37) How does a Protestant
know for sure what God thinks about moral issues such as abortion,
masturbation, contraceptives, eugenics, euthanasia, etc.?
Bible Christians will follow their conscience. Whether the proofs I present
below convince them, is up to them. I judge no one in these things.
But you asked how I can know for sure....and I can on each of the items you
cite by the Bible, consistent with Sola scriptura:
Abortion is murder:
Exodus 21:22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit
depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished,
according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the
judges determine. 23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt
give life for life,
Masturbation is unavoidable because of fallen nature:
Paul's words would include masturbation:
Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth
no good thing: for to will is present with me; but
how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do
not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would
not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me.
Its sinful, as it misses the mark of God's perfection, but one common to man:
It is a fact of our fallen nature a sexual release is required, young boys,
celibate men, have nocturnal emissions....it can't be stopped.
Being "nature" that can only be controlled, not stopped entirely, God
forgives.
One can factor in "nature" when deciding what is right:
1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have
long hair, it is a shame unto him?
It remains sinful, but if one must....then afterward ask for forgiveness in
Jesus' name and as God is faithful, He will:
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not
sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Contraceptives Ok as sex isn't always for procreation:
Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live* * joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest
all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun,
all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under
the sun.
1 Corinthians 7:2-5 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication,
let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the
wife unto the husband. 4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the
husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the
wife. 5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time,
that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again,
that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Onan's sin was in refusing to fulfill the law
regarding giving his brother an heir....to steal his land and defraud his
brothers widow:
Genesis 38:9-10 9 And Onan knew that the seed should
not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that
he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
Eugenics is very wrong:
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created
he him;
When Satan and fallen angels corrupted the human gene pool, attempting to
change man into their image and defile the Messianic line, God ordained the
flood to destroy everything so corrupted:
Genesis 6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair;
and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also
is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
Euthanasia
Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
It does not follow I don't have the right to die
for Jesus, whether as a martyr for the faith, or in Christian service to my
family if I conclude treatment would do nothing but impoverish my family.
__________________
The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth
all men every where to repent:
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.-kjv