Continuing from my last post... Here's a good summary on how the story of Onan factors into the biblical position on life...
The only thing I would add is that if a brother doesn't follow through with a levirate marriage then that doesn't mean he dies. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 makes no mention of that refusing such marriages amount to a capital offense. Onan may've been killed because of his deceptive way, that is, pretending to go along with a levirate marriage, while clearly not wanting it, as seen by his action of "spilling his seed".
Interesting stuff! I'd like to see a good debate on the topic between a Christian apologist and someone else.
Source: https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/bqa/id/64/why-did-god-slay-onan-genesis-383-10.htmGod slew Onan because the man contemptuously refused to fulfill his familial responsibility under the Old Covenant. This particular practice is called levirate marriage, in which a dead man's closest unmarried male relation (usually a younger brother, as in this case) married the widow to produce an heir for the dead man. This duty is spelled out in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 to preserve tribal inheritance rights (verse 6). Another, happier circumstance of levirate marriage is recorded in the book of Ruth, an event that eventually produced Israel's greatest king, David (Ruth 4:17).
Catholic doctrine uses Onan's story to prohibit the use of birth control. However, this is specious reasoning, based on an ancient and flawed notion that sexual relations between a man and his wife are only for the purpose of producing children. God's anger against Onan had everything to do with his failure to fulfill his covenantal obligation, and nothing to do with his method of birth control. Scripture does not directly contemplate the use of birth control, and thus, aside from abortion, it is a matter of personal preference within what God has revealed as proper Christian living. We can be guided by the principles of personal responsibility—stewardship of one's resources to provide for children (I Timothy 5:8)—and love toward one's mate (Ephesians 5:22-33).
The only thing I would add is that if a brother doesn't follow through with a levirate marriage then that doesn't mean he dies. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 makes no mention of that refusing such marriages amount to a capital offense. Onan may've been killed because of his deceptive way, that is, pretending to go along with a levirate marriage, while clearly not wanting it, as seen by his action of "spilling his seed".
Interesting stuff! I'd like to see a good debate on the topic between a Christian apologist and someone else.