The Mail Bag*

Dear Sirs:

Your Journal has been a blessing to me and I applaud your work. The article a year ago concerning provision of contraception to the unwed hit me like a thunderbolt. It was so clear that I was out of God’s will and the author beautifully used Scripture to bring his point home.

Perhaps you would be interested and be of help to me in what I see to be an ethical dilemma. Right now, I am involved in a ministry to couples who regret having had tubal ligation. A Christian colleague and I have “packaged” with the local hospital a tubal reversal procedure at a much reduced total cost and many couples from the US and even abroad have written for counsel. We have performed 20 or so reversals in the past 6 months.

My dilemma is one of selection. My bias developed through traditional teaching is to subject each case (after review of surgical records and medical history) to fleshly assessment of probability of successful pregnancy. Many couples do not wish to base their decisions on statistics but rather desire to be submissive to the Lord and be restored so that God may bless them if He so wills.

Do you see my problem? For instance, what do I say and do with a 44 year old woman? What do I say and do with a woman with diabetes or fibroids or one who’s tubes were damaged by fimbriectomy? Of course, I’m not expecting a pat answer only direction to Scripture or counsel of a Christian brother who has prayerfully listened to the Spirit within him.

In His Grace,

Peter Forney, M.D.
New Braunfels, TX

What a ministry! Most of us in primary care have met several women who regretted their intentional sterilization. We have offered Dr. Forney a few of our thoughts on his questions. We would like to hear from readers who have sought the mind of Christ on this matter. We will pass help along to Dr. Forney. – Ed.

[ JBEM Index / Volume 4 / Number 2 ]