Its just one more sign of the times. James 3:16 sums it up quite nicely: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."
Of course, there have been other periods of gross licentious in history - we read about the Greeks, the Babylonians, the Romans, not to mention the Israelites and the people of Judah in the Old Testament, even some of the European courts and right up to how some people acted in recent centuries (think Lord Byron, the Hellfire Club, etc) - but I think the difference is that in those days, they could not prevent pregnancy or diseases. They may have well wanted to live childlessly, but had no reliable means to prevent it. Of course, you then saw what you do see today as well when folks who want to be selfish and self centered have children - child abuse, child abandonment, child neglect.
And these same selfish, self centered people are the same ones who wish to ignore their elders as well, to stuff their parents and grandparents in nursing homes and forget about them because it would cramp their lifestyle to care for them - it won't stop with just not having children. They don't want to have to care for anyone but themselves, and you'll notice that the same people who demand abortion for nay reason at any point in pregnancy will also be the people starting the conversation about euthanasia - it will start with talks about voluntary, but never stops there.
Society cannot continue like this - and it won't. History well proves that. It will all collapse soon enough, and indeed it already is in other countries. These selfish young folks are only thinking about today, not about tomorrow and what will happen when they are 70, 80, or even 90 years old and looking back at their lives and the fact that they are alone, with no one to care about them.
And then there are the selfish ones who do have children, and make themselves miserable. There are forums full of parents of estranged children who lament that their children cut them off for no reason, only to betray themselves that their children cut them off because they refuse to listen anything the child says.
I couldn't imagine it any other way. We take pains and make sacrifices for our children. It hurts at times, but what would you do? Can you honestly say that having a better car is worth one child? My soul literally hurts at that kind of thought.
God has blessed us with our sixth child just last week. We're dirt poor because of it, on paper, but have wealth because we own our things outright, and have much love and laughter in the house. Unlike most Americans, we are forced to plan, and we could survive a good bit of financial pain if it came down to it. We wouldn't have it any other way.
At 75, I am single father of a 13 yo daughter, which is wonderful, but also have sons in their early 50s, as well as grown grandchildren. The best part of it all is that most of my friends, who have kids my daughter's age and younger, are just now approaching 40.
Two couples, each with 5 or 6 children, said to me **independently** that their associates who CHOOSE not to have children have done so because "They remain, and wish to remain, children themselves. They're happy being NPCs [= non-player character] in the game of life, and they've actually convinced themselves that THEY are the more grown-up ones." [paraphrase]
My heart goes out to involuntarily childless couples. It seems, however, from my training as a large-animal veterinary nurse, as well as decades raising cattle and hogs, that, consistently, for whatever reason(s), roughly one-sixth of large female mammals, including humans, cannot produce young. Off to Burger King or Sausage City.
Yet for humans, it's not a deal-breaker. Amongst believers in particular, the non-fertile couples I know, including a cousin, full-time missionary to unreached groups in Kenya, have built wonderful families via adoption, and continue to do so.
Adoption does not continue the genetic line of those in the past, but it does continue their family, allow for passing down ideas, heirlooms, and other things we might have received from those who came before.
Honestly, genetics don't really matter. FAMILY does. When my daughter was adopted, my sons [genetic, out of my wife of 23 years] rejoiced that they always wanted a sister, but had not expected to wait so long. Instant grafting into the family, and as she has matured she has dived into the heritage, history, connection, and culture of our family ... yet fully enjoys her own biological heritage as one-quarter Cherokee.
Aug 7·edited Aug 7Liked by L. Jagi Lamplighter Wright
"I guess we raised selfish children." What I don't understand is that for me, the choice to have children wasn't selfless at all. I wanted them. I wanted them more than anything else I could think of in life. Don't misunderstand, I'm not particularly generous or nurturing or selfless or anything like that, quite the opposite. I'm no Earth Mother type. I just didn't want to miss anything. Today, people would call it FOMO. It seemed to me that having kids, becoming a mother, was the richest, most profoundly human experience available to me, and I was selfish enough not to want to miss out. Especially not in exchange for a first class airline seat!
We had three, and as it turned out, all three felt the same way their parents had, and we now have five grandkids and counting. Even though my "nest" has been empty for decades, they are all still making my life so much richer and deeper and just plain fun than it could possibly have been without them. And yes, financially, things were pinched tight for quite a while. But now, if I really wanted to, I could fly first class. But I'd be flying to go visit them!
Very beautiful and encouraging! Thank you. Perhaps you knowing history would know. Or maybe Mr. Wright, given his legal background. Where in the Constitution does it say there is a right to abortion? The public saying now is that abortion is a constitutional right.
Its just one more sign of the times. James 3:16 sums it up quite nicely: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."
Of course, there have been other periods of gross licentious in history - we read about the Greeks, the Babylonians, the Romans, not to mention the Israelites and the people of Judah in the Old Testament, even some of the European courts and right up to how some people acted in recent centuries (think Lord Byron, the Hellfire Club, etc) - but I think the difference is that in those days, they could not prevent pregnancy or diseases. They may have well wanted to live childlessly, but had no reliable means to prevent it. Of course, you then saw what you do see today as well when folks who want to be selfish and self centered have children - child abuse, child abandonment, child neglect.
