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QEW Pamphlets—Population Concerns Seeking Clearness on Childbearing in a Crowded World
The setting The world population is growing by about 78 million persons a year. It is expected to reach 7.0 billion by 2012, more than double the 3.0 billion counted over half a century ago in 1960. On a finite planet, this rapid population growth threatens the survival of humans and other species. With the current average lifestyle and population in the world, it would take more than one planet to support us sustainably-but we have only one. Worldwide, in order for population to stop growing by 2050, couples must have on average fewer than two children between now and then, and after 2050 on average around two children. Globally, a substantial percentage of pregnancies are unintended and many of those are unwanted. If only wanted pregnancies occurred, then the world fertility rate would decline substantially. As Friends, we can go beyond the idea of wanted births to the concept of parenthood as a calling. In worship-sharing with Friends on this concern, one Friend offered the following: "How beautiful it would be if every [pregnancy and] birth represented a calling on the part of the parents." Social and economic pressure in regard to reproduction Traditionally, bearing and mothering a child were essential parts of a woman's identity, and couples with few or no children were pitied. A woman's status in some cultures has been measured by her ability to bear children, and infertility was a basis for a man to divorce his wife. In traditional agricultural societies, a woman's status increased with the number of children she bore; more children meant more hands to work in the fields or carry water. This cultural attitude is changing now as countries rapidly become urbanized, so there is less need for farm labor. Additionally, the costs of feeding, clothing, and educating children in the city are substantial.
Also many people believe that children without siblings are "spoiled," although studies show the contrary. Those who choose not to have children are often regarded as selfish. But in our overpopulated world, deciding not to have children could be seen as an unselfish act. In this context, how does one discern whether the desire to have children is a calling or more a result of social pressures and expectations? Lifestyle is another factor that can influence a couple's decision to have children. Quaker values regarding simplicity and consumption are relevant. Couples who realize that every person, from babyhood onward, adds environmental stress to the earth, may decide not to have any children. This is especially so in developed countries, where each individual typically uses six to ten times more resources than a person in a less developed country. Clearness A clearness committee can help a couple balance their desire for children and their concern for the effects of an additional birth on the preservation of the earth. Chesapeake Quarterly Meeting of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, for instance, stated in a Minute (approved in 6th month of 1992):
A clearness committee can raise many issues concerning childbearing. For instance, couples who have two children, and no more, are only reproducing themselves, not increasing the next generation. Couples who choose to have only one birth are helping to slow population growth. Adoption is a positive option for the sake of the earth, especially for couples who are called to have and care for larger families. Quaker families committed to reducing their material consumption can still give their children the really important things in life: love, companionship, a sense of wonder, the chance to be creative, the joy of learning, sharing, forgiving, fun, a chance to grow, an appreciation of nature, and a spiritual base. These traditional Friends' values are all available with no adverse impact on the earth. Children in one-child families need not be lonely or isolated; with a support group of parents, grandparents and other Friends and their families, children can have an extended network of "siblings." Friends who choose not to have children can play important roles in the lives of children in the Meeting. The Meeting undertakes to care for children of its members. The queries that follow can help Friends considering these choices on their own or with a clearness committee. Queries for Friends considering childbearing
How do we feel about adoption? What factors have we considered as we envision our family of the future? Have we considered our attitudes about the sharing of family responsibilities and the availability of family and/or community support? Have we considered how to add parenting to our other roles? Do we have time and financial resources to devote to child-rearing? Are we ready for a full-time commitment which parenting requires? Have we considered our family's use of natural resources? Are we aware of the disproportionate ecological impact on the earth that each child from a developed country makes? How might we talk to Friends about family size? Resources Child Free by Choice <http://www.childfree.net> Engleman, Robert. 2008. More: Population, Nature, and What Women Want. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. McKibben, Bill. 1998. Maybe One: A Case for Smaller Families. New York: Simon & Schuster. Quaker Earthcare Witness. Friends' Witness on Rapid Population Growth. ____. Adoption: An Earth-Friendly Alternative. ____. Toward Taking Away the Occasion of Abortion.
See QEW Bookstore for population-related books and booklets. |
We as Friends
In developed countries there is a tendency to believe that couples independently decide whether to have children and how many to have. But such decisions are always made within a larger social context, and typically there are considerable pressures. There may be subtle or not so subtle pressure from one's aging parents who would like to become grandparents, or from peers who are having children.