I have never been one to shy away from controversial topics, and I found this one to hard to resist. I saw a video several months ago that got me thinking about how liberal the “West” has become in the last 40-50 years, and what it has now done to the demographics of the world. Now, I wanted to show the video, but I think that some of the images, music and verbage used, are a little too controversial to show. So, I decided to just give you the facts of the video, and my opinion, and we’ll go from there.
(Statistics are of 2007)
Statistically, in order for a culture to maintain itself for more than 25 years, there must be a required fertility rate of 2.11 children per family. Historically, no culture has ever reversed a 1.9 fertility rate. A 1.3 fertility rate is impossible to reverse because it would take 80-100 years to correct itself, and there is no economic model that can sustain a culture during that time. Why? If every couple has less than 2 children, when there are 1 million people working in 2006, it would be impossible for 2 million to enter the workforce in 2026.
As the population shrinks, so does the culture…
As of 2007, the fertility rates of natural citizens:
France 1.8
England 1.6
Greece 1.3
Germany 1.3
Italy 1.2
Spain 1.1
European Union (31 nations): 1.38
(Remember the fertility rate that is impossible to reverse from above?)
But the population in Europe is not declining…Why?
Immigration.
90% of population growth in Europe since 1990 has been from Islamic countries.
France:
Fertility rate of Islamic families: 8.1
In southern France, there are now more mosques than churches
30% of children age 20 and younger are Muslim
In larger cites, that number is 45%
In 2027, 1 in 5 Frenchmen will be Muslim
Great Britian
In the last 30 years Muslim population has grown from 82,000 to 2.5 million.
There are over 1,000 mosques.
Netherlands
50% of all newborns are Muslims
In 15 years, half of the population will be Muslim
Russia
23 million Russians are Muslims (1 in 5)
In just a few years, 40% of Russian Army will be Islamic
Belgium
25% of population is Muslim
50% of all newborns of Muslim
The Belgium government has stated that 1/3 of all European children will be born to Muslim families by 2025
“The fall in the [German] population can no longer be stopped. It’s downward spiral is no longer reversible. It will be a Muslim state by the year 2050” –German government
“There are signs that Allah will grant victory to Islam in Europe without swords, without guns, without conquest. We don’t need terrorists, we don’t need homicide bombers. The 50+ million Muslims [in Europe] will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades.” –Mummar al-Gaddafi of Libya
There are similar trends closer to home as well
Canada
Fertility rate of natural born citizens is 1.6 (2.11 is required to sustain culture)
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the country
2001-2006, there was a 1.6 million increase in population. 1.2 was due to immigration
United States
Natural born citizens fertility rate: 1.6
Latino immigration raises rate to 2.11
In 1970 there were 100,000 Muslims
2008, there were over 9,000,000
“Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world,” –Vatican, March 2008
[you can see the video here, if you like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU&feature=player_embedded ]
For me, these statistics are amazing, and scary. I’m worried, not so much about the rise of Islam, although that is a concern to me. My larger concern is the decline and fall of Western Christianity. Just like the Old Testament, God is using different cultures to shame His people. Now it is us here in the West. Muslims seem much more concerned about family than we are. Muslims seem to care much more about passing on their faith than we do. Muslims are much more hospitable than we are (at least in my travels to Turkey). Shame on us, Christianity, for not fulfilling God’s call!
Why is this? I believe there are three main, although not exclusive, explanations as to why are birth rate is low, and that are against God’s will: Homosexuality, abortion, and artificial contraception. Jesus came to give us life, life to the fullest (Jn 10:10). The three reasons I give cut off life, for physical life cannot spring forth; fullness of life can never be reached with those three boundaries in the way. My previous post stated that God wants us to have children because that makes us better people. He also knows that if we don’t have enough children that our culture will die. Is it no surprise that our low birth rate, both a reason for and result of the decrees in quantity and quality of Christians, is leading to the demise of Christian culture in the West as we know it? (Now do you know why I suggested in my last post everyone needs to have at least 3 children?!?!)
As faithful believers, what can we do? First, we need to pray, for ourselves, and for Christians around the country and around the world. I know I need all the prayers I can get! Secondly, share the Gospel. Tell someone, anyone, how good God has been to you. Thirdly, be open to life, in all it’s ways and all it’s forms. It’s not too late for America. We need to be radically for life, both personally and publicly, and against everything that stands in the way of life. This is God’s will for us, and this country.
May God bless you
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Hey Brock. Congrats on your new addition. I havent read this blog (ever), but as it leaked into my facebook page, I took a look. You asked for comment so here goes, better or worse.
ReplyDeleteI see the main point of the posting above is... other cultures/religions are procreating at a faster rate that most Christian cultures, so lets try to fix that or at least try to keep up so Chrisianity isnt eliminated or signifigantly diminished.
I see that point, and I think that is a valid cause to have. I get it. You want to fix that problem/cause.
