not having children at all

I'm all for it, and thought for a number of years when I was younger that I didn't want to have children.
Gina

 

Parenting is a HUGE responsibility, and no one should be forced to take on that responsibility if they don't desire it in their hearts.

 

I can give a practical reason why you might not want to have children, The Flu

Tuesday night My wife and I were both Sick, like can hardly get out of bed sick, and my 3 year old threw up in her bed.

an hour later, the laundry was running, a bath had been finished, carpet cleaning done, and I am amazed that two sick parents were still functioning. Just one of those days, luckily some very helpful friends had taken the baby, or it would have been really fun.

Seriously, There are tough times with kids, but I couldn't now imagine not having them, they are very precious to me.

 

On "Family Life Today", Bob Lepine once said that Christian couples who choose not to have children are selfish--because of the "Be fruitful and multiply" command in Genesis.

 

I believe that children should be a natural occurence in a marriage,it should be one of the main purposes.

I know many who agree with Bob Lepine on this issue.

 

Depends. I know a couple who are too poor right now to have children. They want children badly, but they don't have enough money to support them if they had them. I personally think that they are making a wise choice in that regard.

 

It could also be argued that many who have children are also having them for selfish reasons. One of the most irresponsible things you can do is have children that you cannot provide for.

 

The command in Genesis may benefit from being looked at in the context of that period, i.e. life span was much shorter and overpopulation seemed impossible. The earth wasn't even finite then.

 

Well you have heard of planned parenthood?... Since you don't want to have children make sure you get fixed... both of you should get spayed and neutered... Then you won't have any kids... Any other method just does not work!... Brother Glen

 

What I find strange is that people are so concerned about animals they would spay and neuter them if they can't afford puppies and kittens, but when it comes to themselves they won't spay and neuter themselves if they can't afford babies.
Kinda like the people who want to save the baby whales while the baby humans get slaughtered.
Amazing.
Gina

 

Should a couple keep having children until they are unable to have any more naturally, or is there a point they can stop? The man who ran against Senator Tim Hutchinson in the Arkansas Republican primary for US Senate, Jim Bob Duggar, now has 14 children with the oldest being 14 years old. There are 2 sets of twins.

I think they have enough money to be able to afford it, but most people couldn't. I realize this is the exception, not the rule, but those that think you should leave it entirely up to God, would this scare you away from marriage?

 

Not cute.

 

The command in Genesis may benefit from being looked at in the context of that period, i.e. life span was much shorter and overpopulation seemed impossible. The earth wasn't even finite then.</font>[/QUOTE]I don't know about the life span being shorter. How many 900 year olds do we have here?

A note on overpopulation: If everybody on the planet lived in Texas, you would have over 1,000 square feet for every person.

 

OK, average life span, removing all outliers.

Edit: Ignoring all of the practical difficulties, i.e. water, because "everything is bigger in TX", I don't think they'd all fit.

[ December 19, 2002, 06:57 PM: Message edited by: pragmatism ]

 

I had children, and after we decided we'd had enough, that's exactly what I did. I've made a concious decision not to have any more children. I've already been fruitful and have multiplied. Am I in sin, then??

 

If you don't want kids... you don't want kids!... My brother wife raised ten siblings her being the oldest... They decided they didn't want kids but she is the greatest aunt to all her siblings kids.

The problem I see is those that really want kids by some act of nature are unable to have them by natural means... They can always adopt if they so desire. Then there are others that just keep popping them out like a factory assembly line and could care less for the kids or abort a life before it is born in the world. I think people like that should be sterilized and the children they bring into the world are just another welfare commodity.

I have two handicapped children myself and have no sympathy for others that treat their children this way... God never promised us a rose garden without the thorns. To many times children are thrust into this world and the abandoned by those that brought them here. To young... to inexperienced... to selfish... and not grown up... No responsibility... Turn on the TV any day of the week and there they are. Unwed mothers looking for the babies father.

I maybe cold and callous but those are the facts and those that want children should by all means have them and those that don't should not. Those that want to keep doing there thing so to speak and be a baby factory should be spayed and neutered just like dogs and cats... Gender no exception!... Then I'm not afraid to say what should be said!... Brother Glen

[ December 19, 2002, 10:35 PM: Message edited by: tyndale1946 ]

 

I'm not sure about your first sentence, but your second one is very disturbing. We've become "de-sensitized" to human suffering and have decided to turn our compassion on for the "helpless" animals (whom we consume every single day).

A friend of mine has a bumper sticker that says "I love animals, they taste great!" and I've actually seem people yell at him for his stupidity.

Animal planet has a television show on the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). It's basically an animal version of COPS. These "cops" are shown going to the rescue of poor animals in the New York area, they have amazing powers as far as entering people's property and removing animals that they feel are being neglected. Too bad we don't use this money to help children that are being neglected and abused.

I couldn't quite believe this so I did the math; here's what I found if anyone is interested.
Area of Texas: 261,797 square miles
Feet in a mile: 5280
Square feet in a square mile: 27,878,400
Square feet in Texas: 7,298,481,484,800
World population (at 10:50CST 19 Dec, 2002):6,263,000,000

Square feet for every person if everyone in the world lived in Texas: 1,165.333!

That makes our world seem pretty big doesn't it?!

tw