| Politics Social, culture | 7 Apr 2009 12:00 AM |
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| Supporting Overpopulation One Kid at a Time by jdriller |
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How do you avoid an US against THEM attitude when there are so many people who think you are backwards?
I was recently involved in a discussion about overpopulation. Boy, large families really offend some people. See the comments on http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102005062. Careful though. If you've made the decision to have a large family for whatever reason, you may be offended. I was. I am.
Now, no one likes their choices attacked or described as "whack", but perhaps we can help dispel some of the conflict by walking in love rather than taking on a battle attitude. The truth is we're all in the same boat. We're not at war with those who disagree with us or even those who think we are crazy - not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. It's important to pray for those who despitefully use us.
If you're out there having kids to build a militia for God, you're asking for the kinds of comments posted on this story. God isn't building an army. He's building a family. He's Father, remember?
Now commenters bring up the issue of overpopulation (Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation) which is laughable. Overpopulation is a micro issue (Can you sustain your family? Can your community resources sustain your family?), not a macro issue (Can the world sustain the population?). Overpopulationists have been with us forever. We're not going to convince anyone who is bent on blaming everyone else for their woes - real and imagined.
The bottom line for me is that whatever the reason someone has a child - each individual has value and potential and a destiny. I don't like some of the reasons people have kids. I don't like the lifestyles some kids are born into, but I would never negate the validity of a life to be born and lived.
It's arrogant to do so. (I wonder if overpopulationists would commit suicide to alleviate the burden they are so concerned about). The slippery slope is to eliminate those who put a strain on resources rather than add to them. It's a silly argument really, yet some intellectuals extol the concern.
I would love to get your thoughts on this. I'm aware that this topic can cause some highly flammable emotions, but try to keep it respectful please - whichever way you lean. Do you regret having a large family? Do you feel guilty for having lots of children? Do you feel guilty if you use birth control?
I must admit that sometimes I feel sorry for people who can't get past their own stuff, and choose to only have one or two kids. I don't think less of them, but I wish they could have as much fun and fulfillment from lots of kids in the house.
What kinds of benefits do you see in your large family that you didn't have before all the kids?
I was recently involved in a discussion about overpopulation. Boy, large families really offend some people. See the comments on http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102005062. Careful though. If you've made the decision to have a large family for whatever reason, you may be offended. I was. I am.
Now, no one likes their choices attacked or described as "whack", but perhaps we can help dispel some of the conflict by walking in love rather than taking on a battle attitude. The truth is we're all in the same boat. We're not at war with those who disagree with us or even those who think we are crazy - not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. It's important to pray for those who despitefully use us.
If you're out there having kids to build a militia for God, you're asking for the kinds of comments posted on this story. God isn't building an army. He's building a family. He's Father, remember?
Now commenters bring up the issue of overpopulation (Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpopulation) which is laughable. Overpopulation is a micro issue (Can you sustain your family? Can your community resources sustain your family?), not a macro issue (Can the world sustain the population?). Overpopulationists have been with us forever. We're not going to convince anyone who is bent on blaming everyone else for their woes - real and imagined.
The bottom line for me is that whatever the reason someone has a child - each individual has value and potential and a destiny. I don't like some of the reasons people have kids. I don't like the lifestyles some kids are born into, but I would never negate the validity of a life to be born and lived.
It's arrogant to do so. (I wonder if overpopulationists would commit suicide to alleviate the burden they are so concerned about). The slippery slope is to eliminate those who put a strain on resources rather than add to them. It's a silly argument really, yet some intellectuals extol the concern.
I would love to get your thoughts on this. I'm aware that this topic can cause some highly flammable emotions, but try to keep it respectful please - whichever way you lean. Do you regret having a large family? Do you feel guilty for having lots of children? Do you feel guilty if you use birth control?
I must admit that sometimes I feel sorry for people who can't get past their own stuff, and choose to only have one or two kids. I don't think less of them, but I wish they could have as much fun and fulfillment from lots of kids in the house.
What kinds of benefits do you see in your large family that you didn't have before all the kids?
