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Excerpts from http://www.enoughof.us accessed September 11, 2013.

Population and the Church

October 8, 2012 By Ellis and Cheryl Levinson Leave a Comment

In keeping with our continuing series about ’s influence on procreation, we look at the family, birth control, and abortion beliefs of The Church of Christ of Latter-day , also called Mormonism.

There are about 12.2 million worldwide, which makes it a small religion but one that carries a big- population punch.

In 1995, the church’s First President and Apostles issued a “Proclamation to the World” that marriage (between a man and a woman), as well as family, is central to ’s plan. The Mormon Church has issued only five proclamations since the church was established in 1830. This one spoke to the import of God’s commandment given to Adam and Eve to “multiply and replenish the earth.”

For Mormons, the importance of family has its origins in the Church’s in premortal life, i.e., the unborn are God’s spirit children. Each husband and wife brings these spirits to earth, where they become offspring. They manifest in human form and “gain earthly experience” in order to fulfill their divine destiny. Mothers are the ones who rear and nurture their children; fathers provide for, protect, and generally preside over the family, from which the relationships of the members extend “beyond the grave,” and fulfill the “divine plan of .”

Although Latter-day Saints (LDS) celebrate and encourage large families, “Church policy supports all methods of contraception except surgical sterilization,” says ’ post on the Religion Dispatches.org Web site. “Birth control is widely used and accepted among LDS Church members.” Ms. Brooks points to a prominent LDS blogger and editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Kristine Haglund, who asked the question why insurance plans at LDS institutions do not provide coverage for birth control. The answer, it seems, relates to the present controversy over President Obama’s birth control regulation and “religious freedom.” Even so, Brooks notes that premarital health classes, birth control options and contraception itself is dispensed at Mormon owned University.

Mormon Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, including the

The Church’s position on abortion is clear: it’s only acceptable when pregnancy is a result of a rape that causes severe emotional trauma in the mother (when would it not?) and/or when the life and health of the mother is in jeopardy. The decision to undergo an abortion must always involve a competent doctor and confirmation through of the local authority.

Because Latter-day Saints believe that having a family is central to their purpose in life, there is little chance that most Mormons would choose to be childfree. Yet, there are Mormon women who are childfree by choice. For them, receiving understanding within the LDS community is tough, and in some cases, nonexistent. “I am made to feel worthless in the eyes of the church,” blogged one woman, who is married but clearly does not want children.

Mormons may well be turning a blind eye to the plight of our planet by making children a spiritual priority. According to George B. Handley, Associate Professor of at , the Mormon Church does not have an official position related to contemporary environmentalism. He goes on to write that although the LDS scriptures “clearly announce the centrality of human beings as God’s offspring and declare that all of creation was provided for human enjoyment and use,” this does not mean that abuse of nature is justified.

As long as Mormonism encourages large families nature will suffer. The only light at the end of the tunnel where the LDS Church is concerned is adoption. If a couple cannot conceive, they can (and many times do) adopt, which is a saving grace for our overpopulated world. It seems, generally speaking, that Mormons do not accept that making more children creates problems that far outweigh their beliefs about the sacredness of populating earth.

The Eastern Orthodox Religion and Procreation

August 22, 2012 By Ellis and Cheryl Levinson 3 Comments

We continue with our examination of various and their views on procreation, this time focusing on the . Its separation from the Roman resulted in differences between Catholicism’s and Eastern ’s views of procreation. Eastern Orthodoxy is divided into national subdivisions, including the Greek, Russian, Serbian, Coptic (Egypt and ) and other regional Orthodox churches.

During the first eight centuries of there was one Church, which then divided into Eastern and Western divisions. The Church in the western Mediterranean became the Roman Catholic Church, and divided up again with the advent of . The Church in the eastern region became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church, which sees itself as separate from Western Christianity in that it views the Scriptures as they relate to the Holy Tradition of Apostolic times. St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow. Photo – wikipedia

Unlike the Roman Catholic religion, previously discussed in another essay, the Eastern Orthodox does not teach that procreation is the function of marriage. Spiritual oneness, the striving for eternal salvation, is. However, and this is a big “however,” children are considered to be a natural part of being married. So, those who wait before having children, or those who decide never to have children, are in violation of the marriage union. According to retired Orthodox priest Stanley Samuel Harakas, “Orthodox are considered free in making moral choices.” In his essay, “Religious Beliefs and Healthcare Decisions,” Father Harakas states that “the Tradition guides and directs, but does not coerce, though ecclesial consequences can follow what the Church regards as improper decisions.” This is quite a paradox for the Orthodox community –freedom to think for oneself about what is moral, but such thought could occasion religious consequences.

