In this article I want to answer the following question received from a portal reader
Is it true that conceiving a child during Lent or on a holiday is a sin? They say that these children may be born with disabilities, various diseases, or parents they will suffer a lot with them. If there are special instructions about this in the Bible or what are the Holy Fathers based on when talking about this? Thank you in advance for your response.
This teaching is delusion
I have not yet encountered in the writings of the Holy Fathers a teaching according to which children conceived on days of fasting or on a holiday will have physical disabilities or other defects. This is a pagan teaching, or even most likely a delusion. For example, Russians believe that the moment of conceiving a child is very important, they think that his future destiny. Villagers believed that a child would be hardworking, healthy, cheerful, and smart if conceived on a lucky day or hour. It was believed that the fate of a child who was born on Sunday or during Lent, or during the Passover of the Dead, would be full of misfortune and that the child would be either a fool, or a thief, or a robber. If someone was born blind or deaf, it was thought that this was the result of being conceived on a Friday.
The Bible doesn't teach that
Does not exist Bible teaching, which would say that it is a sin to conceive a child on a holiday or during fasting. Moreover, I do not know a single passage from the Bible that would say that in the case where a child was conceived on a holiday or during a fast, he will be born with defects, various diseases, or that his parents will suffer greatly with him. Even more...
God does not require abstinence from sexual relations during fasting
In First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul wrote the following when teaching about how a Christian husband and wife should relate to each other sexually:
And what you wrote to me about is that it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But, in order to avoid fornication, each have his own wife, and each have his own husband. The husband show his wife due favor; likewise is a wife to her husband. The wife has no power over her body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, but the wife does. Do not deviate from each other, except by agreement, for a while, to exercise in fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance. However, I said this as permission, and not as a command. (1 Corinthians 7:1-6)
So, according to this passage, abstaining from sexual relations during Lent is a permission, not a commandment. And if one of the spouses does not want to abstain from sexual relations during fasting, this will not be a problem for the other and this does not in any way affect their fast and their relationship with God. Moreover, this does not reflect in any way on their children, who may be conceived as a result of sexual relations during the fast.
The physical health of parents at the time of conceiving a child affects his health
This is known all over the world. Men and women who want to have healthy children want to maintain good health and not do things that will affect their health and then affect the health of their children.
The spiritual state of parents affects the health of the child
This is what the second of God's 10 commandments says:
You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)
When Moses ascended Mount Sinai for the second time to receive the 10 Commandments...
And the Lord came down in the cloud, and stood there near him, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, a gracious and merciful God, long-suffering and abounding in mercy and truth, preserving mercy to thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but not leaving it unpunished, punishing the iniquity of the fathers on the children and children of children up to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 34:5-7)
Even if you didn't admit it before, I'm guessing that you saw a connection between the problems in your life and the way your parents lived before God. Or maybe you become even more anxious when you think about how your affairs and your spiritual state, which you currently have over your child's future, will reflect. In that case, I'm sure you want to know...
How to save your child's future?
It is necessary to repent. Come to God, ask for forgiveness for conscious and unconscious sins committed, then make a covenant with God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, deciding to be obedient with all your heart to His Word, written on the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Study the Bible, live what it says, and never go back to what you did in the past. So you will gain an inheritance in God's Kingdom and ensure a blessed future not only for yourself, but also for your children.
Translation: Moses Natalya
Over the course of 12 months, there are 4 fasts; during these special periods it is necessary to avoid intimacy, as well as on the days of great holidays and fasting days (Wednesday, Friday). Every believer must adhere to these rules. How possible is this to be realized in modern life realities? But what about the statement that says that it is the Lord who sends us children? The answer to this question is not so clear-cut. Let's try to figure out what the consequences of conception during Lent are.
Conception during Lent and the church’s opinion on this matter.
Sometimes spouses do not pay significant attention to exactly when the baby is conceived: during Lent or Good Friday. A serious illness of a child or various troubles that happen to him may be associated precisely with the period of conception. But not all children were conceived at the “allowed” time. Does this mean that they are all seriously ill or that they are haunted by nothing but troubles in life? It is likely that no unpleasant situations will happen to them. Another thing is important - such an act is sinful and it does not matter whether the spouses believe in it or not.
Many believers cannot find a laconic answer to the question of why conceiving a child during fasting is a sin. The Church has established certain rules according to which during fast days, including Lent, holidays, and Sundays, spouses must abstain from intimacy. But it’s worth evaluating this rule from a different perspective.
After all, both spouses, according to the Holy Scriptures, must refuse sex of their own free will. If one of the couple is unable to bear all the burdens of refusing temptations and cannot live through the days of Lent without intimacy, the spouse cannot refuse. The Apostle Peter wrote about this. An even greater sin is refusal, which entails betrayal. And this will negatively affect family relationships, up to the breakup of the family.