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Roy and Kathy
said:
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I think big families are a blessing from GOD.... Hello, my name is Kathy, My husband and I have been married for 15 years and we haqve six children and another one on the way. Yes we have tried birth control until I came down with cancer from the one and a;most died. After that my husband desided to just leave things up to GOD and to let him be in charge, after all is'nt that the way it is suppost to be anyhow? We love each other very much and we enjoy being parents to a large family. Each one that has come in to our lives my husband always saw this as a belssing from above. We dont know what the future holds for us and so we just take it one day at a time. I will say this much thoe, Maybe these people should stop worring about the rest of the world and worry more about them selfs firt. And I am so sick and tired of all these people out there with there rude and crude comments twords us and there nasty stars all the time. They are just plain out ignerant bunch of hippacrates. I shure do hope to here from you soon. take care of yourself and GOD BLESS.. |
Ronnie and Roseanna
said:
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big families my wife and I have been married for eight years. We used birth control, off and on, for the first three years of our marriage. We have four beautiful children and agree that children are a blessing from God. They are not hinderances nor are they a financial burden. If the Lord chooses to bless us with more children, we will accept them with open, loving arms. |
Michele
said:
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... We are a family of 11 and in our experience, having a large family has made us more eco friendly. With each child we have had to learn to stretch our resources. We have a garden, we use cloth diapers, wipes and even a little cloth t.p. for #1, we switched from gas heat to wood heat, I now hang dry our clothes - even in winter, I have 2 lines in my pantry. I've got our power bill down to what most 2 member families are paying per month. We shop yard sales and Goodwill, which is a form of recycling, but we also do recycle, it saves space in our trash can and saves us money, again, we have less trash out on the curb come trash day than most "normal" sized families. ....So, I get tired of the large family bashing when it comes to our planets resources. Yeah, we drive a 15 passenger gas guzzler, but our MPG, per person is a heck of a lot less than those soccer moms driving around 2 kids in a huge SUV. No, I don't have any regrets and I don't feel guilty. The percent of people who have large families is SO, SO small I don't see how we are going to make as big an impact as the smaller families who think they can over-use resources because their family isn't "that" big. And just to set the record straight, because I see it all the time in large family/environment/overpopulation type articles - just because my husband and I had 9 kids DOESN'T mean that each and every one of our children are going to grow up and have 9 kids each too. In fact, I would be surprised if even ONE of them grew up to have 9 kids. |
Monica
said:
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... Michele, your 9 kids will eventually go off and need housing. That's 9 new housing units! We are constantly bulldozing trees (the planet's lungs!) to make room for new houses, all because people like you can't practice restraint and think your genes are sooooo special that you have to create all these new people. Give the planet a break!!! |
Wendy
said:
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ummm whoa now............ Ok hold on now.......Monica is it? You must be so unhappy to talk to someone like that. ichele, your 9 kids will eventually go off and need housing. That's 9 new housing units! ***************** Ok first off.......yeah they will need housing.......but on what planet do you live where everyone gets a new house? Plenty of houses round that are not new waiting to be bought or rented. We are constantly bulldozing trees (the planet's lungs!) to make room for new houses, all because people like you can't practice restraint and think your genes are sooooo special that you have to create all these new people. *************** People like her........or people like me. I don't think anyone ever said we thought our genes were special. But we do value our families more than possessions and materialistic things. Give the planet a break!!! ************************************ Oh for pete's sake. Ever hear of George Carlin..........I agree with him. We are no threat to the planet...........trust me when it is tired of us it'll shake us off like a bad case of fleas. (which seem nicer than you) Large families conserve more than cruel people like you. Oh and you never know one of our kids might just be the one who fixes things on the planet. All life has value. So go hug someone or better yet get hugged and dont' be so hateful |
Jen
said:
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... What's the planet for if not for our children? I never understand people who think the planet is more valuable than life. They go together. If we take these thoughts to their ugliest conclusion - why aren't environmentalists committing suicide by the millions if they believe it will save the planet? That's silly and so is the argument against large families. The same people against large families are usually FOR welfare states that actually ENCOURAGE the poorest people to have more children in the worst of circumstances. Hey, you don't want your babies, I'll take 'em ... and make productive, caring individuals who contribute to society and increase the common good. :-) |
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