Birth control is allowed as long as it’s not “artificial,” such as birth control pills or condoms. (There are exceptions to this discussed in the next paragraph). Natural methods are acceptable if the circumstances are valid. A plus here for the pious is that these methods involve self-denial and self-control, and require a priest’s blessing. The three acceptable ways to practice birth control in the Orthodox way of life are:

Limit sexual relations – this is a frequent choice when couples observe the traditions of days and periods • Total abstinence – when a couple has given birth to a number of children, and no longer feel that sexual relations must be part of their marriage • Rhythm method (Natural Family Planning)

• The Orthodox Church does not subscribe to the dogmatism of the Roman Catholic Church regarding the birth control pill. In other words, there are circumstances where artificial birth control may be used, but this is largely a “pastoral issue where there may be multiple considerations.”

Because the Orthodox Church considers the embryo to be human from conception, abortion is generally verboten. If a mother’s life is threatened or she has an ectopic pregnancy, the Church allows for some choice, and in these cases, preserving life is essential to the decision-making process.

Orthodox religions disapprove of aborting pregnancy due to a physical abnormality in the child. These children are seen as “human beings in their own right, deserving of care and love.”

Those who decide on a childfree lifestyle are considered sinners. Sterilization and birth control, other than for health reasons, is morally unacceptable. Couples of child- bearing age should “be prepared and expect to have as many children as God will send,” taking into consideration the health of the mother and the family as a whole. In our book, Enough of Us: why we should think twice before making children, we refer to a 1997 statement by Bartholomew I, patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, who passionately maintained that the ruination of the earth is against God’s will. To bear as many children as possible does not take into account that there already are enough of us. Seven billion strong and counting causes the degradation of the earth. This is a conundrum that all anti-family-planning dogmas must deal with. ’S VIEWS ON BEING CHILDFREE

June 15, 2012 By Ellis and Cheryl Levinson 2 Comments

In recent articles we have looked at some of the pressures from religions to reproduce. Procreation is embedded in the Islamic religion. Although, as a researcher at Harvard University states in her article, “Female Leadership in Islam,” www.irfi.org/articles/articles_401_450/female_leadership_in_islam.htm, “there is no term in the Quran which indicates that childbearing is „primary’ to a woman,” having children is nevertheless central to a Muslim couple’s life.

www.us.singlemuslim.com./marriage_articles/birth_control.php is a site that “provides the best possible help for our brothers and sisters to find their ideal Muslim marriage partner and complete their faith within a happy and successful Islamic marriage.” Muslims can discuss matrimony there as well as read articles designed to help them succeed in marriage. “As procreation is the main objective of marriage, and Islam encourages having many children,” birth control is a subject with various rules attached and is “permitted for valid reasons only:”

If pregnancy or delivery would threaten the mother’s life To allow appropriate gaps between having children • If the married couple is not mature enough to start a family • If members of the couple are students and having children would create difficulties • The •use of birth control is prohibited or limited if: It leads to permanent sterility that is not medically necessary The couple uses it due to fear of being unable to afford to bear a child (suggests a lack of faith in ) • Although not prohibited, Islam does not approve of spouses who put off bearing children in order to take • the time to enjoy each other. • In our research, we found nothing that expressly allows for a childfree lifestyle within the Islamic community. But what if a couple simply can’t bear children? Dr. Musa Mohd Nordin, Consultant Pediatrician and Neonatologist in Damansara Specialist Hospital, Malaysia, wrote an essay titled “An Islamic Perspective of Assisted Reproductive Technologies.” Dr. Nordin points to Abraham, and his barren wife Sarah who prayed to God for rectification of her infertility, which did result in a child. However, if a couple’s do not bring success in this endeavor, Allah has probably decreed it: “To Allah belongs the dominion of the and the earth. He creates what he wills. He bestows (children) male or female according to His will. Or He bestows both males and females, and He leaves barren whom He wills, for he is full of knowledge and power.”

Along with the complete acceptance of Allah’s will, assisted reproductive technology is acceptable in Islam, only if “it is practiced within the husband and wife dyad during the span of the marital contract.” This means that artificial insemination is permissible, as long as the sperm belongs to the husband.

Adoption of a son or daughter, which would be an avenue to raising offspring without making more children, is prohibited in Islam. The reasons range from issues regarding natural paternity to claims on inheritance. Muslims may foster children, but the children must be called by “(the names of) their fathers; that is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, they [the children] are your brothers-in-faith and your wards,” (33:4-5) of the Qur’an.

According to the web site www.us.singlemuslim.com/marriage_articles/introduction.php, “one of the main purposes of marriage is to raise pious children, who are faithful to Islam, in order to continue the Muslim Ummah,” (community or nation). About one in four people is Muslim – the second largest religion behind Christianity. In spite of these numbers, which point to an already sizeable , a childfree lifestyle may not, if ever, be accepted by Islam for generations to come.

In our book Enough of Us we consider the ramifications of religious pressures to multiply. We question whether ancient mandates to preserve the faith are still relevant as we face an ever-more overpopulated planet whose human inhabitants threaten to devastate God’s, or nature’s, or the universe’s natural legacy bestowed this tiny, unique orb as it hurtles alone through space.

