BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Bible Arguments Against Child-Freedom

Hi cela,
I think you made a few good points in your post. I agree that in Bible times, many things we have now simply weren't even thought about or experienced. Also, to be comfortable with the decision to have children or to not have children is the most important, in my opinion, although religious or environmental and population issues may help enforce one's decision.

I am glad I have gotten a few responses out of this. Let me say now that I don't know what my opinion is of the connection between the writings and of realistic present world application. I do want to say one thing, however, about your words regarding the Bible's "multiply" comment. Although there is nothing in the Bible reinforcing child-freedom, there really is nothing in the Bible encouraging each and every person to reproduce. (I do know that you didn't say there was, necessarily, I'm just adding a suggestion from another perspective.) Of course it says to multiply, because humans, in order to thrive, had to reproduce. As for personal situations, however, I have not found any situations in the Bible that suggest not having children is a sin or looked down upon by God. Of course it is encouraged (and a good idea, anyway) to love one another, but these are two separate issues.

Thank you for your comments!

Michelle,
That is also the way I understood it. I don't think it was punishment for reproducing, necessarily, but for sinning by disobeying God and eating the fruit.

By the way, I loved your connection with the "Jesus loved children."

I think it is ironic that people question other's decisions and claim they are wrong when they, themselves, aren't perfect. I can't remember the exact saying, but "They who are without sin may cast the first stone" rings a bell in my mind. Of course, it is near impossible for a human being to go through life without making judgments, but you would think many people would try to avoid it at all costs. I know I have because I have been the subject of ridicule for plenty of reasons. I don't like being glared at for my decisions, so I avoid doing it to others.

I first learned of this system in kindergarten, like everyone else, but began applying it in high school. I have come to realize that not many people do. Difference in people brings fear, and with fear comes panic and assumptions that are false over 90% of the time. It is in this area that I think humans, as a race, still need to grow.

I think this scripture applies in principle:

Luke ch. 14 v. 28-30-

28 For which of you, having a mind to build a tower, doth not first sit down and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish it: 29 Lest, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that see it begin to mock him, 30 Saying: This man began to build and was not able to finish.

COUNT THE COST! How many do not even think of the impact it will make on their lives and the new life of the child when they pop out those little oopsies one after the other? In my opinion the goal of parenthood is to produce a self-assured, well-adjusted, happy human who is ready to be a successful adult. (Dang! I guess my parents failed! HA!)

Ravyn

Bible verses are almost always taken out of context in order for people to interpret them any way they choose. There are many passages in the bible that are outdated and don't apply to the world as it is today.
Don't let someone's interpretation make you feel bad about your decision.

As a childfree Christian myself, I found this thread to be extremely interesting. Several of you have made excellent points about taking pieces of the Bible in their proper context and about whether or not some parts of the Bible apply to modern life. I do think that it is an important (but sticky!) business to distinguish which biblical messages are a description of the way things were versus a prescription for how things should be. (I must credit a pastor named Paul Smith for that last phrase.)

While there are many things about modern life that the writers of the Bible could not comprehend, many of us Christians believe that we should focus on relevant, consistent themes throughout the Bible ("love your neighbor", "care for the orphans", etc.) and use those themes to guide our approach to modern issues.

I would have to agree with those of you who concluded that the Bible does not forbid being childfree, nor does it necessarily promote it. However, I did want to throw in my 2 cents about something the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 7. The focus of this chapter is sexuality, marriage relationships, and God's call to serve. Paul, as a single man, encourages other Christians to remain single (verses 7, 8, 26, 38, 40) in order to �free [them] from anxieties� (v.32) and to enable their �undivided devotion to the Lord� (v.35). He does acknowledge that this is not a command from God but is Paul�s own opinion (v.25), and he encourages the believers to take the path to which they were called, whether that be marriage or the single life (v.17). The reason I bring this up is that Paul equates singleness with abstinence from sex, which would lead to being childfree. Indirectly, Paul�s message thus encourages Christians to remain childfree so that they can devote their attention to serving God.

If you care to read the passage, you can google the "ESV Bible Online" and search for I Corinthians 7.