If the married couple is a believer and follows the rules of fasting, there is no need to conceive a child during this period. It is not for nothing that a certain period of time is given for prayer, repentance and the fight against temptations.
If pregnancy occurs during Lent, a married couple must confess this sinful act as soon as possible. It’s better to go to the church where you regularly go and confess to “your” confessor. But if this is impossible, then you should go to confession at the nearest church. The Lord is merciful to us, therefore he forgives us a lot. When conceiving during Lent, you do not need to think about artificial termination of pregnancy or the birth of a child with all sorts of pathologies. You definitely need to tune in to the best; the baby should feel even in the womb that his birth is welcome. After all, all thoughts can materialize.
Why should you refrain from conceiving during Lent or fasting days?
Planning a child in Orthodox family must be thought out. You should not convince yourself that conceiving a baby on the “wrong” days is not a sin. Fasting is a time for drawing closer to God, cleansing the soul and body, and renouncing worldly temptations. Prayer and repentance - this is what should be the basis of the life of every Christian during Lent. It is worth noting that during this period they do not marry, since it is during this sacrament that the blessing for the birth of children is given. This is why you should refrain from intimacy during Lent.
There are cases when a married couple has problems related to having children. So it turns out that the end of treatment falls on fasting, when it is necessary to make further attempts at conception. So what to do in this situation? A long period of treatment and several months of abstinence may even be beneficial. It’s worth coming to terms with it and taking it for granted, there’s no need to calculate favorable days and make plans for this. Children will be given by God as a reward for humility and undying hope. The wait is painful for those spouses who wait many years for pregnancy. It is up to the married couple to decide what exactly to do. Children are sent by the Lord both for joy and for realizing their own mistakes. Therefore, you should not take risks, but postpone planning until the end of the post.
The opinion of clergy on protection during Lent.
The church does not accept the use of contraception and considers it unnatural. Looking at this from a moral point of view, there should be no contraception in an Orthodox family. The Church perceives such “protection” from possible conception nothing more than a perversion. It is also worth considering that contraceptives themselves are not as harmless as they seem at first glance; they have a negative effect on a woman’s body. Children are given to a married couple by God, so any obstacle to this is a sin.
Sexual relations during fasting are a passion and temptation that people who are weak in spirit cannot overcome. The ability to control your physical needs on holidays and fasting days is a step towards God, an opportunity to understand why a person lives on earth and what his purpose is.
The concept of “unplanned conception” in the interpretation of the church.
Quite often you can hear the term “unplanned conception”, which is not at all accidental in modern world. The worst thing is that neither the woman nor the man set themselves the goal of creating a child as the fruit of joint love. All this was perceived as an accident. The fetus in the womb is very sensitive to any changes in the mother’s body, this also applies to mood, nervous overexcitation and irritation. All these feelings are experienced by the little unborn man who already has a heart and soul. So how can you hope that a child born from unplanned intimacy can be happy and successful?
All the failures that await such a baby can be associated not only with psychological trauma received before birth, but also as a reflection of parental sins.
How to prepare for conception correctly?
Doctors recommend starting preparations for possible pregnancy for another 3 months, using healthy food and vitamins, abstaining from harmful hobbies. But according to church canons, it takes at least 6 months to be completely ready to conceive. Prayers, following the rules of fasting, calling on the soul - this is what planning consists of. Fasting should be perceived as a kind of cleansing procedure for the soul and body.
There is a way to pray for 41 days to get what you want. It can also be used to summon souls. This method involves carrying out daily procedures for 41 days: lighting a candle on the home altar, incense and fresh flowers, reading prayers, and making a request. All this will be a kind of sacrifice to God for the fulfillment own desires. Faith in the power of God will help you achieve your plans; the long-awaited pregnancy will come soon.
Take care of the future of your unborn children, do not do things that you will regret. You should not prepare yourself for the possibility that a child conceived during fasting will be born sick. Repent of your actions, remove the heavy burden from your soul. Give little man all your love, do not pass on the accumulated negativity to him. The confession of both parents will cleanse the soul; know that God’s love for man is limitless.
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov:
...The use of a contraceptive is the same as mechanically emptying the stomach to once again accept unnecessary food. This is a kind of self-deception, the transformation of labor life into meaningless physiological exploitation of the human body without the implementation of labor activity... If God blesses children, then we must give birth to them. The use of contraceptives stimulates irresponsibility towards the great Sacrament of Marriage - this Divine, mysterious institution, amazing in its meaning. In marriage, two people unite in love - and from two cells uniting into one, a new person, which has never existed on earth, with its own abilities, characteristics, carrying within itself all genetic series their ancestors...
