Are birth rates changing our environment?

In ancient times, only the rich had large families. The poor couldn’t afford to have many children and newborns were often discarded and found on the dung heap.

Making a quantum leap forward, large families in America were common in the early days, especially among the farmers. The family was self-sustaining and the elders were cared for by their children in old age. Also, unlike in antiquity, law – and esp. religion – prohibited the killing or abandonment of infants.

However, men and women married very early – especially women as soon as they had passed puberty – partly so that parents no longer had to feed and clothe them.

In the 1940’s and 50’s, children married soon after completing high school. The women stayed home and raised children. Things began to change when women sought higher education and/or joined the workforce. They wanted a career of their own and didn’t want to be bothered with raising children.

Birth control became popular among the middle and upper classes while the poor kept having children. Those without work looked to welfare to support their families. The middle class primarily bore this tax burden. The middle class began shrinking and the gap between rich and poor widened. In hard economic times, as we are now experiencing, the burden is even greater.

Birth rates continue to have a great impact on our society. Those who complain the most today are singles and parents without children. The same is happening in other western societies. Migrant workers remain in the country and produce children while the career oriented indigenous population doesn’t want to be bothered. In some countries, social welfare pays the family based on the number of children. The welfare income in large families is so good that there is little incentive to work, even when jobs are available.

The future is happening now. Former minorities will become the majorities. It is projected that by 2025 that the world Muslim population will exceed the Christian population. Reversing this trend is analogous to changing the effects of global warming.*

The best bet is to accept the reality of change and adjust. Those we hate today may become the rulers of tomorrow. Fighting change is a losing battle.

* See http://muslim-canada.org/muslimstats.html for statistics on Christian vs. Muslim population growth.

Abe,

Are these generalities or truth?

What amazed me was a visit I had from a college friend a few days ago. It seems women students who got degrees from our small college did not go on to have jobs. Some were married and later divorced. One's husband died from cancer early in life. She was a very talented woman and would have pursued an excellent career.

I would never have even considered not working. It was not an option. I didn't go to college to get a degree, but rather to become qualified for a productive career.

True, I was well cared for financially, and true I had talent enough to be successful. When I got the award from my college, highly spoken was my deserving of this honor, but I never felt that way until someone said so.

Did it make a difference that I had six children? A large family was my husband's dream, and we pursued that dream with success and happiness.

I want to keep writing. I want to keep pursuing dreams Whether that will happen is questionable, but it is a pursuit I would love to have.

I don't think I was the best parent in the world, and loved my children dearly, but sometimes the whole endeavor was overwhelming.

Did it matter when I grew up? Did it matter the year I graduated? Did it matter what religion I was?

I do not know. I just pursued the path that seemed the most logical and loving.

Carol

Quote :

The best bet is to accept the reality of change and adjust. Those we hate today may become the rulers of tomorrow. Fighting change is a losing battle.

You said that the news thread inspired this blog post. The thread was about a BOE's concern over Muslim domination of textbook material. Why do you equate this with "hate?"

Carol,
they are not generalities. It happened and continues.
You are an exception. To have a large family and still have a career is not the norm. That alone makes you special - among other things.

As for the inspiration. The Muslim word/subject has been used frequently in recent posts and not always in a good light. Just thought that getting used to the word may be a good idea. It's not going away. The word hate was not used in reference to any one subject. It was a generalization based on given reactions to most anything Muslim.