[On Europe's rapid population decline]
There are countless issues connected to these questions, but in the end, this represents a spiritual problem. Some try to explain the drop in birthrates by pointing to economic factors and the high cost of living. Economic factors play a part, no doubt, but families found ways to sustain themselves with children through far harder times than these.
This pattern seems to reflect, at least in part, a sense of cultural and spiritual exhaustion. Has Europe grown weary as a civilization. It would seem hard to deny that this must be linked to the rapid secularization of Europe.
At the very least, some in Europe now see babies and children as a hobby rather than a national priority. That path leads to a most depressing conclusion. As Carl Haub so eloquently explains, "You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home."
30 comments
Yeah, guess what, we are thinking about the future: overpopulation, less jobs, .... We don't want our children to be the losers.
Albert is, however right insofar that it reflects some kind of cltural change.
"As Carl Haub so eloquently explains, "You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home." "
This is why we legalized euthanasia, silly!
/first row ticket
Intelligent educated people don't breed until the womans' uterus falls out anymore. Birth control has allowed both men and women the opportunity to live, not just pop out babies.
Intelligent is something that missed you. Europe is CONTINENT, not country, you nit.
"It would seem hard to deny that this must be linked to the rapid secularization of Europe."
The number of Tyrannosaurus attacks has, in recent years dropped to nearly (if not actually) zero. It would seem hard to deny that this must be linked to the rapid secularization of Europe.
Non sequitur, anyone?
Did you notice that even 50 years ago people didn't live as long as we do now? did you take into account the high rate of child - death? Did you also notice that less families live on self sustained farms (and therefore need more children as work force *bbbrrr*)?
So, with people living longer and less people are needed for work? Doesn't it make sense to have less children?
Now, what's going on in countries where people have lots of children? Yes, that's right famine, civil (often religiously motivated) war, poverty and illness!
Declining birth rates and death rates are a sign of a successful industrial economy, not a faltering one. When people are hurling out infants by the dozen, it is indicative of a climate where a large amount of children are necessary (due to high death rates, and thus little chances for children to be able to carry on the family line). When people are more conservative and deliberate in the number of children they bear, it is indicative of a climate where panic is not the issue, and they are willing to invest as much effort as possible in children who almost guaranteed to survive.
An interesting attempt to suggest that Europe is a dying continent, suffering from collective depression caused by secularism (obviously...what else could it be!). However, you clearly do not understand that turning a womb into a clown car is not indicative of a joyous country.
Al doesn't realize that one of the main reasons for a high birth rate was because of the high infant mortality rate and the need for children who will grow up and take care of their parents in their declining years ( because of the lack of social security, pensions, etc.) Sadly, this is still the norm in 3rd world countries.
Where high infant mortality is not the norm and where there is basic security for the older folk, the birth rate declines as people move towards achieving a better quality of life for themselves and their children.
Living space, better, healthier and more vigorous lifestyles also have the added benefit of preventing conflicts and genocidal wars. People have a better than average chance of enjoying life and thinking rationally instead of merely surviving at any cost.
Why this idiot would advocate going back to the dark ages is beyond me.
Europe - a land where people are rapidly tearing off the shackles of Christianity and embracing atheism, or at least religions other than Christianity that aren't as constraining, such as Wicca. Because of an almost total lack of fundies being outspoken about issues like homosexuality, abortion, and sex ed, gays are almost totally free and open with their sexuality.
This is the way I see it - Africa is what many people would agree is a bad place. There's poverty and AIDS and lots of people with too many children. Why? The people are far too poor to buy condoms and other contraceptives. Look at places with low birthrates. These are almost always nations with high average IQs and are almost entirely secularized. Smaller birthrate can be an indicator of prosperity and a more intelligent population.
Also, the point of euthanasia and abortion and using contraceptives is to slow down population growth so we don't use up all our resources.
EDIT:
werewolf - it's because then people would be dependent on his ghastly death god and zombie saviour.
You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home
Yeah, uh... that's where immigration comes in.
"You can't have a country where everybody lives in a nursing home."
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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