Contraceptives are unnatural means... Therefore, from a moral point of view, such means cannot be used. The Church cannot bless this as a perversion of human nature created by God... Moreover, it is known how harmful every single contraceptive means is. That is, when it comes to whether to kill a child or not, people think about their health - it is harmful for them to give birth. And when it comes to contraceptives, they deliberately harm him. This means that it is not a matter of health, but of passion.
If the wife does not want to be a mother or the husband, calling her his wife, does not want to have children from her, then conscience powerfully forbids even approaching the marital bed.
Indeed, how sad that many parents perceive the “unplanned” conception of a baby as an unfortunate accident! But, according to doctors, the effect of all contraceptives is abortifacient. Conception still occurs, but the fertilized egg is killed in the first days after the child is conceived. The human soul, placed by God in this cell, dies - already a real child! Can anyone hope that the children born later will be healthy and happy when so many of their brothers and sisters were killed in such a covert manner?
The fact that the sins of parents are reflected on children is not “a figment of the imagination of the churchmen.” This is confirmed by life itself.
Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov:
Our children suffer even before their conception, or rather, the suffering that voluptuous parents inflict on each other, scolding their own nature, is reflected in the physical and mental state of their future children.
The Church instructs believing parents to abstain from marital relations on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (from the evening of the previous day to the evening of the current one).
The three allocated days are special: on Wednesday our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas, on Friday he endured the torment of the cross and death, and on Sunday he rose from the dead. In the same way, great and especially revered Christian holidays and, of course, the time of the four fasts - Nativity, Great, Petrov, Assumption - and the first Easter week - Bright Week - a person should spend in abstinence, in prayer, and pay special attention to spiritual life. The prohibition of married life at this time is not artificial: long-term observations show that children conceived on such days are quite often born sick.
Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov:
According to the testimony of some church writers, the state of a child’s soul is largely predetermined by the state of hearts at the sacred hour of conception... If people, due to their spiritual ignorance, give themselves up to voluptuous thoughts, dreams, imaginations, if they corrupt themselves with unnatural fornication, then they are thereby already undermining the creative powers of their child.
And, of course, there can be no talk of conceiving a baby “under the fumes of wine,” when the child not only physically, but also spiritually can become a victim of the parent’s passion for alcohol.
Children conceived in Lent
If you believe the statistics, then children conceived during Lent are born with an unstable psyche, and those born after are physically strong and intellectually developed. Some explain this by saying that solar system during these seven weeks undergoes a lot of changes, moving from one season - cold, snowy or rainy, to a warmer and sunny one, while others - supposedly rules Orthodox Church, who believes that during this period it is better to abstain from marital communication on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as on holidays. In addition, there is the fact that Iida Iscariot was conceived during Lent, and all believers know what happened later.
What to do, whether to give up intimacy with your spouse or not. And if the answer is negative, then is it worth worrying about the fate of a child conceived during Lent? The answer is clear. No and again no, since even the priests say that one should not deviate from marital duty these days, so that there are no quarrels and omissions in the house, as well as betrayals and the commission of other sins. In addition, there is even a description of what fate has in store for a baby who is conceived during Lent.
First week. Children conceived these days will be lucky. Have a wonderful character, easy to talk to and excellent speakers. Fate has prepared a surprise for them - they will be able to achieve what they want if they work hard and for a long time, but many people, even making efforts, remain at the start or break forward, but not much, returning soon to the beginning of their life path. There is no need to worry about the health of this person - he will be strong in spirit and strong in body.
Second week. Children conceived these days are optimists in life, at least outwardly, they will never admit that they are sad in their souls, since the mask of a lucky person is their second face. They love big companies, so there are always a lot of kids in their house, and animals are frequent guests. One drawback they have is their stubbornness; once they have decided on something, it is impossible to convince them otherwise! Even giving reasons and arguments. Among the boys there are many mama's boys, and the girls are drawn to their dads - they play football and hockey, saw wood, etc.
Third week. Children conceived these days never sit still, so parents always have to keep the situation under control, otherwise big troubles may arise - broken arms, legs, broken necks, as well as sorting out relationships with mothers and fathers of babies who were offended by their cub . These children are quick-witted - as soon as he hits his neighbor on the desk, he immediately treats him with candy and cookies.
Among these kids there are many future swindlers and deceivers, however, they also have many friends.
Fourth week. Children conceived these days are difficult to climb, both in the literal sense - you can’t wake them up in the morning, and figuratively - it’s impossible to force them to tear themselves away from something and switch to another type of activity. However, thanks to this quality, they achieve great success in their studies, as they are careful and painstaking in completing their lessons. Having grown up, these people find it difficult to get along with people, so they find a soul mate in adulthood, but live with her happily ever after.
Fifth week. Children conceived these days have a high Q, already with early age read well, think logically and perform mental tasks beyond their age. For this they are valued and loved by educators and teachers. True, they are very boring, so conflicts arise with friends to whom they are trying to prove something and get to the bottom of something. It is also difficult for them in a new team, since they usually do not immediately get along with the children, looking closely and evaluating them.
