The Demographic Nightmare

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Not very long after that, He created man, when He did; He ordered them to be fruitful, and to multiply. Today, neither of these are happening as they should be.

America, according to USA TODAY, has a current birthrate 2.1, the bare minimum needed to resupply the population. However, this is expected to drop by 2014 to 1.87. At such a low rate, we are no longer even reproducing ourselves. By contrast, in 1800 the average birthrate for the American family was 6.0. However, America is doing seemingly better than most countries, Taiwan has a birth rate of 1.1, and I have been told that South Korea has a birthrate of .9.

So how did this happen? Ever since the flood the population has been growing (and still is, as people now live longer) what is causing this to happen? Why is no one having children? What has happened in a country where we are richer than anyone before us, have better houses, and, (we think) the best ever technology?

It is an interesting trend in our culture that we are having fewer children. However, culture is religion externalized; therefore, it must be something about the American religion and the world religion in general that is causing this.

Let us look at our religion shall we?

Education is valued highly, and our experts are our oracles. Life is worthless, and comfort is more important than anything else in life. We value things more than relationships, and our view of progress is miniaturization. As Rudyard Kipling said, we have a deep and unacknowledged boredom, everything has to be fast, or else we want none of it.

If this is our religion, is it any wonder that no one wants more children? A child costs money, money that could be spent on ourselves. A child costs time, time that could be spent on ourselves. A child is a life, yet we think little of life, as we are so desensitized to killing and blood by our televisions, games, and films. A child, in Adam Smith’s time was an asset, now, since they no longer work, and are spoiled to the hilt, they are liabilities which we must have tax breaks for.

Western culture is frightened of overpopulation. –Utter nonsense! It is not overpopulation that causes famines, it is worldview. In Communist China, in 1967, 97% farming industry was put under government control. The 3% that was left in private hands produced a third of the food output.1

Perhaps the largest problem in the birthrate conundrum is the childhood of American boys. According to the book The Second Mayflower, Kevin Swanson, a radio broadcaster and pastor, states that 70% of young men are not grown up by thirty years of age. If they are not grown up by then they will not have gotten married, thus, they are not having children.

The problem with America will not be solved by education, it will not be solved by an economic upturn, it will not be solved by a compensation plan for those that have children, it will not be solved by another stimulus package, and there is only one way to fix this problem.

The fear of God.

The fear of God which says we must obey God’s word, which says children are a blessing, which says men must grow up, which says he who finds a wife finds a good thing. That is how you fix a family that is how you fix a church that is how you fix a nation that is how you fix Western Civilization.

Through His Strength We Will Conquer,

Andrew C. Abbott

(1 Inclined to Liberty.)