I read an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today about how women in Estonia are being paid to bear children. In 2001 it was predicted that Estonia would lose half of its population by mid century. Actually today Japan, Italy, Germany, and South Korea have an even lower birth rate than Estonia.
But the government of Estonia decided to do something about it. Even with the subsidies the birth rate is still not at replacement level.
The part of the article that really struck me, though, was the explanation for why birth rates have dropped so low.
--greater economic opportunities for women
--advances in birth control (their words)
--"the spread of ideas about individual freedom and happiness that are hard to reconcile with caring for a large family."
Individual freedom and happiness are not compatible with caring for a large family??Clearly such an idea was not formed by talking to people with large families. Shall I be blunt? Yes, if you need live a selfish, egocentric life in order to be happy then, no, you would not be happy raising a large family. It is so very sad that people believe these lies. Happiness does not come from individual self-
gratification. Does the general population really believe that loving, caring for, and nurturing one's own children does not bring happiness??? Come on!! What does then? Big houses? Powerful positions? Lots of money? Self indulgence? The freedom to never have to sacrifice anything that I want? Where did an understanding of the joy of motherhood get lost? Children are a gift from God. Satan has led people to believe the most ridiculous things. And they themselves suffer as a result. Lord, have mercy.
4 comments:
I'm certain that there are many things that we would have and be able to do if we had not had children. But the things that we'd be missing far out weigh all of that "stuff"!!
Right, Deanna, and that's just it. It's all stuff. In the end, the stuff is not going to matter. On deathbeds people never say "Gee, I really wish I had aquired more stuff in my life." Instead, they gaze into the faces of spouses and children and other loved ones and think of how precious they all are.
Amazing post.
I am delighted to have found your blog today and blessed to have read this post.
Oh my! Yes, I really think a lot of people do think this way. They just don't know what they are missing and are too scared to find out. Many people are afraid of the material things they will have to do without in order to have a large family. They have no idea how beautiful a large family is and they never will. It's truly sad!
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