Christians’ Attitude towards Family Planning in Southwestern Nigeria: A Sociological Problem of Analysis and Evaluation

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The debate on whether Christians should engage in family planning is as old as Christian history. Previous studies on Christian participation in family planning have focused more on the medical perspective with little attention paid to the level of involvement of Christians particularly in South-western of Nigeria. This paper examined the Christian view vis-a-vis medical views of family planning.

Methodology: Both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted in this research and description approaches were used to analyses the data. 

Findings: The work discovered the relevance of family planning in national development and what an individual, family, community and the nation as a whole could do to stabilize or promote national development through family planning. In doing this, the position of Roman Catholic Church was critically examined because it was totally different from the general position of the other Christians. Roman Catholic frowns at family planning in its entirety except the natural method.

Conclusion: It was therefore recommended that serious considerations be given to the health of mother and child; and that the number of children per family should be according to the size it would be able to cater for.