A reader writes:
This is a thought-provoking, excellent article from Philip Longman, a liberal atheist featured in the documentary “Demographic Winter” about the decline of global fertility, and author of the book “The Empty Cradle” about the same phenomenon, both of which are worth taking a look at.
Here Longman presents the thesis that the future may belong to the most religious people due to the fact that fertility rates are highest among the most religious and not many of their children leave the faith they were raised in.
The book by Eric Kaufman mentioned in the article coming out in the U.S.A. this spring merits reading I think too!
Babies are the most beautiful thing in the world. - G.K. Chesterton (who also observed, “Now it was the inmost lie of the Manichees that they identified purity with sterility. It is singularly contrasted with the language of St. Thomas, which always connects purity with fruitfulness; whether it be natural or supernatural.”)
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Excellent piece - Eric Kaufman (mentioned in the article) has written some excellent articles for Prospect Magazine. Example attached - http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2006/11/breedingforgod/
Alcohol,abuse of:381,401
United States Catholic Catechism for adults
1 TIMOTHY 6:1-10
The New American Bible
Satanism:344
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
This article is interesting, and it has some interesting implications; here are my thoughts.
1. Why is it that more conservative/strict religions tend to hold on to the majority of people born into them?
2. This really bolsters the arguments of those who believe that the Church should be more rigorous in terms of enforcing correct belief and practice. While the Church might loose some in the short term, in the long term, it might well be a big net plus.
“Filed under babies are good”.......priceless :-)
Christopher Teesdale: Would you please enlighten those of us who are puzzling over your posts? What do your allusions to alcohol abuse and Satanism mean in the context of the current discussion?
Billy:
He’s been doing that repeatedly and never answers. His email is a dead end too. So I just asked the Powers that Be to ban him.
Combox troll spamming is not Darwinian.
@MarylandBill:
1. Why do stricter faiths have more staying power? Part of the answer: A lax church tells you you’re fine as you are, and needn’t strive for more. But if you’re fine as you are, that lax church has nothing to teach you. And if that church has nothing to teach you, why not sleep in on Sunday?
2. Yes, rigor is a winner in the long run. Not just in some long-run demographic contest, but of course more importantly because, as Keynes said, in the long run we’re all dead. And at death, we must strive to enter through the narrow gate.
Even Richard Dawkins concedes that humans might have a “god-shaped” hole in the brain that needs to be filled.
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I wonder how IVF fits into the demographics of the future.
When couples finally decide to quit the carcinogen (birth control pills) for at least a short time to “start a family”, sometimes they turn to IVF, and have multiples with one pregnancy. With shows like Too Many Babies, Kate Plus Eight and Quints by Surprise, and with “Octomom,” and others who aren’t on TV but have multiples through IVF, are birth rates really bigger among the religious?
This is obvious. I’m not sure why a ‘liberal atheist’ has to pronounce or even bless this statement. As for Dawkins, he probably contends that the random natural selection of evolution wired us for a religious ‘delusion’. However he claims we can overcome it as we no longer need it. I’m not sure why he is also an authority on religion, sociology and psychology. He should stick to splicing DNA and looking for common sequences among the species.
IVF, yes perhaps some godless people will decide to use IVF and have 8 children each, but I doubt they will want 8 children, most will have 1 or 2, and abort or give away for adoption the rest. Children are seen as too great a financial and emotional burden by many. The actual process of procreation is not the problem. It’s more likely that a religious person will not abort the 8 and rather keep or give them away. Those children are then more likely to be raised in the more healthy atmosphere of religious and moral instruction.
Sin duda que desee para entregar un concepto rápida de darle las gracias por los consejos y sugerencias bonito que está publicando en www.ncregister.com. Mi tiempo en Internet aparecen hasta ahora ha sido recompensado con estrategias útiles para el intercambio con mi familia y amigos. Me dicen que estamos hecho los lectores son realmente la bendición de vivir en una comunidad muy útil con algunas personas grandes con puntos profundos. Realmente me siento muy agradecido de conseguir descubrir la página web y aparecen por delante de un montón de otros momentos divertidos de leer aquí. Gracias mucho de nuevo por una buena cantidad de cosas.
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