Yesterday I listened to a conversation. The older gentleman here is a man I admire. I consider him a friend. He has so many stories to tell and a lot of great advice. But as he gave his “top three pieces of advice for young people”, I had to shake my head. He responded,
Don’t have children.
Sorry. I disagree.
I tried to see his point of view. I think it comes down to three things. First, he really likes the topic of climate change. Perhaps so much so that I’d say he’s fearful of it. He is always reading articles or sharing statistics. I get it. There is a lot happening in the world. There’s more we could, and probably should be doing, to better care for our planet. I agree that we need to change our idea of consumption and the way we produce food. But I’m not afraid of the future. I think the planet, and the people on it, will be okay.
Second, he has seen a lot of young people become parents. Like, teenagers. Having babies so young is hard on them. It means less education. Fewer opportunities. Low income in the rural Amazon jungle means life is hard and more mouths to feed and bodies to clothe can be difficult for families. It becomes a cycle that is hard to break out of.
Third, he doesn’t believe in God. I think this is the difference that matters most. I believe in a God who loves and cares for us. He created the world for us and will continue to help us know how to be good stewards of such a gift. He sent us to earth in families and commanded us to have children. Responsible parenthood is a beautiful place for a child to arrive. And as we love God and teach our children well, we will care for eachother. We’ll work together to become our best selves and to care for the world around us.
I believe that NOT having children, is giving up. It’s expecting disaster. If you’ve given up on God, I suppose the future looks bleak.
However, I believe in the future of this world and the people in it. I think there will be beautiful and wonderful opportunities for our children.
I’d even quite confidently contradict what he said. I don’t think that “having no children” is the answer to the world’s problems. They are the solution.
Having kids, raising them well to love God, to believe and choose and stand for right, to treat others kindly, to care for each other and for the world. Children are the answer.
