Here are two global issues that I often think about: overpopulation and poverty. Jonathan Swift wrote a famous piece that I think applies to these issues today. In his darkly sardonic “A Modest Proposal,” he asserts that the extreme hunger caused by the Irish potato famine can be alleviated by a simple solution. Eating babies. It’s really common sense—there is not enough food for the already hungry population of Irish, so eating their babies eliminates the problem of added mouths to feed as well as providing a nutritious meal to the existing population.
Now, if anything, our contemporary situation is far worse to the Irish famine. With half of the globe living under two dollars a day (World Bank statistic), poverty and hunger are both dire and immediate problems. A projected global population upwards of 7.9 billion people by 2050 (UN statistic) can only exacerbate the hunger problem. Let’s face it, while Swift’s proposal may have helped the Irish, it is not sufficient to improve our situation—besides the fact that it is neither desirable nor pragmatic to eat babies (waiting nine months for 8 pounds of food is foolish).
Granted, the problems of global overpopulation and poverty are multifaceted. Family planning, education, prophylactics, and sustainable economics should all be utilized to address the situation. However, I would like to propose another arm in the fight against our crises. Christians should not bear children. I think there are numerous reasons why this is the most ethical response to our global situation. 1) The globe is already crowded enough, and is becoming more so as developing countries struggle with overpopulation. 2) Having children is expensive, and the money spent on maternal healthcare, child health, and the various economic consequences of children can be better spent in the fight against economic and health disparity. If Christians want children, adoption rather than childbearing is a viable option that does not contribute to global overpopulation and can ease the situation of a child born into poverty.
1 comment:
I really enjoyed reading this Dave.
We need more people like you who do not think it is the culmination of life to have children and raise a family. However, this worldview will not change in the Christian community as long as we as a church "Focus on the Family." What has caused our obsession in the church with "The Family?" What is your solution to alter that worldview in the everyday Christian?
I do not totally agree that it is for all Christians, but I think there are plenty out there who don't really have the desire to be parents, but feel obligated to have by our culture and by the church. I do think that adoption should also be a more viable option for those that desire children.
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