motherhood/family/parenting

Claire brings up a good, thought-provoking discussion…one we ought to follow through to an answer.

“Be fruitful and multiply”…no wait, overpopulation.

This subject, for me, is one more reason to trust the sovereignty of God. Why? Just like other variables (affording children, health, etc.), our limited wisdom insufficient to make life-altering decisions based on circumstances far beyond our ability to know.

The terrorist attacks wiped out over 3,000 people in one day; tsunamis have taken the lives of over 20,000 each hit, in a matter of minutes. Can we predict population variables enough to overturn the command to “multiply”?

Here is an excerpt from an article suggesting the OPPOSITE problem of the loudly-touted overpopulation…thought it was very helpful. (Link to entire article is below.)

“The world is over-populated and heading towards demographic catastrophe, right?

Wrong. According to Max Singer, writing in The Atlantic Monthly of August 1999, “Unless people’s values change greatly, several centuries from now there could be fewer people living in the entire world than live in the United States today.” How does he come to this startling and unorthodox view? Simply because no demographer predicted that when fertility dropped to replacement level – which is 2.1 child per woman per lifetime – it would keep falling. But it has. In Western Europe, Japan and the East Asian tiger economies, the total fertility rate (TFR) is 1.5. and falling. Italy’s has fallen to a national suicidal 1.2. North African immigrants look like inheriting Italy.”

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0500overpopulation.htm

Invariably, this birth control topic really opens a can of worms. It’s impossible to address just one aspect; there keeps occurring a new path, a different thought, and we must keep pushing to the ends of the unknown trails to be able to step away with a full, thoughtful conclusion.

The term “Quiver Full Movement” has been used a few times here, mostly in a derogatory way. I was thinking that, of course, “quiver full” came from the Bible. QF is not a movement at all. Mankind was born in QF default mode, if you will. I don’t imagine Adam and Eve were sitting over dinner wondering how many kids they were going to be able to afford. I know, I know. They were supposed to be “filling the earth”…of course they weren’t thinking about birth control.

So, when did the earth get full? I don’t envision any New Testament couples having BC conversations either. But that’s another trail.

So, my challenge to you is, do you think there even exists a real “movement” called QF? Or do you think it would be more accurate for us to distinguish the groups by a term like, “Birth Control Movement”…or “Child Limiting Movement”…or “No More for Me Movement”. (Don’t get mad, I’m just joking.)

But do you get my point? I’ve always found it interesting that women who do not generally practice birth control are the ones put in a class; “those people”…”those QF people”. I find that odd. Women whose bodies are doing what they were created to do have to explain why they aren’t taking a synthetic drug that alters its normal function? Does this not seem odd?

See, it’s not me standing in judgement of those who practice birth control. I have no desire to make people feel condemned or less spiritual. Please don’t think that!

I want us to operate from a crystal clear understanding. That’s why I dig into the subject.

Imagine a person walking up to you at the store and saying, “Oh my goodness! You’re having s*x with your husband just for pleasure? You are purposely preventing conception? Only two children? Do you not want any more?”

How offensive! But can I say this gently…that is more accurate than what so many who know the sting of being questioned about a larger than normal family is.

I find it a wee bit offensive to be labeled as part of a movement. I didn’t join some new regime of people who see how many babies they can have in a lifetime. I don’t belong to a group that teaches how to stop nursing so you can conceive again quickly (???) It’s no group at all. It’s just believing that the principles in Scripture point to a sovereign God–even over the womb. If that is not the path you follow, it is no condemnation from me. But I think the pro-birth control position would more suitably belong in the “explanation please” category, in the case people feel the need for explanation.

For centuries, couples have been pretty much having children every few years. Yeah people avoided certain times of the month, I’m sure, but the whole concept of just using birth control to stop after a child or two has been completely FOREIGN to the world until around the 1960’s. So why is that group now the normal group, and the other group is “cultish” and weird?

Someone has asked why I don’t believe the womb can be compared to a field with the applicable “Sabbath rest”. (Which, to restate, by all means, let a couple faced with a difficult health issue prayerful consider God’s leading!) But go back to Scriptures…why would God have asked couples to abstain after a monthly cycle for 13 days, and resume their relations on the 14th–THE most fertile day of the month? God went to great pains giving the Israelites specific instructions about the details of their lives. He told them how to handle mold, for crying out loud! Why would the Sabbath rest for the womb not be brought up among those instructions? Or maybe, here’s a thought, the Sabbath rest was already built into the nursing practices of women. Just asking you to think.

Am I missing something?

In the case someone feels offended by this post, I assure you I am not condemning anyone at ALL. I’m not enemies with people who use birth control! I realize in some recent posts, that it is automatically assumed that if I say I believe God’s best for His people is to accept the children He gives them, then I am condemning those who don’t.

Some people think it’s God’s best for us to exercise; but they’re not accused of being judgemental towards those who don’t…same thing with eating healthy, being in debt, the list could keep going. Do you understand what I’m saying? In fact, I’ve said before, I have a great deal of respect for people who just say, “I didn’t want anymore children because I like to go on vacations”…or whatever else. Honesty is great! NO…I’m not opposed to those who use birth control. I’m opposed to the notion that to NOT use it is weird and irresponsible.

My only reason for posting about what I believe about fertility is to challenge you to rethink it yourself…when I was using birth control, I had not given it a second thought. I as so glad I was challenged to question WHY I chose a certain practice.