THE CHINESE EXPERIMENT
In 1980, China introduced a one-child policy. Couples could not have many children, just one. They needed government approval to have a child. Births had to be registered. The policy aimed to reduce population growth. It also sought to enhance economic growth. China had shortages of capital and resources. Consumer goods were also scarce. The policy aimed to reduce the number of people to feed.
READ ALSO: WHAT ARE GOVERNMENTS FOR? (PART 1)
Abortion: The Killing of Unborn Children
The one-child policy lasted for 35 years and created as many as 100 million one-child families in China. The one-child policy did not practice voluntary family planning. To enforce the policy, the Chinese government carried out massive sterilization and abortion campaigns. In 1983 alone, there were 21 million births in China, 14.4 million abortions, 20.7 million (majorly female) sterilizations, and 17.8 million IUD insertions. (An intrauterine device (IUD) is a form of birth control inserted into the uterus. Once inserted, it can prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years or more, depending on the specific type.) Most of these procedures were involuntary.
In addition, most of the babies aborted were females, because of a preference for males to continue the family lineage, and this led to the male population far surpassing the female population. By 2023, there was a difference of almost about 30 million more men. The country now has a pool of surplus men from three decades, who are unable to find wives. Women have been imported from neighbouring countries to counter a small amount of this shortfall!
READ ALSO: ABORTION (PART 1)
Greed as one of the Root Problems:
[In terms of a larger number of males, only India surpasses China and the dowry system is the culprit. The dowry system involves the transfer of wealth or valuable assets from the bride’s family to the groom’s family upon marriage. The perceived burden of dowry payment, coupled with the expectation that daughters will join their husbands’ families after marriage, often leads to the devaluation of female children. Families may view daughters as liabilities due to the financial strain associated with arranging their marriages.]
In 2016, China passed a policy permitting parents to have two children, but by then the damage was already done. Many Chinese families now prioritize their careers and comfort over raising children, and the declining birth rates have birthed many challenges for the country. We will consider what happened to a whole nation with the hope that we can avoid it happening to our families.
READ NEXT: HOW MANY CHILDREN SHOULD A CHRISTIAN HAVE? (Pt 9)
Is God totally against polygamy? What is His reaction to it? Let’s find out together in this interview!
