British Rabbi: Americans should have more kids

[tuckerphez]

jstandard.com/index.php/content/item/maybe_baby_or_maybe_not/

The jewish group at my school posted this on facebook.

It starts off talking about Kate and William's baby, and then it goes into this stupidty.

We’ve set up society in such a way that men and women in their prime reproductive years are postponing having children — or deciding not to have children at all. Recently released U.S. population census data shows population growth at its lowest level since the Great Depression. Without a sizable, stable tax base to fund them, many of America’s entitlement programs will crumble, along with a decaying infrastructure.

Recently, my wife and I welcomed our fourth child. This means the size of our family is now almost double the official national average.

I doubt many of my fellow New Yorkers would take too kindly to a male rabbi like me from across the pond apparently trying to tell women what to do with their wombs. I understand those objections. However, if you’ll allow me to use a very American expression: I just call it like I see it.

And as I see it, the America we all treasure can thrive only when our young people decide to welcome children into their lives.

Are you sure you understand those objections? Because telling women that they should have more kids when you know they're not going to want to hear that doesn't sound like you understand.

“Welcome†is the operative word. I confront hostility to my family’s very existence almost every day, and not just in the form of disapproving stares. Progressive Brooklynites don’t hesitate to inform me that I’m being selfish for having so many children. They seem awfully concerned about “saving the planet†— but for whose future enjoyment, exactly?

For all their thoughtfulness, however, they haven’t quite thought through the implications of their decision. Quite simply, without children, there will be no future to either save or destroy.

Um, what about the animals, plants, and atmosphere that humankind has destroyed through overpopulation? Maybe they would like to have a future.

Allow me to put on my yarmulke and get biblical for a moment. In the Bible, the first commandment to humankind is “Be fruitful and multiply.†Some might ask why it is necessary to command people to do something that not only guarantees the continued survival of the human race but also comes so naturally. I sometimes wonder, however, if that long-ago command to be fruitful and multiply actually was meant for us modern people, thousands of years in the future, a kind of message in a (baby) bottle that would wash ashore in our postmodern post-parenting era.

The question is: Are we willing to heed it?

TL;DR: Everyone should have teh babiez because the bible says so. Whether you can afford them or not.

[GeoBQn]

Recently released U.S. population census data shows population growth at its lowest level since the Great Depression.

So the population growth slowed during both the Great Depression and current times. Sounds like there must be something in common between today and the Great Depression. What could it possibly be :think:

Answer: Studies show women are less likely to want to have children when the economy is in the crapper.

[emiliawasframed]

If you take that verse literally, it's only directed to Adam and Eve, who are supposed to fill and subdue the Earth. It's filled and subdued by now, no?

[AVENues]

Dear boy in outer space,

Don't tell me what to do. ""

[gardenvarietycitizen]

So the population growth slowed during both the Great Depression and current times. Sounds like there must be something in common between today and the Great Depression. What could it possibly be :think:

Answer: Studies show women are less likely to want to have children when the economy is in the crapper.

It's not just that, either - in longer term, women AND men are less likely to want to get married when the economy is in the crapper. The goal for "proper" marriage is that you're nicely financially set or with a good job so you won't be one of "those people" and have a kid you can't afford, right? So sure, plenty of people say, well, I should check the "life goals" boxes off in a certain order and without a good job, I shouldn't marry yet. So they don't marry, and so, no kid, until later.

(I should say, that was on the Japanese news about the situation in Japan, this morning, but I don't think it's only restricted there.)

Of course there are more than enough humans in the world. But everyone wants to have "more kids" in their OWN national groups only, so they sit around worrying that there's not enough birthrates...

[lemurknits]

Ugh. This badgering of women about having babies is so counter productive. Yes, a nation needs a certain amount of babies (or immigrants!) to maintain a steady, healthy, population. BUT. The way to get women to have more kids is not shaming them or calling them selfish. Its HELPING THEM TO PARENT AND AFFORD KIDS.

I actually did a paper on this recently for grad school. In that paper I compared the maternal support structures of Sweden and Japan. Both countries had social welfare programs and maternity leave. But Sweden, the nation with the higher birth rate, had made Gender Equality and father's taking an equal responsibility a priority. Japan, the nation with the smaller birth rate, had fathers contributing just 3 hours a week of childcare, and 70% of women quitting work after having a baby- many who wanted to work but could not find childcare.

[Dysfundamental]

American Lady: British Rabbi needs a big glass of STFU. It's pareve, so it'll go with any meal!

