Why? The only biblical justification for this is the commandment to multiply and fill the earth, which we’ve done. I know it’s a moot point, because most people want to have children anyway.

I disagree. We’ve spread across the globe. Unless you think we need to establish cities in Antarctica or under the ocean, there isn’t anywhere left to go. We’ve already filled the earth. All we’re doing now is making it more crowded. Or do you think we need a certain population density in every habitable continent and island before God signs off and says we’re finished?

That seems reasonable enough. However, for that to happen, not everyone needs to have children. What is the proper role for women who don’t have children?

It is hard to know what God really had in mind when he said to multiply and fill the earth. Somehow I doubt it was an absolute figure :eyeroll:

Sadie, great article. I checked out the links at the end. It seems if Proverbs 31 were written today “blogging words of encouragement” might be on the list!

I have many thoughts on this topic; I guess I’ll start with the topic of having children. I don’t think a couple is necessarily sinning if they choose not to have children; one would have to look at their motives. For instance, I wouldn’t criticize them for not having children if their motives were something like “we think the world is too full already, so we’ll adopt a pile of kids instead” or their may be health issues to consider, including passing on genetic problems, so they adopt a pile of kids instead.

On the other hand, I would not look so favorably at couples who don’t have children because they “couldn’t afford it” or they are “too busy.” I pretty much see those as selfish reasons.

I stress the adoption thing because I have observed, as Jew pointed out, that most people do want to have children, but I think the point is loving and nurturing children, not necessarily adding to the population. I don’t know if it is biology or psychology, but the drive to reproduce is indeed a strong one (just look at the animal world), but for humans, I think that drive can be satisfied with adopting kids just as well as having one’s own.

I think we need to talk about how unmarried women fit into the picture, because the picture is a bit different for them. But I’ve said enough for the moment.

BTW, where is Arenel?–she could contribute to this blog.

“As women, we are created to be life-bearers. Our bodies have
been designed with the ability to mother—to receive, carry, and bear
young. In fact, our bodies prepare themselves repeatedly to conceive
and bear young. We express our femininity by gratefully embracing
every stage of child-bearing, receiving and nurturing each child as a gracious gift from God.

In no way does this exclude single women. As Elisabeth Elliot
reminds us, a single woman may mother many children: “She can having children! She may be a spiritual mother, as was Amy Carmichael, by
the offering of her singleness, transformed for the good of far morechildren than a natural mother may produce. All is received and made holy by the One to whom it is offered.” Single and childless married women alike can express their femininity by nurturing other people’s children. When you baby-sit, you are giving expression to your femininity. When you take an interest and reach out to other people’s children, you are displaying your Godgiven femininity. When you tutor children or sponsor a needy child internationally or volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center or build relationships
with your nieces or nephews, you are bearing fruit in this
area. I give thanks to God for all the single women in my life and forthe countless times they have cared for my children, loving them as though they were their very own. We mothers want to say thank you
for their doing that, for their blessing us in that way. It means so much to us, and we are grateful to them. But they are doing more than blessing us; they are honoring God by selflessly investing in the young lives around them.”

I have a lot of sympathy for women, young and older, who are not married but wish they were. Yes, convents solve the problem for a few not named Maria (anybody like musicals?), but for many there is a struggle to fit in. They are encouraged to get educated and get a job, and then, when they do, many wish they were home with kids anyway.

Sometimes I wonder how much the feminist movement has subtly affected the expectations for Christian women. Sure, they reject radical feminism, but meeting a Christian prince charming, getting married, having kids, and living happily ever after just doesn’t seem to happen to a lot of women these days. Is that because God’s plan has changed? Is it because society’s expectations have changed? Is it because of financial pressures? Is it because men have been changed by the feminist movement? The ever-increasing average age of marriage indicates something is going on.

I don’t know, I see it happening quite a bit. But people have changed. I browsed through BustedHalo.com (I noticed it on a Google ad, I think) and notice an article about the changes in what men and women are looking for in a spouse. Compared to 60 years ago, both men and women are much more interested in a nebulous and ill-defined thing called love, and far less concerned with dependability and emotional stability.

Additionally, yes, the feminist movement has affected both men and women’s views of gender roles. Without going overboard in my explanation (I can talk for hours on the subject, just ask my husband), I think that both men and women need to carefully study God’s plan for their lives and work towards those expectations in a counter-revolution to what society expects. Men need to be leaders in the home/family and women need to be helpers in the home/family. These biblical characterisitcs are often not present in either christian men or women, which I think effects the ability to find a mate and then to stay married. Our society does little to equip men and women for a healthy marriage. The question then becomes, why has the church been so effected by cultural feminism?

Ah, TV and movies come to bite us in the rear.