Population growth

Sounds better then the argument I heard
from the Pulpit of my church back in
the late 1970s:

We should not use birth control so we can
have lots of Kids so American can
have lots of soldiers, be strong, and
win lots of wars.

 

Do we have to have an excuse not to have children? Oh wait, that's another thread altogether!

I agree that population overgrowth should probably not be a primary concern in the decision not to have more children for us in the USA.

In other countries where the political and economic situations are so extremely unstable population overgrowth should be considered in ones personal decision.

Government should never be allowed to make these decisions. The abuses in China should give ample warning of that.

 

A couple of weeks ago I commented on women having less children. Let me go see if I can find what I wrote and see if it's suitable for this board...

Hrm, I'll take out a few phrases and then explain. (I was explaining a story but the ideas in it really fit this topic!)

Now a further explanation.

I feel this relates, because whether it's by abortion or by birth control, women have bought into the idea that taking control of these matters is good and proper, and it started based on the concept that we needed to do something to balance out the supposed "unequality" between women and men. What better way to show power over man than by taking control over the power of his seed?

I am continually suprised when I think about men buying into this, but I believe that in part, it was because some turned it around and realized they could control women with the new options. Don't want to support a family? Tell her to get an abortion. Unable to trust God for your needs? Use birth control.

Now, these are just some thoughts, seriously. I don't know what point I go to in believing them. I am glad I used birth control, or I'd have had a kid every 9 months and Lord knows I couldn't handle the ones I had on my own! But...was that distrust of God being able to take care of my needs? I don't know. Maybe it was, and maybe it was wrong. I try not to think about it because I know whatever it was, it's over now.

 

Unless I missed it, there is no date for this wager. However, sometimes these things are affected in ways that don't seem obvious. For example, which is more valuable: gold or silver? Well, if you said gold, you are correct. For the moment. However, silver is actually used for many things other than decorations, and it is becoming somewhat short in supply, and the predictions are that it will become more valuable because of its usefulness.

Aluminum, on the other hand, used the be the most precious metal around. (That's why the Washington monument is capped with it.) It's not found in it's metal form in nature. Once they figured an easy way to convert it, the cost dropped drastically.

The cost of lead is increasing drastically, for various reasons, even though there's not a shortage of it.

Phone service is dirt cheap compared to the early 70's.

Comparing costs of items is not necessarily indicative. Also, predictions of change are more soothsaying than predicting.

In the recent past, when the world population was merely a billion or so, it was predicted that the world could not support more than 3 billion people. However, although the population growth was a constant (fairly constant, at least), the exponential growth of man's knowledge permitted us to increase production drastically.

When does that exponential growth of production ability end?

Our world has seen many "predictions" that are based on variables. Congress made an official declaration that man would never achieve powered flight. (They made this declaration three days after it was achieved.)

Look at stocks and mutual funds. You can look at a mutual fund with a 15 year track record and you can be fairly assured that it's going to continue that way. You can also take penny stocks, and you just might hit it rich.

I've seen UN predictions and UN programs, and I give them almost zero credibility. However, I can look at the past and the predictions science made about population and how those predictions have come true, with a track record of many, many years. This is a track record that is not based on "what if" theory.

But, beyond that, "what if" population growth dropped to .5%? It would simply take longer.

At the current rate, by 2075, the world will have much more than 9 billion people, BTW. It would be about 25 billion.

All of this is assuming that better medical care does not inrease longevity. (This has been one contributing factor to our population explosion in the recent past.)

It's important to remebmer that about 11% of all people who have ever lived are alive right now, at this very moment. When that keeps doubling every few years...

 

"Overpopulation" is a propaganda myth propagated by those who worship the creature more than the Creator. Sadly too many of God's people have swallowed the myth. Here are two sources of many:

http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Population/Hunger/FoodFirst/Control.asp
http://www.prb.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PRB/Educators/Human_Population/Population_Growth/Population_Growth.htm

This article claims that even the New York Times declared the population explosion over back in 1997.

Don't you think God knows how many people His creation can take and is able to control the population?

 

Many natural resources are not commodotized and traded. Air quality, water quality, diversity of animal and plant life, etc.

As for overpopulation being the rationale behind birth control, I don't think it plays a factor in north america. Concern about finances usually play a greater role.

Overpopulation was definitely a factor in China's one child policy which can account for a significant portion of the global birth rate decrease since the 50s.

 

This is a very interesting sendoff thread from birth control. The reason the fertility rates have declined in the West is BECAUSE of birth control. Likewise, as more modern technology and education enter into third world countries, their population growth will decline as well.

BTW, I agree that the standard of living has increased everywhere and am optimistic that trend can continue.

 

Well, I would agree with that, as I don't think that 1.5% can be called an explosion. At 1.5% growth, it takes 47 years to double the population. At 3.5% growth, it takes 20 years. If I'm not mistaken, earlier in the century it was at 3.7%. Now, that, is an explosion.

 

No, but it is increasing, and doing so steadily. Regardless of that topic, the fact is that scripure does not forbid, nor reqire, birth control. It's something each couple is permitted to decide for themselves.

There is no scriptural mandate that requires couples to have children. There is no scriptural mandate that tells them how many children to have. There is no scriptural mandate that tells couples when to have children (well, except after marriage, of course).

 

It's rather selfrighteous for you to make that statement, and quite honestly, I'm surprised that you made it. It's not in your normally demonstrated character.

 

Oh no, this thing is GROWING!!!! Run for your lives!!!

 

Enough said!

 

Absolutely! That's why he gave us the knowledge and ability to prevent pregnancy.

 

I have always taken this post-flood promise as a statement that the world would continue on its natural course until the Lord brings His judgment against it.

 

And those who take insulin haven't the slightest idea of what God's plans are for them either. For that matter, do you have any idea what God's plans are for you tomorrow? No? How did you decide that you are going to work, or clean the house, or fix a meal? Oh, did you look around you at the facts that God puts in front of you to make such decisions?

Shouldn't you just trust God to plop food on your table? Perhaps you should just trust him to fill your bank account, so you don't have to trust him to plop food on your table!