Whats hard for me is this. How can we find a way for you to continue your cause and your idea (as expressed above) without stepping on Gay Rights and Womens Rights? I have a guess, that, if you were able to forcably remove the three pillars of badness the you expressed in your posting, Christianity wouldn't see the biggest jump in numbers (in my opinion) because those kids would be raised by alternative lifestyle people who may or may not be christian but they would raise their kids with the idea of religious freedom and choice. Maybe I am projecting how I plan to raise my kid(s) onto that entire group, but, I guess my point is, removing those three pillars isn't necessarily going to solve the problem listed above the main problem.
It feels like you are against the 3 pillars of badness, and are using them as 'the reason' and 'the solution to' the above mentioned problem - but I am not sure the ending them... would solve the problem.
Just a thought from a pro gay rights, pro womens rights, pro reglious freedom lefty hippie. So take me with a grain of salt, of course. Thanks for listening/reading. :)
My relgious views are kind of that 'all roads lead to the same place and that most mainstream religions around the world instill a common set of universal human morality' so... why is it so bad that the future world will have a mixture of relgions in alignment with population and history? Just my thoughts :)
~warren m
This is an interesting and thought-provoking read. Yet I find a direct contradiction between your list of "what we can do" and the topic of homosexuality, which you claim is against God's will. You suggest "Thirdly, be open to life, in all it’s ways and all it’s forms." Is not homosexuality one of life's ways & forms? Should you not be open to it, not directly opposed to it?
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that more people dont realize that being gay is about soooo much more than sex. Is the central focus of YOUR life (or your relationships) sex?
Being gay is about completely natural and instinctive emotional connections, mental connections, spiritual connections, friendship, trust, feeling safe, romance, the ability to bond in a deep and meaningful way, and hopefully, for gay couples, like any other couple, the blossoming of love.
Who is anyone to judge a fellow traveler on this planet and tell them that their most intimate and personal feelings of attraction and love, bestowed "in His image," are morally wrong or bad. Love and let love.
Ultimately, we all have to look within for our guidance. It is my belief that no one (and no group) has the moral superiority or authority to unequivocally state that another person’s feelings or spiritual guidance, especially in the realm of human emotions and love, is "wrong" or "bad."
One of my philosophies is that my beliefs, even if they differ from yours, do not necessarily invalidate yours. If God and creation are infinite, then I hold that there are an infinite number of possibilites in the human experience. Receiving, processing, and integrating the guidance to love myself exactly as I am was hard-fought and won only after years of searching, seeking, asking the hard questions, fasting, and prayer. I am very grateful that I am now able to love myself unconditionally, gay genes and all.
At a societal level, how does one person's expression of love for another (regardless of their gender), and their commitment to it (especially if it progresses to a civil union or marriage), harm, threaten, or diminish the sanctity of someone else's relationship? I am unable come up with a logical, sane, or charitable answer to that question.
re: Tracey
ReplyDeleteLIKE.
Thank you fellas for your comments. Tracy, I'm not sure we've met. How did you come across my little blog post??
ReplyDeleteWell, you both seemed to focus on one particular aspect of my post. I would like to respond, but in concert with the overall point of my post. Homosexuality, i feel, is a complex issue, and i do plan on writing something about it in the future. So, especially Tracy, i hope that you will come back for that discussion as well. I have never discussed the issue with a person in the homosexual lifestyle before, so i know i would learn much from you.
So, in regards to my post: Tracy, you are correct in stating that there is so much more to your relationships, and all relationships for that matter, than sex. But, for the point of my article, i wanted to highlight that aspect of homosexuality, in that in highlights Christianity's turn away from life-giving experiences, and toward life-ending experiences.
You do give other examples as to how "life" comes in a relationship other than having babies. But, the three deviant lifestyle choices i mentioned cannot receive the FULLNESS of life for the very fact that physical life cannot spring forth.
Jesus promises fullness of life (which comes to us emotionally, spiritually, and physically), as i mentioned, when we choose Him over ourselves. We can't look to ourselves for the answers, as you said you did, for we are sinners. We are all sinners in different ways. I lie, i get jealous, I'm lazy. Sin affects every part of our being, even our emotions and our will. Jesus' free gift of life frees us from ourselves.
But too many Christians having chosen, instead, to choose "right" and "wrong" on their own. This correlates to the decline of the Christin culture, and illustrates one of the reasons God's divine law and created order makes the three behaviors i mentioned sinful.
I do agree with you that, on a purely societal level, one could argue that the three behaviors i mentioned do little to diminish someone else's relationships. However, I believe that there is a spiritual side to everything, and that our actions affect everyone around us, for good or for bad.
God bless
I also found this to be an interesting and thought-provoking post. I have recently been thinking and reading about western christianity in its current and future forms and would like to recommend a book related to that topic. It does not have a completely direct correlation to your post, but it seems like one you might find interesting as you continue to explore these topics. It is called "The Next Evangelicalism" by Soong Chan Rah. Happy reading!
ReplyDelete