Sixth week. Children conceived these days are selfish and arrogant, which is why they have quarrels both with their parents and with peers. But these children will always be the first to reconcile, because from childhood they understand that hypocrisy and the ability to manipulate people helps in life. By the way, thanks to this quality they achieve a lot in life both in the professional field and on the love front.
Seventh week. Children conceived these days are touchy. It seems to them that they are constantly being humiliated and insulted. They are whiny and self-critical, so parents constantly have to support their ego, otherwise they will face constant moaning and crying for any reason. Children also don’t like such guys, so they have few friends, which is also another reason for dissatisfaction with themselves and resentment towards the whole world! By the way, these qualities will not disappear with age, only they will learn to hide them, pretending that everything is fine, but then, alone, cry into the pillow.
There are women who still worry that conception occurred during Lent, thinking that it is a sin. In this case, it is better for them to repent in confession before the priest. They will receive forgiveness if they do it sincerely and from the heart.
Surely, many women have studied a lot of materials related, for example, to the question of how to quickly get pregnant. However, today many of the fairer sex often wonder: is it possible to get pregnant during Lent? This topic is very serious and requires special explanations, especially from the point of view of the Church itself. What does she say about this, we will try to find out.
Is it possible to get pregnant during Lent?
Another thing is to look at this problem in a broader sense: whether intimate relationships between spouses during Lent are a sin or not. In principle, Church ministers recommend abstinence, although, again, this is not some kind of strict canon.
If the couple decided to conceive at this particular time, it is still better to wait until the end of the fast, serve a prayer service and ask for blessings for such a godly deed. However, as you know, this is just a recommendation, and not a dogma, so the problem of whether it is possible to get pregnant during Lent can be solved quite simply. In addition, not everyone and not always can comply with all the rules and restrictions that are imposed by fasting. Therefore, the Church does not treat such things too strictly.
And of course, it is worth noting separately that today you can find a lot of misconceptions about this. For example, some believe that a child conceived during Lent will be unhappy throughout his life.
Tell me honestly? Complete heresy. Many have probably encountered situations where grannies in churches begin to shout at girls and women who became pregnant during this period, saying that they have committed a great sin. Nothing like this! These are personal speculations that have absolutely nothing in common with what the Church tells us about this. In addition, there are even quite a few cases where women became pregnant normally during fasting, although before that they had health problems and even experienced infertility. As we see, in the very question of whether it is possible to get pregnant during Lent, the restrictions are quite conditional, and there is nothing terrible in the fact that the spouses conceive a child at this particular time.
Any use of material materials without an active link to http://expirience.ru is strictly prohibited!
>The most interesting news:
Useful materials
“It seems to me that the problem is not posed quite correctly and is based on insufficiently reliable statistics. In order to make such generalizing conclusions and conclusions, you need a very large, one might say on a national scale, research. It should be carried out by doctors, sociologists, clergy, and teachers. What is needed here is the collection and analysis of information that would cover a very wide range of people.
According to Orthodox calendar more than six months – fast days. Then it should turn out that approximately half of the population is schizophrenics, or half of Orthodox Christians are schizophrenics. But this is still not the case; we do not observe such a proportion.
Now for some practical questions.
This assumption applies to the entire population Globe, or to the population of our country, or only to its Orthodox inhabitants? What to do with heterodox and non-Orthodox people? Or does the Merciful Lord punish the children of only Orthodox parents with serious illness? The Apostle Peter said that “you are a chosen race.” Well, our chosenness lies in the fact that in the families of Orthodox Christians the proportion of births of schizophrenics is higher than the global one?
What if parents first had children, and then they believed and became churches? Or is one spouse a believer and the other not? How to keep statistics in such cases? And who knows how the Lord God Himself judges, Who sees into the very depths of the human heart, and He does not need our home-grown statistics.
Of course, the Lord is Just, but we know that He is Long-suffering and Much-Merciful, and that Divine Mercy is higher than Divine Justice. God is love! Therefore in real life everything is unpredictable, contradictory, ambiguous and beautiful.
And what else we know for sure is that the Lord “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Of course, we must honor the Hierarchy, observe fasts, and live in obedience to the Church. This will help us seek and find the “good and perfect” will of God and open the way to the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is our most important goal, which may the All-Merciful Lord God vouchsafe us to achieve!
Hieromonk Dimitri (Pershin): The Church does not regulate marital relations in marriage
First, this judgment is addressed only to people who are members of the Church. Secondly, this judgment essentially does not correspond to the spirit of the Gospel. In the Gospel of John we read:
“And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him: Rabbi! Who sinned, he or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered: “Neither he nor his parents sinned, but this was so that the works of God might be revealed in him.”
