What do you think of this quote by Dr Albert Mohler:
Mohler spoke controversially in June, 2004 about married adults who choose not to have children.
The Scripture does not even envision married couples who choose not to have children. The shocking reality is that some Christians have bought into this lifestyle and claim childlessness as a legitimate option. The rise of modern contraceptives has made this technologically possible. But the fact remains that though childlessness may be made possible by the contraceptive revolution, it remains a form of rebellion against God's design and order.
I have to agree with him. I cant think of one Biblical example where a married couple deliberately chose not to have children.
Childlessness is rebellion against God
Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Ps104_33, Mar 15, 2007.
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So is it okay for a married couple to pop out one child and then choose not to have any more?
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I think what a Christian couple decides to do within their marriage is between them and God. Just because there isn't a Biblical example of a couple who chose to be childless doesn't argue for it being rebellion against God. That's an argument from absence of evidence, which isn't a Biblical or scriptural argument. To draw a conclusion about this issue related to the Christian faith, there would have to be direct principles or teachings from the New Testament. There aren't any.
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I agree with his sentiments.
"As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." - Psalm 127:4-5
If individuals with full quivers shall not be ashamed, then I would suspect that the converse would be true as well. -
From this text we know for a fact that:
1) a man with many children is happy
2) a man who doesn't have many children is ashamed (disappointed).
What the text does NOT say:
1) the man with no children, or few is not happy
2) a man with many children is not ashamed (disappointed) -
preachinjesus Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
To echo Jack Matthews, just because something isn't in the Bible doesn't mean it is automatically prohibited. My wife and I are waiting, probably 5 to 7 years, before we have kids so we can get squared up and ready for them.
Nothing wrong with waiting. Also, as soon as the second comes rolling around we won't plan on having anymore and take steps to ensure that.
Children are a gift from God...so is waiting to have them imho. -
I dont know about all of this. We have 1 child, and will not have anymore. Too old at this point anyway. After we had the first we discovered that both my wife and I have genetic diseases, and we chose not to take the chance on passing them along. We would have like to have had more children, but the prospects of sentencing a child to a life time of pain seems too selfish on our part, so we opted out.
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I have one child currently, and am as happy as could be. We are planning on having another one, but two will probably be it (unless God has different plans :) )
When I "go to the gate" (work), I'm as proud as can be of my little man! I think in context, that verse probably has to be looked at in the background of that day and age, something that I would hope an Al Mohler would do. -
I think children are a wonderful blessing from God. I would guess that most Christian couples would want to have children. However I don't see scripturally were we can say that if they choose not to, they are in error of the word of God. Someone definitely should not be dogmatic about that point of view
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I agree with him. God DID say "Be fruitful and multiply" - we are to have children. I see no where in Scripture where children are optional - God is pretty clear that they are expected. Children are always shown as a blessing and the time that someone DID choose to not have a child, God did not look favorably on him (so you can't say that there was no example in Scripture - the sin of Onan was definately one of them). Now, I really think that if someone, for whatever medical reason, cannot have children or chooses not to due to genetic anomalies, I'd say to move on and adopt. I was adopted and it is a wonderful blessing and a way to have children. But I think that, as Christians, we are to have children. There is certainly no argument from absence of evidence - because God is very clear about what we are to do and HIS feelings towards children. I cannot imagine life without my 4 kids - nor my 2 losses. They each have taught me things about my heavenly Father that I would not have learned otherwise. I thank God for them daily.
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In this case the couple has obeyed the command to be fruitful and multiply (1x1=1 and that is multiplication :smilewinkgrin: ). So is it okay for them to opt for not having anymore? -
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I agree, married people should have children. It's the modern woman thing, "want my own space, be my own person, find my identity, have a career" that causes many to chose not to have children. Want to know who you are, where you belong in the world, have an identity, after being a christian, your next identity is wife and mother. Everything, absoutly everything, comes after God, husband and children.
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SBCPreacher Active MemberSite Supporter
So how many do you have to have to be right? Two? Four? Ten?
If one is not enough, then can you have too many?
Just wondering. -
I think the biggest issue is something that Doug Phillips said - "The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing, but our culture applies for curses and rejects blessings" Are we willing to accept the blessings that God gives us -whether it's one or 6? I think that's the biggest issue. Have we lost our reliance on God and are now relying on ourselves and thus saying "we can't" anymore? -
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"And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth." - Genesis 1:22
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." - Genesis 1:28
"And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them," - Genesis 6:1
"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." - Genesis 9:1
In the below quote, definition 1 is the Biblical definition, definition 2 is the arithmetical definition.
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Can someone tell me how the earth needs filling today? "Be fruitful and multiply" is taken out of context, IMO to support having children.
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How is it taken out of context??
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