And these same selfish, self centered people are the same ones who wish to ignore their elders as well, to stuff their parents and grandparents in nursing homes and forget about them because it would cramp their lifestyle to care for them - it won't stop with just not having children. They don't want to have to care for anyone but themselves, and you'll notice that the same people who demand abortion for nay reason at any point in pregnancy will also be the people starting the conversation about euthanasia - it will start with talks about voluntary, but never stops there.
Society cannot continue like this - and it won't. History well proves that. It will all collapse soon enough, and indeed it already is in other countries. These selfish young folks are only thinking about today, not about tomorrow and what will happen when they are 70, 80, or even 90 years old and looking back at their lives and the fact that they are alone, with no one to care about them.
All true.
And it is true that remaining selfish and having children is not a good option.
We need to stop idolizing immaturity and grow up. :-)
Absolutely agree! :)
And then there are the selfish ones who do have children, and make themselves miserable. There are forums full of parents of estranged children who lament that their children cut them off for no reason, only to betray themselves that their children cut them off because they refuse to listen anything the child says.
It is true that having children doesn't cure selfishness.
I couldn't imagine it any other way. We take pains and make sacrifices for our children. It hurts at times, but what would you do? Can you honestly say that having a better car is worth one child? My soul literally hurts at that kind of thought.
God has blessed us with our sixth child just last week. We're dirt poor because of it, on paper, but have wealth because we own our things outright, and have much love and laughter in the house. Unlike most Americans, we are forced to plan, and we could survive a good bit of financial pain if it came down to it. We wouldn't have it any other way.
You are rich iin all ways that matter!
May God bless your finances with abundance as well.
It especially stings when you wanted kids and couldn't.
Saw this once in a bookstore and felt pity. I mean it doesn't even make sense. From the atheist perspective breeding is the most important thing.
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding: A Memoir https://a.co/d/eLPWvzL
It really is.
And agreed.
At 75, I am single father of a 13 yo daughter, which is wonderful, but also have sons in their early 50s, as well as grown grandchildren. The best part of it all is that most of my friends, who have kids my daughter's age and younger, are just now approaching 40.
Two couples, each with 5 or 6 children, said to me **independently** that their associates who CHOOSE not to have children have done so because "They remain, and wish to remain, children themselves. They're happy being NPCs [= non-player character] in the game of life, and they've actually convinced themselves that THEY are the more grown-up ones." [paraphrase]
My heart goes out to involuntarily childless couples. It seems, however, from my training as a large-animal veterinary nurse, as well as decades raising cattle and hogs, that, consistently, for whatever reason(s), roughly one-sixth of large female mammals, including humans, cannot produce young. Off to Burger King or Sausage City.
Yet for humans, it's not a deal-breaker. Amongst believers in particular, the non-fertile couples I know, including a cousin, full-time missionary to unreached groups in Kenya, have built wonderful families via adoption, and continue to do so.
I think you are spot on with the issue being wanting to remain a child themselves.
Absolutely.
Adoption does not continue the genetic line of those in the past, but it does continue their family, allow for passing down ideas, heirlooms, and other things we might have received from those who came before.
Honestly, genetics don't really matter. FAMILY does. When my daughter was adopted, my sons [genetic, out of my wife of 23 years] rejoiced that they always wanted a sister, but had not expected to wait so long. Instant grafting into the family, and as she has matured she has dived into the heritage, history, connection, and culture of our family ... yet fully enjoys her own biological heritage as one-quarter Cherokee.
All as God planned for his people.
Genetics doesn't matter to us...but it did matter yo our ancestors. :-)
But yeah.
"I guess we raised selfish children." What I don't understand is that for me, the choice to have children wasn't selfless at all. I wanted them. I wanted them more than anything else I could think of in life. Don't misunderstand, I'm not particularly generous or nurturing or selfless or anything like that, quite the opposite. I'm no Earth Mother type. I just didn't want to miss anything. Today, people would call it FOMO. It seemed to me that having kids, becoming a mother, was the richest, most profoundly human experience available to me, and I was selfish enough not to want to miss out. Especially not in exchange for a first class airline seat!
We had three, and as it turned out, all three felt the same way their parents had, and we now have five grandkids and counting. Even though my "nest" has been empty for decades, they are all still making my life so much richer and deeper and just plain fun than it could possibly have been without them. And yes, financially, things were pinched tight for quite a while. But now, if I really wanted to, I could fly first class. But I'd be flying to go visit them!
To those of us who want children, the whole thing is strange and mysterious.
Very beautiful and encouraging! Thank you. Perhaps you knowing history would know. Or maybe Mr. Wright, given his legal background. Where in the Constitution does it say there is a right to abortion? The public saying now is that abortion is a constitutional right.
It does not.
There is no such thing.
In fact, theoretically, the 14th amendment would protect even the unborn.