both things)

Husband and wife must procreate in obedience to the Word of God which says: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28 – NKJV). They must not hinder God from giving them one or more children. Children are a blessing of God, and nowhere in the Scripture are we told that they are a curse. The fruit of the womb is a reward, and children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Why then do you, o woman, want to deprive yourself of a reward or several rewards? Why do you want to hinder God from giving you a heir or several heirs? Therefore if you have thought of undergoing sterilization, I exhort you not to do such a thing, lest you provoke God to anger.

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