[JenniferJuniper]

I seriously doubt any women in the Unites States are going to decide to have babies because a British rabbi recommends it.

Increase legal immigration. It takes babies forever to start paying taxes and they cost beaucoup bucks in the meantime.

[Dinorah]

I struggle to believe he deals with so much hostility for having 4 kids. It might be slightly more than what's considered "normal" right now for youngish people, but it's not such a big deal.

Anyway, what about trying to make the world a better place for people to be more willing to "welcome" kids?

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

Dear asshole, two things:

1. I suggest you take a good look at the economic and social implications of a woman in the United States having a baby at any age, but especially in her 20s. Let alone multiple children. At any age. We have ZERO support here. There is tons of pressure to reproduce, but once we do, we are on our own, and if we need help, we are "bad" mothers or lazy or selfish.

2. I left Orthodox Judaism because I didn't want jackasses like you telling me what to do. Please keep it in your congregation.

[Peas n carrots]

I struggle to believe he deals with so much hostility for having 4 kids. It might be slightly more than what's considered "normal" right now for youngish people, but it's not such a big deal.

Anyway, what about trying to make the world a better place for people to be more willing to "welcome" kids?

I call bullshit to hostility for having 4 kids. 4 kids has become rarer but its not all that unusual. He probably gets hostile reactions for being a pompous ass.

Oh, and please tell me how I am to support several children. I have to work as I'm the breadwinner, and I'm sure you didn't mean to imply that my husband should be the one staying at home.

[Guest Anonymous]

This part puzzles me:

“Welcome†is the operative word. I confront hostility to my family’s very existence almost every day, and not just in the form of disapproving stares. Progressive Brooklynites don’t hesitate to inform me that I’m being selfish for having so many children. They seem awfully concerned about “saving the planet†— but for whose future enjoyment, exactly?

For all their thoughtfulness, however, they haven’t quite thought through the implications of their decision. Quite simply, without children, there will be no future to either save or destroy.

I too find it difficult to believe that his guy gets hassled for having four kids. Four is not that many. Also, he seems to be saying that an individual's decision to not have children is somehow going to lead to the complete extinction of the human race. Like if Janey from Brooklyn decides that she doesn't want to have children, somehow that means there will be no children and no people at all in the future. Even if (my fictional character) Janey decides that she does not want to have children because she fears it will contribute to overpopulation, there will still be children in the future to enjoy the world. It's not as if people who worry about overpopulation are suggesting a complete ban on all human reproduction.

[Arete]

Like the Pope, the rabbi will be free to suggest women "welcome" more babies when he is willing to come up with the money to support them.

A good way to reason about reproductive issues:

Do you have a uterus and vagina?

Yes?- You may state your reasoning.

No?- Shut up.

[roddma]

Ugh. This badgering of women about having babies is so counter productive. Yes, a nation needs a certain amount of babies (or immigrants!) to maintain a steady, healthy, population. BUT. The way to get women to have more kids is not shaming them or calling them selfish. Its HELPING THEM TO PARENT AND AFFORD KIDS.

I actually did a paper on this recently for grad school. In that paper I compared the maternal support structures of Sweden and Japan. Both countries had social welfare programs and maternity leave. But Sweden, the nation with the higher birth rate, had made Gender Equality and father's taking an equal responsibility a priority. Japan, the nation with the smaller birth rate, had fathers contributing just 3 hours a week of childcare, and 70% of women quitting work after having a baby- many who wanted to work but could not find childcare.

Gotta love the sky is falling type stories. Another proponent of';more babies' is Jonathan Last. He covers this in his book "What to Expect When No one is Expecting". Maternity leave just assumes all women want or will have children at some point. The face of the woman is changing and has been quite a while.

[SoybeanQueen]

I, too, think he's getting comments for reasons other than 4 kids. Maybe his 4 kids are poorly behaved or he's just a jackwagon.

I have 5 kids and have never had anyone make an overpopulation comment or anything else of that nature. I was just in NYC with 4 kids last week, and didn't get any out-of-the-ordinary attention from anyone, so its not a location thing, either.

The worst thing anyone has said to me is "are they all yours?" And that doesn't offend me since the askers have sounded curious and not irritated.

[dawbs]

asshat.

You know what though?

I've left my womb open to God's will.

I mean, allegedly, this God can make anyone catch Pregnant, regardless of whether or not they are virgins...So I've asked him to have me be knocked up if that's his will--he can just pop out the IUD and I'll happily gestate a soldier for the cause.

(I assume only God, never the devil, can pop out IUDs, right?)