What if Mary Had Said 'No'?
Two 'bookends' around the life of Christ are parallel passages and favorites of mine. Mary answered the angel, Behold the bondservant of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Years later her Son prayed, Not my will, but Thine be done.
And aren't we thankful? But with contraception, abortion, and fears of either over-population or inconvenience, there exists a worldwide move toward childlessness, not only in China, but among northern Europeans, and many Americans. Don Feder has written many excellent columns on the subject, and Pat Buchanan highlighted relevant UN reports in his The Death of the West. But for a Christian perspective, I like the latest from Rev. Al Mohler, Jr.
And aren't we thankful? But with contraception, abortion, and fears of either over-population or inconvenience, there exists a worldwide move toward childlessness, not only in China, but among northern Europeans, and many Americans. Don Feder has written many excellent columns on the subject, and Pat Buchanan highlighted relevant UN reports in his The Death of the West. But for a Christian perspective, I like the latest from Rev. Al Mohler, Jr.
posted by S. at
10:46 PM
6 Comments:
The Europeans seem to be relying on the Middle Eastern and North African immigrants to solve their deliberate childless problem so someone will be able to fund their socialist welfare states. "Eurabia" should be here sooner that we think.
Brilliant article from my favorite Southern Baptist preacher. I like his quote: "The church must help this society regain its sanity on the gift of children. Willful barrenness and chosen childlessness must be named as moral rebellion. To demand that marriage means sex--but not children--is to defraud the creator of His joy and pleasure in seeing the saints raising His children. That is just the way it is. No kidding." Amen. The whole debate over what marriage is today wouldn't even exist if deliberate childlessness in marriage had not gained respectability in a previous generation.
By
Anonymous, at 7:28 PM, January 01, 2006
Thanks for dropping in, Mr. Bond....
I wish I could have a dozen or so more to raise. But question--Do you think they really are cheaper by the dozen? 'Cause hard times they are a comin.
Yeah, I thought you might like this Mohler article.... :-) I'm reading a book by Nancy Pearcey at present. It's revelation. Ever read her? It's "Total Truth." She quotes all your favorites--Schaeffer, Packer, and dozens more.
By
S., at 12:18 PM, January 03, 2006
Sounds like a woman of keen insight in her choice of sources.
Here are some quotes from the early Church Fathers on this topic:
"God made the male and female for the propagation of the human race."- Irenaeus
"If we marry, it is only so that we may bring up children."- Justin Martyr
"The man who did not desire to beget children had no right to marry at all"-Clement of Alexandria
"He bestowed His blessing on matrimony also, as on an honorable estate, for the increase of the human race-just as He did likewise as to the entirety of His creation, for wholesome and good uses."-Tertullian
By
Anonymous, at 5:04 PM, January 03, 2006
Great thoughts. Nancy Pearcey says a lot on this too. Where some say that growth of the church through children is not meaningful growth--because it involves little evangelism/soul-winning--she writes that God wants His people to be raised by His people. That it matters to Him that those who know Him and have a Christian worldview work to impart that to their children and thus to the next generation. I am loving her book. She's reformed--and not only a former L'abri student, but also the 'Francis Schaeffer scholar' at the World Journalism Institute.
By
S., at 8:59 PM, January 03, 2006
Definitely sounds like a covenantalist with her emphasis on the raising of children of the covenant.
I just finished reading a terrific editorial from the Wall Street Journal entitled "It's the Demography, Stupid: The real reason the West is in danger of extinction" and it deals with our topic-
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007760
By
Anonymous, at 6:28 PM, January 05, 2006
I just read the above--long for anything on the net, but not for paper, you know? Anyway, great article. I'll comment elsewhere.
By
S., at 7:43 PM, January 05, 2006
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