For a person with Faith in God’s Word, the Bible has answers to many questions. They are challenging answers, “for the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4: 12). Youthful souls are in search of the truth.

Many ask the question: is the RH “law” right or wrong? Some will say that it is a complicated issue. The Bible shows us the inside story of two similar ancient laws. They clarify the motivations of the recent RH Law, as well as the HHS of Obama, to not so complicated minds.

The Author of the Bible, as stated on it, wants the conversion of everyone.  He prefers to convince, more than to blame. He is respectful of persons’ freedom, although He will judge each one of us when we die (and we will).  Evil actuations presented in the Sacred Text, are presented as a warning against immorality, the wrong ideas and ideologies behind.

We find in the Bible at least two passages with “laws” about contraception, one from the book of Exodus, chapter 1, verses 6 to 22, and other from the gospel according to Matthew, chapter 2, verses 1 to 18. They have some features similar to the present RH law; although the biblical language is more sincere (and less “politically correct” as some will say). A law is a reasonable "putting things in order”, for the good of the people, done by the one in authority. A good law should be reasonable, for the integral good of the people, and rightly given by the authority.

Exodus presents the Israelite People who lived in Egypt for more than 500 years,  peacefully, since the time in which “Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation”. “The descendants of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong; so that the land was filled with them”, from the 17th to the 13th century before Christ. Biblical archaeology calculates that from the 12 sons of Jacob, the Israelite People grew on that period up to one million. “The land was filled with them”, we read in the account of the events that happened around the year 1250 B. C.

In this context, we read: “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph”. That ruler, ungrateful, did not appreciate the rich Hebrew cultural heritage. “And he said to his people, "Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war befalls us, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land”. Fear of the Israelite power, deceitful means to subdue them and lack of respect for their freedom and independence triggers a political plan: “To afflict them with heavy burdens”. But, “the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad”. The wealth of a healthy population and the reality of workers going abroad are not a problem. The problem is the undue fears of the ruling class, their envy, mistrust and manipulation:  “the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel”. Instead of positive solutions, “they made the people of Israel serve with rigor, and made their lives bitter with hard service”. There was not overpopulation, but overpowering. The hard life of the Hebrew people was just man’s oppression: “in all their work they made them serve with rigor”.

In this context, a decree was issued: “king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, "When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live."

As the healthcare workers did not comply with it due to their good conscience and faith in God, the Pharaoh issued the law for the land. “Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live." (To be continued)