And in the Old Testament we hear this moral maxim: “In those days they will no longer say: “The fathers ate sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” but everyone will die for his own iniquity.” God does not punish children for the sins of the parent.
The third point is that the Church does not regulate marital relations in marriage at all, at least at the level of canon law, leaving this to the discretion of the spouses, taking into account the opinion of their confessor. And those judgments that we find not in the canons, but in the reflections of some ascetics and prayer books, are in the nature of private theological opinions, thereby not expressing the general point of view of the Orthodox Church on this issue.
If we talk about canonical consciousness - about canon law - then the only requirement for married spouses is to abstain from marital relations one day before Communion. If people have the strength and readiness for complete abstinence throughout the entire period of fasting, this can bear spiritual fruit. If this readiness is not there, then marital communion not only in non-Lenten times does not separate people from God.
Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky: God's punishment is never mechanical
"An eye for an eye" with God
There is no such mechanism - a person is conceived during fasting, which means he will be sick. Firstly, not all people are to blame for not observing fasting, because fasting is established for Christians. If a person is an unbeliever, then his failure to fast is not a sin. Murder or fornication is a sin for every person, regardless of his faith, but breaking the fast is not sinful in itself, but only as a manifestation of passions. For example, gluttony, when a person eats quick food because he cannot resist. Or pride, when a person denies fasting, not wanting to obey the Church. Or cowardice, when he is embarrassed to fast for fear of ridicule. But food itself is not sinful and marital relationships are not sinful, as the Apostle Paul directly states.
Secondly, God’s punishment is not mechanical – you committed a sin, receive your reward. The Monk Macarius of Egypt writes that punishment does not immediately befall a person; if it comprehended us immediately, it would turn out that God forces a person to virtue by force. Who will not be virtuous if an ax is raised over you out of fear? But God wants our free obedience for the sake of love for Him.
Thirdly, the meaning of God's punishment is teaching, not punishment. God punishes for the correction, and not for the destruction of man.
The Monk Ambrose of Optina actually writes about the people of his day that illness befalls them because they neglect fasting. But he does not mean retribution with illnesses for intemperance, but the fact that if we ourselves do not want to struggle, God will struggle for us. For example, I love sweets, I used to be able to eat chocolate by the box, but now God has given me an allergy to chocolate, and I don’t eat it anymore. A person loves to eat spicy food to the fullest, but here you have an ulcer! And I have to have oatmeal porridge and little by little. In fact, these are gifts of God. If a person accepts them this way, with gratitude, then he will succeed both in abstinence and, most importantly, in humility.
Children for the sins of their parents
In the world, of course, everything is connected, and it happens that some evil that parents commit spreads to their children. If parents, for example, drink, then there are indeed statistics that children are often born sick. Or if heredity is bad, there is a high probability that the child will be born with the same disease as the parents. But whatever heredity, children are not deprived of grace, even suffering for the sins of their father and mother.
If a person turns to God personally, of course, God will accept him. A person born into a rich family will wear expensive clothes and drive an expensive car, and a person born into a poor family will wear a cheap car or ride a bus, but nothing prevents either from turning to God as Father.
So there is no direct and obvious relationship between non-compliance with fasting and the morbidity and mortality of children conceived by violators. And there is no direct relationship between piety and well-being. Many pious, virtuous people suffer, get sick, and die early. And terrible scoundrels sometimes live long and in contentment. Anything can happen. Our Lord Jesus Christ, completely sinless, was crucified and died on the cross.
Fast for spouses
Of course, observing the fast established by the Church is good for the soul, and therefore, if both spouses are church people and willingly strive, it is good. But abstinence during Lent is voluntary.
The Apostle Paul says: “The wife has no authority over her own body, but the husband; likewise, the husband has no authority over his own body, but the wife.” Therefore, if, as often happens, the husband is weak and cannot stand fasting, the wife must yield to him. And not with anger and reproaches, but with natural marital love. The same applies to husbands in a symmetrical situation. Happens.
Unfortunately, there are known cases, and I have had to deal with them, when a family broke up due to the wife’s excessive adherence to principles in the matter of sexual relations during Lent. In the end, the husband became indignant, could not stand it and left. And in another family, the husband, knowing that his wife was strictly fasting, always started drinking during fasting so as not to be upset and to pacify himself. Such persistence, supposedly for the sake of fasting, is, of course, unacceptable.
Psychiatrist Archpriest Vladimir Novitsky: Fast freely, and not under the fear of giving birth to a sick child
Christian preaching should not be based on fear. People should fast freely; they cannot be forced to fast under the fear of “if you conceive while fasting, you will have a sick child,” “if you eat the wrong food, you will get liver cancer.”
People sin both during Lent and not during Lent. There is no need to strain people and orient them to the external framework of the church, forcing them there by force. This will not attract people to the Church, rather the opposite. This is not very correct from a missionary point of view.
