In a previous teaching article (February 5, 2019) on our website I quoted futurist John Naisbitt as saying,
“Learning how to learn is the most precious thing we have in life.”
After being in ministry for 45+ years I would also say,
“learning how to unlearn is primary and learning how to learn is secondary.”
But one way or another, we must do both!
For years we have been taught that the population explosion will be the demise of the world. At the present time, 2019, only half of the countries of the world are growing. This false narrative has been used to justify the environmentalist extreme ideologies to over-protect the environment by placing animals above people, or in the movement of planned parenthood which Margret Sanger established to control the birth rates of the “unfit.”
This false overpopulation narrative has been used quite effectively.
How would you respond to a gal who recently said this to me…
“My fiancé and I do not want to have children because we do not want to leave an additional carbon footprint. We are concerned about the environment and over- population.”
Please read closely 1 Peter 3:15 from the Amplified version. “But in your hearts set Christ apart as Lord (acknowledge Him) as LORD. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you but do it courteously and respectfully.”
As I dialoged with this young gal I was able to share the following:
• For a culture to exist each woman needs to have 2.1 babies to replenish a society so that it can sustain itself.
• A society must have enough younger people to care for the elderly, create economic wealth, and populate the next generation. The level of births in America at the present time is 1.87 and that is only because of the Hispanic population.
• By 2050 Europe as we know it will be a geographic destination with most likely an Islamic political and cultural way of life. The countries of Europe are growing at a rate of 1.58 while their immigrants, mostly Muslims, are growing at a rate of 2.60. Islam is the fastest growing religious group in the world. They have a long-term view of the world.
• In the following I single out Russia as it is indicative of Europe at large.
At the present time the birth rate of Russia is staggeringly low—1.75
Recent demographic trends in Russia have caused widespread public concern. Russia is experiencing unusually high death rates from non-natural causes, many related to alcoholism. Life expectancy, especially among working-age males, has dropped precipitously. The Russian fertility rate has declined to among the world’s lowest, while its abortion rate is the highest. Russian women are voting with their fetus as 70% of pregnancies are terminated. As a result, for the first time in Russian history, the annual number of deaths has exceeded the number of births. Compounding these challenges, the population is aging rapidly–a trend that will accelerate over the next two decades–and immigration continues to increase, posing thorny political and social problems for a nation historically accustomed to a net outflow of people. (Julie DaVanzo and David Adamson)
• The fertility birth rate in Italy is 1.45; France 1.96; Spain 1.33; Netherlands 1.66; Romania 1.31. Singapore is the lowest in the world: 0.81; South Korea 1.25; Hong Kong 1.8; and China 1.6. Only half of the countries of the world are not growing.
Some of the above information was found in the book America Alone, by Mark Stein and my search on various websites and the Henry Morris Study Bible.
My conversation with this gal lasted about an hour as we were watching one of our grandson’s baseball games.
In the flow of the conversation I identified myself as a follower of Christ and that the Bible actually encourages people to pro-create. I referenced the following verse:
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” –Genesis 9:1 KJV
I also communicated some of the reasons God gave us this command:
• Children bring enjoyment to our lives
• We are created in God’s image which means we have a moral compass or conscience, can think abstractly, have an eternal spirit capable of communion and fellowship with our Creator, the appreciation of beauty, emotional feelings, and the capacity to love God. The animal kingdom do not share these characteristics.
• As humans we are meant to manage or steward the earth by studying it which entails science, and then apply that science (that is using technology and commerce) for the optimum benefit of mankind and the animals.
• As a follower of Christ, I believe we ought to care for the ecology of the earth.
Our conversation was pleasant, informative, and personal. In fact, as we were leaving the game and folding up our camping chairs she said, “Dale, thank you for interacting with me. You have really given me a lot to think about and I will definitely talk to my fiancé about our conversation.”
Once again, Torah, addresses all of Life. My challenge is to learn it and become more intentional in communicating it with the people God has in my sphere of influence.
I encourage you to also learn and become more intentional with those in your webs of relationships.
In Christ,
Dale
dale@daleebel.org