Godless conjugalism

In today’s Gospel incident, the people brought a deaf-mute man to Jesus "and begged him to lay his hands on him." Jesus responds in mercy and love, and restores the man’s faculty of hearing-and-speech (Mk. 31-37).

Today, there is a far more serious and fatal spiritual deafness that is spreading in different parts of the world, particularly in Europe, the US, and Japan. Deafness to the divine design of God for marriage as family and definitely NOT childless conjugalism.

The cover-story of Newsweek for September 4, 2006 carries the alarming research findings to the effect that more and more couples are deliberately choosing not to have children. "Around the world, more people are either delaying having children or choosing to skip parenthood altogether. While some may dismiss them as juppie narcissists, the ranks of the childless are diverse, and so are their reasons." The most common reasons for avoiding parenthood, according to a survey of the childless Europeans between ages 18 and 39 are the following: concern about the future; no steady partner; enjoy current lifestyle; expense; wouldn’t enjoy life; concern about health; job pressures; prefer leisure time; too old; don’t want a child.

The survey reports that in western Germany, "lifetime childlessness has hit 30 percent among university-educated women, and is rapidly rising among lower class men." A similar trend is present in England. A book has even come out entitled Child-Free and Loving It. The female author, Nicki Defago, even had the guts to write that "to let women deciding against children know that their feelings are perfectly normal." The height of narcissistic arrogance!

The survey further reports that Italy, Greece, and Spain were once synonymous with fruitful families. Now they’re tied for Europe’s lowest birthrate. Moreover, "the share of households without children is rising – with the highest rates in the US and Europe." Japan, likewise, is "in the midst of a child-free revolution, and support for working mothers is almost non-existent." "Career or child," writes Kaori Haishi in her book, Reasons for Not Having a Baby.

The International Herald Tribune for September 4 has likewise reported on this in its article, Empty Nests: Europe Without Children. To quote in part: "Birthrates have reached a historic and prolonged low in European countries, from Italy and Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic, straining pension plans and depleting the work force across the Continent." It predicts that the EU bloc could have a shortfall of 20 million workers by 2030.

All this and more are the inhuman consequence of a high-tech, materialistic culture without a soul. A Godless culture of SELFISM. A global healing from this spiritual deafness and blindness is most urgently needed before it is too late.

In our own limited ways, let us hold on in embracing, advocating, and spreading the primal law of creation from our Creator. In love, we are designed by the Lord to be his co-creators. The very core of married love is to be fruitful. To form a community of love beyond the couple. To be part of the cycles of eternity.

From the very first Book of Genesis, we read: "God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it..." (Gen. 1: 27-28).

The incarnate Christ himself had such love and compassion for the little ones. "And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’.... Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them" Mk. 10: 13-16. Also in Mt. 19: 13-15 and Lk. 18: 15-17.

Finally, from the Second Vatican Council, it is very clearly stated: "Marriage and conjugal love are by their very nature ordained toward the begetting and educating of children. Children are really the supreme gift of marriage and contribute very substantially to the welfare of their parents." (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, #50).

In procreating, loving, and educating their children, parents experience God’s way of loving – sacrificial, unconditional, redemptive.

Thank God for parents. Thank God for children. Thank God for Family.