Of course, everyone can have their own personal opinion, I am telling you my opinion. Fasting should be free, and not under pain of illness.
Hieromonk Theodorit (Senchukov): Conflict in the family is often the root cause of various mental disorders
In hippie slang, there has long been an expression “to drive carts,” which means “to tell tall tales.” They say that from this expression the concept of “telegony” arose - a theory that states that mating with previous, and especially with the very first sexual partner, significantly affects the hereditary characteristics of the female offspring obtained as a result of mating with subsequent partners (definition taken from Wikipedia) . However, this is not the only “cart” of spiritual and biological content.
Now, for example, the judgment expressed by Metropolitan Vladimir (Ikim) of Omsk and Taurida is widely discussed that children conceived “during fasting are 70 percent of them schizophrenics, the majority of them are also suicides. Psychics are born from them, from such children.” Unfortunately, the words of the Bishop gave reason to many to practice blasphemy both against himself and the entire Orthodox Church.
What is it really? In fact, of course, there is no such reliable data. I am not a psychiatrist, of course, but by training I am a pediatrician, our psychiatry course was extensive, we studied in detail both adult and child psychiatry, and no connection between the incidence of schizophrenia and birth at certain periods of the year was noted in the psychiatry course, although the topic is epidemiology mental illnesses exist.
Moreover, there are no such statistics on suicides. Well, at least because there are many fast days. These are not only statutory multi-day fasts, but also one-day fasts. In particular, the fasts of Wednesday and Friday, the severity of which, according to Apostolic Canon 69, is equal to the severity of Great Lent. It is difficult to even calculate the dependence on a person’s date of birth. And from the date of conception it is generally impossible. Remember Vysotsky’s lines:
I remember the hour of conception inaccurately -
So my memory is one-sided...
It is almost impossible to calculate the day of conception in the case of one-day fasts, and in the case of multi-day fasts it is often difficult.
But this is a – so to speak – “practical” objection.
There is also an objection, let’s say, theological.
If you believe Metropolitan Vladimir, it turns out that the Lord punishes children for the sins of their parents. Moreover, of all the parents, He chooses exclusively Orthodox ones, because for non-Orthodox people, observing fasts is meaningless, and non-observance is not in itself sinful. This, by the way, is another “practical” objection - it is almost impossible to find out the spiritual and religious status of the parents of an adult schizophrenic or suicide, for example, born in the USSR.
Can the Lord do this? Holy Scripture answers this question in the negative.
Fathers should not be punished with death for their children, and children should not be punished with death for their fathers; everyone should be punished by death for their crime.
(Deut. 24:16)
2 Why do you use this proverb in the land of Israel, saying, “The fathers ate sour grapes, but the teeth of the children are set on edge”?
3 I live! says the Lord God, they will not speak this proverb in Israel.
4 For behold, all souls are Mine: both the soul of the father and the soul of the son are Mine: the soul that sins shall die .
19 You say: “Why does not the son bear the guilt of his father?” Because the son acts lawfully and righteously, keeps all My statutes and fulfills them; he will be alive.
20 The soul that sins shall die; the son will not bear the guilt of the father, and the father will not bear the guilt of the son; the righteousness of the righteous remains with him, and the iniquity of the wicked remains with him.
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD;
(Ezek. 18, 2-4, 19-20, 30)
29 In those days they will no longer say, “The fathers ate sour grapes, but the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; whoever eats sour grapes will have his teeth set on edge.
(Jer.31, 29-30)
Those. Even in Old Testament times, the Lord delivered people from the curse of the family. , speaking about the influence of parental upbringing (upbringing, not personal sins!) on children, writes:
“Some parents destroy their children. But God is not unjust. He has a great and special love for those children who have suffered injustice in this world - from their parents or from someone else. If the reason that a child follows a crooked path is his parents, then God does not abandon such a child, because he has the right to Divine help. God will arrange everything to help him.”(Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets. From the book “Family Life”)
Thus, God saves even children plunged into sin by parental sinful teaching and upbringing. Moreover, it is blasphemous to even assume that the Lord can “assign” a sin for which repentance is impossible—the sin of suicide—as punishment for the parental sin of non-fasting (i.e., a sin washed away by repentance). As for schizophrenia, and others mental disorders, then since ancient times the holy fathers and ascetic monks distinguished between illnesses “from nature” and sinful damage to the human soul. A detailed distinction between these conditions can be read in the book of the outstanding psychiatrist Prof. D.E. Melikhov “Psychiatry and current problems of spiritual life”, the works of modern psychiatrist prof. V.G. Kaleda and “Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church” (XI.5)
Children conceived during Lent: what will happen if a child was conceived during Lent? Will this somehow affect his fate? If you are planning a pregnancy, should you do it while fasting? What is actually connected with the idea that conception during Lent is undesirable? A surge in discussion of this topic can be observed every year during Lent on maternal forums on the Internet and in personal discussions. And, as a rule, for advice on this issue they go to a familiar “grandmother” or look for an answer among dubious sources on the Internet. We decided to ask this question to several priests.