I realize that my post is getting quite long and I am probably losing everyone�s attention , but I wanted to add one more thing. Earlier I mentioned the �care for the orphans� theme that runs throughout the Bible. My guess is that at the time it was written, caring for orphans in a practical way might have entailed giving alms, maybe even adoption in some cases, but most families probably could not afford to adopt another child. As I look at the abundance that many in the world have (and I am especially thinking about Americans since I�m from the U.S.), I think that the practical application of caring for the orphans should go beyond giving a little money to charity and should focus on adoption of the 143 million orphans in the world (source of that statistic: United Nations). Every time another friend, family member, or acquaintance announces she is pregnant, I can�t help but feel a deep sadness for an orphan who would have done well in that home. I try not to be judgmental because I hate it when people judge me for being childfree, but I begin to wonder if it is morally wrong for a Christian to procreate if it results in that Christian shirking her/his God-given duty to care for the orphans?

TimsGirl139, Thank you for posting those scriptures!! I too think they have much to do with the end times, and though I think things could be a lot worse, I think there are already many, many signs showing up indicting that we might already be in those times... or are very close. Anyway, I've looked in some commentaries to see what they would say on these verses... below is a summary. These come from "The Expositor's Bible Commentary (New Testament)" by Kenneth Barker and also from "The Quest Study Bible." Luke 23:29 - This seems to be in reference to the crucifixion and later destruction of Jerusalem. For vs 27-31, it says, "As Jesus heads to Calvary, Luke records an incident that expresses Jesus' concern for the fate of Jerusalem. Jewish women had always considered barrenness a misfortune and children a blessing. In the day of Jerusalem's destruction, however, women would have the horror of seeing their children suffer..." (Barker, 283). Luke 21:23 According to the commentary, this again is in reference to the destruction of Jerusalem around 70 A.D. But, "The Quest Study Bible" says it could also be in reference to the end times... looks to me like it was talking of Jerusalem though. Matthew 24:19 Same as the others... But "The Quest Study Bible" says this verse is talking about both Jerusalem and the end times. I tend to think these verses could have been talking of both as well. Whatever the case, it's a tough world and society to be raising kids today. With all the challenges we currently face, I consider it a blessing that I don't have or "want" kids! You also said, "Do you believe the verse about the being pregnant while there are "hardships upon the land" could be put toward times, whether or not in the "end" times, where the Earth's resources are low?" I say yes to this as well! People back then didn't understand the hardships our world would face in the future, but "God" did, and I believe the bible was divinely inspired. Hundreds of fulfilled prophecies in the bible have come true - even though the writers had no way of understanding them. Just like the verses that talk about how easy and quick travel and the exchange of information will one day be - or that certain events in the end times will be viewed for "all the world to see." Certainly they couldn't make sense of these statements back then, but today, we very easily can.

Blotsky says : "It is my understanding that, according to the Bible, the punishments for original sin are childbirth for women and, for men, a lifetime of toil working the earth. It is odd that we would be "punished" for seeking knowledge of good and evil." My reply is this: Humans were not aware at the time they were eating something that would result in them knowing good and evil. Therefore they cannot have been on a conscious quest for knowledge of good and evil. This is because at the time they had a simple instruction not to eat the fruit. Satan said to Eve that "they would become like God himself" if they ate the fruit. Adam and Eve were disobedient to a simple instruction, they were not as you imply nobly and wisely "seeking knowledge of good and evil" because they had no idea that was to be the result....these are the details of the story that make all the difference....take them away and understanding of the story is twisted. Also it is my own personal belief that God intended to give the knowledge of good and evil to Adam & Eve but only after He had matured them enough to be able to use it responsibly. It does not say that they had been in the garden of Eden a long time. I think that our ability to sense right and wrong and make sophisticated moral arguments for things that involve empathy and sympathy for others yet our inability to live up to our own ideals and standards and to fail, hurt others and make mistaks is a sign of our childish and easily frightened and manipulated soul struggling with the weight of knowledge that its not ready for. I simply believe Adam & Eve were not yet brought to maturity and jumped the gun. However were irrevocably changed in the process and cannot have God "take back" that knowledge since they had symbolically sworn themselves to be "old enough to deal with the knowledge of good/evil and have independance in decisions" by eating the fruit.