2 of 2

Children and families are an essential part of human well-being. Imagine a society, not far in the future, composed almost entirely of individuals without extended family—no cousins, no aunts or uncles, no siblings. Short-term decisions to forego children may bring immediate economic benefits, but the long-term results impoverish existence.

There is a good reason that the Bible persistently speaks of blessing in terms of family.

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today.Click for reprint information.

More Christianity Today articles on birth and family planning include:

Lowering the Baby Boom | A new book helps Christians make wise birth control decisions. (Sept. 03, 2003)

Has Natural Birth Control Been Proved Impossible? | Don't believe the media reports, cautions the author of Birth Control for Christians. (July 15, 2003)

Make Love and Babies | The contraceptive mentality says children are something to be avoided. We're not buying it. By Sam and Bethany Torode (Nov. 9, 2001)

'Be Fruitful and Multiply' | Is this a command, or a blessing? By Raymond C. Van Leeuwen (Nov. 9, 2001)

Souls on Ice | The costs of in vitro fertilization are moral and spiritual—not just financial (June 24, 2003)

400K and Counting | Christians recoil at explosive growth of frozen human embryos (June 24, 2003)

Books & Culture Corner: More Sex, Fewer Children | Mixed messages on condoms, contraception, and fertility. By John Wilson (Sept. 10, 2001)

How to Make a Person | New reproductive technologies raise difficult moral issues. (Jan. 6, 1997)

Mourning the Morning-After Pill | A Christianity Today Editorial (Apr. 7, 1997)

Charity Defies California Law on Contraception | Court to decide if state can require Catholic ministries to pay for birth control (June 25, 2002)

No Room in the Womb? | Couples with high-risk pregnancies face the 'selective reduction' dilemma (dec. 10, 1999)

Hannah's Sisters | At a Washington Assembly of God, prayers for fertility are answered (Mar. 21, 2002)

Embryo 'Adoption' Matches Donors and Would-be Parents | 'Snowflake' program is only of its kind in dealing with leftover fertilized eggs (Nov. 2, 1999)

Today's Christian Woman, a Christianity Today sister publication, also examined natural birth control, and Books & Culture examined whether making love still leads to making babies.

For more current news on fertility and pregnancy, see Yahoo's full coverage area.

first page |  2 of 2

share this page

November 2004, Vol. 48, No. 11