Archpriest Alexy Spassky, cleric of the Church of the Holy Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius. Responsible for the temple of the icon Mother of God“Merciful” at the Morozov Children’s Hospital, Moscow
There is a pious tradition during Lent to abstain not only from fasting food, but also from marital communication. And on the one hand, it is very good to observe marital fasting, but this is still voluntary. In his letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul writes: “Do not depart from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and [then] be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you through your intemperance” (1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 5). Here he gives only advice, not command. Many Orthodox Christians, wanting greater achievement, abstain from married life during Lent. Those who can do so do so. And it would be better for the spouses to decide such issues themselves, since they are so old that they got married.
The intimate side of life, deeply personal for spouses, is not the most important thing in our Christian life. All people also have an intellectual, emotional, and social life. But the most important thing for Orthodox Christians is to do good to people, to be a co-worker with God, despite one’s imperfections.
It is wrong to talk about the birth of a sick child if he is conceived during Lent. Obviously, this is another “horror story” that has no place in the Church at all. Moreover, this is absolutely not true: there are sick children who were not conceived during Lent, and vice versa. I, a priest, have no examples from life about the fate of children conceived during Lent, since I do not touch intimate life their parishioners living in marriage. “You have been called to freedom, brethren, but so that freedom should not be a reason for pleasing the flesh,” writes the Apostle Paul. So we need to find a middle ground.
New life and birth are in any case a gift from God. It’s just that some people want to decide everything for God: what is a sin and what is not a sin, and what “retribution” awaits during their lifetime for a “violation.” They still live in the Old Testament, but Christ gave us freedom. But for some reason many are looking for new rules and restrictions for themselves and are willingly enslaved by them.
Going for an abortion if a child is conceived during Lent is completely unthinkable... If abortion is pushed by the words that a child conceived during Lent will be sick, then the one who said this is responsible for all these murders of unborn children. It is very important for those who decide to have an abortion to hear: new life is a gift from God and the most valuable and important thing you have.
Priest Mikhail Senin, rector of the Church of the Annunciation Holy Mother of God With. Polivanovo, Moscow
Orthodox believers have a pious tradition of abstaining during Lent, as far as possible, from marital relations. That is why, as a consequence, the idea has already arisen that children are not conceived during Lent. Conception itself is not a sin. A person can create new life - this is our image and likeness of God. According to the word of the Apostle Paul, husband and wife are like Christ and the Church - a union of love. Sex between husband and wife is not only a fusion of bodies, but also souls, and cannot in any way be a sin.
Not every husband or wife is capable of abstinence Lent from intimate relationships for the sake of practicing abstinence. This must be by mutual consent, otherwise one of the spouses will dream about sex and sow lustful thoughts in his heart. And Christ, as we remember from the Gospel, says that the very thought of prodigal thought is a sin. If one or both spouses are not ready to abstain from sex during Lent, then don’t. The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians (chapter 7, verse 4): “The wife has no authority over her own body, but the husband does; Likewise, the husband has no power over his body, but the wife.” And then verses 7, 8 and 9: “I wish that all people were like me; but everyone has his own gift from God, one this way, the other another. To the unmarried and widows I say: it is good for them to remain as I do. But if they [cannot] abstain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to become inflamed!”
The fate of children conceived during Lent cannot be judged only by the date of their conception! This is a misconception that has no place in the Church.
What is our faith? We know that God is not a sadist! God is love! How can one then say that He punishes children conceived during Lent? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” John 3:16
I believe that a priest has no right to intrude into the intimate area of marital relations, as well as the issue of childbirth. This should only concern the husband and wife.
It is better to refrain from bad actions, words and thoughts, do good, make people happy. Pray more often, think about God and your relationship with him. This is the most important thing in the post. And diet and abstinence are only a help to this. This is an important and useful means to achieving the main goal of fasting, but not the goal itself.
Great Lent is, first of all, prayer and repentance, preparation for the celebrated event of the Resurrection of Christ. Unfortunately, for the majority of those baptized in Christ, Easter and some other church holidays still remain only culinary events (Easter cakes, eggs, etc.), and not “Holidays, Feasts and Celebrations of Celebrations!” And the Church, as a mother, calls its children to spiritual growth during Lent, teaches us to eradicate attachment to sin, fight pride, self-love, envy, condemnation, limit gluttony, entertainment, etc. so that we are ready to celebrate Easter, as the most important event in life.
Our fate – and, as a consequence, the fate of children up to a certain age – is in our hands. The Gospel tells us: seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added. We do not choose gender and parents, but everything else depends on our own decisions about how to live, where and which way to go. God gives freedom to any person or child, conceived during fasting or not, and calls to salvation.
