HOW MANY CHILDREN SHOULD A CHRISTIAN HAVE? (Pt 7)

Exchanging Godly Values for Western Views:

Views on family size and birth rates are also affected by cultures. These views on giving birth to one or two children were adopted from Western countries. In most of these Western countries, people give reasons like personal freedom, career advancement, and environmental concerns for supporting small families. This is a product of a selfish way of thinking because the people prioritise personal pursuits over family life. Many of those who adopt these views try to make them sound intelligent, trendy, and fashionable. This has been the case for decades, but with the availability of social media to everyone on the planet, this mindset has greatly extended its reach.

It is now normal to see couples who do not plan to have children at all but rather focus on raising pets as members of their family. In fact, some of them have gone on to leave inheritances for dogs and cats! Are these the trends that Christians should copy?

The Impact on Birth Rates

Moreover, these drops in birth rates have significant long-term implications on population and economies. For instance, in some parts of the world, Muslim populations are growing faster than others because of their larger family sizes. The consequences of these differing birth rates include shifts in demographics and governance.

The decline in birth rates also leads to challenges like labour shortages, an ageing workforce, strain on social welfare systems, and reduced economic growth. A robust population will be able to sustain the economy and support the ageing population. Countries like China, where the government enforced strict birth control policies, are facing the consequences of imposing such a policy. We’ll talk more about the China experiment next week.

READ ALSO: LUXURY (PART 1)

China’s One Child Policy

In 1979, China imposed the one-child policy to control its population. This led to a skewed gender population, as people preferred to abort or abandon their female babies and keep the males. This affected marriage and birth rates in the country as a time came when there became fewer women of marriageable and childbearing age. Simply put, there were too many males, and not enough women to marry them.

In addition, the country is also facing a potential labour shortage because of the higher population of older adults. This spells trouble for the aging population, as it has been projected that by 2050, there will be older parents to take care of, and fewer children to do so.

READ ALSO: ABORTION (PART 3)

The Dangers

How about the threat to national security? A larger population can be a sign of national strength because they have the means to defend themselves against external threats. It is God’s wisdom that His people be fruitful and multiply. In fact, He blesses people with many children, so they would be prominent. He did so for Heman in 1 Chronicles 25:5 – All these were the sons of Heman, the King’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. The same happened to Obededom, who had 8 sons, because God blessed him (1 Chronicles 26:5).