Priest Nikolai Petrov, cleric of the Church of the Holy Blessed Tsarevich Demetrius at the first city hospital, teacher of the St. Demetrius School of Sisters of Mercy and St. Demetrius Secondary School, Moscow
Of course, there is no need to specifically conceive a child during Lent. Although marital fasting and abstinence are a two-way matter and there are exceptions depending on the situation. The question is different: when the child appears, a new life will begin, no one can guarantee. And it is impossible to plan 100%, despite all the technologies. This is not the place where a person decides. The birth of a new life is in the hands of God. He is the Creator and Himself decides when and who will be born: someone dies in the womb, someone from illness, for someone their parents wait for years.
The new personality created by God, for which He suffered on the Cross, is a work of God's will. No matter how people participate in this, in a sinful way, violating fasting and commandments, a child is a creation of God and his birth cannot be a sin. We know the story of the Old Testament: in the Savior’s genealogy there were many children born outside the family, and yet they even became the Savior’s ancestors in the flesh. There is no sin of the child himself, but parents, of course, bear their own measure of responsibility for their actions. It is important to remember repentance, which can always cleanse any sin. It is always available, but not as easy and simple (“sinned, repented”), as it may seem to those who have never asked for forgiveness from God.
The Lord does not stand with a magnifying glass and does not examine people’s sins. But many mistakenly believe that He punishes immediately and in the same matter in which a person sinned; they look at Him and fear Him as if from afar. But this is not true. If this were really the case, and we received “what we deserved,” we would not be in the world long ago or would be sick and suffering in terrible pain. What other heavenly punishments can be imagined for all the violations that we commit, living not according to the commandments, not obeying God? But look what happens to other sins. If a person steals (and how many people steal from us??), is he immediately caught and put in prison?
The fact that the sin of the parents will certainly affect the child is not at all necessary. A child is a separate person, God gave him life, He will take care of him. Therefore, it is completely wrong to think that everything will be bad further, since life began outside of marriage or during Lent. Nothing will happen to the child, and if the parents repent, then everything will be fine. If they deliberately sin, violate a commandment (in this or any other), specifically as a challenge to God, in order to prove something, then this is already serious and can have consequences. When violation of abstinence during fasting occurs due to human weakness, I think there is no need to be afraid that children will be disadvantaged in some way. On the contrary, you can, through a feat of overcoming difficulties and your fear, carry and give birth to a baby. The Lord will forgive you for this trust and there will be no serious consequences.
Of course, it is better to try to observe fasting and not to break abstinence, to do everything in due time. Understanding at the same time that this question has nothing to do with children and their fate. But if for some reason it didn’t work out, then you shouldn’t be afraid of the consequences, you need to trust God as your Father, come to Him and ask for forgiveness.
Sometimes, the fear of giving birth to an “abnormal” child, if he was conceived during Lent, leads to completely absurd thoughts, even to abortion. What can you answer to this?
Archpriest Dimitry Struev, rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost”, head of the Orthodox youth center “Ecclesiastes”, father of 10 children, Lipetsk
The idea of having an abortion “out of harm’s way” if the child was conceived during Lent or any other Lent has nothing to do with Orthodox faith! We, priests, most often encounter the murder of children and their consequences through the example of people who, at the time when they made the decision to have an abortion, had nothing to do with the Church, and came to awareness of sin and repentance later. Moreover, many do so through illness and sorrow.
A few years ago, this happened to me. A young woman approached me, although she had already decided everything unconditionally. The pregnant woman was interested in only one question: what should she do after the abortion, “what prayers will need to be read.” After. “To get lost.” We talked for a long time, and it seemed to me that everything was useless and hopeless. Saying goodbye, she said: “I’ll call you later and tell you that I’ve decided.” I replied: “Don’t even call! I told you everything, I have nothing to add. Do as you please." She didn't call. Of course, I remembered her at the services. But rather automatically, afraid to even hope for something good.
And six months later we met by chance on the street. I look - my stomach is sticking out. Glory to You, Lord. I don’t want to take credit for the changes that have occurred in the mind of this young lady. What I told her, any other priest or just a believer would have said. The Lord simply had mercy on them - her, her child. And my husband. Then, at the baby’s baptism, when I looked at him, my heart sank at the thought that he was supposed to be killed.
Hundreds and hundreds of people who confess, whose personal problems and difficult situations we have to delve into, pass before each priest. And we inevitably pay attention to certain patterns in their destinies. I don’t really like to scare people with retribution, especially hellish torment. You cannot truly come to Christ for fear of posthumous frying pans. But what (fear of giving birth to a sick child or his unfortunate fate) or for what (career, study, disruption of plans) people go to the murder of their own children often goes to waste, and this terrible price turns out to be paid for something unknown.