Christian Views on Choosing to be Childfree

May 24, 2012 By Ellis and Cheryl Levinson

In a recent posting we focused on traditional ’s generally negative position on the choice not to have offspring. In our book, Enough of Us: why we should think twice before making children, we examine religious motives for bearing children. With the exception of Catholicism, Christianity has a variety of different slants on this subject. While some churches take the attitude that “be fruitful and multiply” is a commandment, others look at it as something other than a demand from the almighty.

Raymond C. Van Leeuwen, writing in the November 12, 2001 online issue of Christianity Today, says that “Fertility is not a command but a blessing that God gives his creatures.” Therefore, says Van Leeuwen, a professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in Pennsylvania, “be fruitful and multiply” is a blessing, a “may you” declaration from God, not a mandate. He also states that “some Christian traditions take a wrong turn” when they see “Be fruitful” as a command. “They argue on the basis of the created order (sometimes called natural law) and Scripture that God has actually commanded married people to have children.” These Christians, he says, “argue against birth control.” Van Leeuwen concludes that “Within the limits of marriage, sex is one of the good gifts of God’s creation . . . whether or not it seeks in every instance to be fruitful in a procreative sense.” This debate about the concepts of blessing vs. command opens the way for Christians to exercise free choice by not bearing children “provided they are wise and serve God.”

An anonymous childfree Christian blogger posts her views at childfreechristian.blogspot.com/2009/06/is- childfree-christian-oxymoron.html. She is in her early thirties who has never wanted children. She quotes from 1 Corinthians 7, which the blogger is “the most powerful support of being childfree.” The Apostle Paul is a single man and in giving his opinion about the unmarried state. He appeals to others to remain single in order to “free them from anxieties” so they can give “undivided devotion to the .” The blogger says that Paul condones a married couple’s abstention from sex for spiritual reasons, and that “there is nothing to say that pregnancy prevention couldn’t be one of those reasons.” She also makes the point that Jesus, “the center of our faith,” never had children.

Of the many responses to this blog, two expressed by women in their thirties stand out:

“I get questions too, and I want to scream at them IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. I am so happy I have been Googling, and seeing other married Christian couples out there with the same heavy heart about • kids.” “. . . I felt relief wash over me. I am not alone! I am 34, happily married and have never had a desire for children. I am also a devout believer in Jesus Christ, and I have struggled over whether my lack of • desire is sinful.”

A blogger who identifies herself only as Debi (Twiga92.wordpress.com/on-being-christian-and- childfree) writes about Life as a Childfree Christian Kid. “There seem to be a lot of Christians out there that think it is wrong for a Christian couple to choose not to have children. . .. Yet the reason God created a wife for Adam was to be a helpmeet (sic), a companion, so that he would not be alone. Obviously they had to have children in order for the human race to exist, but I think we’ve pretty much taken care of the “fruitful and multiply” aspect! . . . . Reproduction is a benefit of marriage, not a requirement.”

There have been Christian that supported being childfree such as the Shakers and the Cathars. Nineteenth century Shakers were not marriage-oriented and therefore did not procreate. The Cathars of the 12th and 13 centuries, judged procreation as undesirable and had no objection to contraception.

Clearly, some Christians struggle with being childfree, even with the more liberal interpretation of “Be fruitful and multiply.” In a Yahoo! contributor network essay “Why I Choose to be Childfree in Church,” Hillari Hunter, expresses frustration about being judged in church and said that parishioners send “puzzled looks or out-and- out disdain” to the childfree churchgoer. (http://voices.yahoo.com/shared/print.shtml?content_type=article&content_type_id=826017).

There is help for the guilt-ridden at www.christianforums.com, which is designed for couples who choose not to have children. We applaud their courage in thinking twice before making more of us.

Jewish Thought About Being Childfree by Choice

April 23, 2012 By Ellis and Cheryl Levinson

Religion has an influential role in the decision to bear children. In Enough of Us: Why we should think twice before making children, we examine religious motivations for procreation. In this column we’re going to look at Jewish positions (no pun intended) on choosing whether or not to have children.

In Jewish Orthodox tradition, halakhah is the complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow. According to these rules, it’s simply not OK for a man to ejaculate outside of the vagina. A man sins if he “spills his seed upon the ground.” Although birth control is permitted under certain circumstances, the use of condoms is not allowed because it will result in destruction and/or blockage of the passage of the seed. Clearly, there is a “halakhic obligation to procreate.” (Judaism 101: Kosher Sex – www.jewfaq.org/sex,htm)

Birth control is permitted in halakhah, as long as couples are committed to have at least two children, one of each gender. This complies with the oft quoted phrase, “be fruitful and multiply,” because offspring are considered to be blessings. Birth control is not acceptable in order to remain childfree.

Given that in bearing offspring is pretty darn mandatory, how do religious couples cope with the possibility of being childfree by choice? In the March 5, 2012, the “Lady Mama” entry at www.ladymamale.blogspot.com, an orthodox married woman speaks out about reaching age 30 and still waiting “for the desire to have a child.” “In our day and age, I do not think it’s fair to make women like me feel there is something wrong with us just because we don’t have the „maternal instinct.’ It’s not fair to tell us we’re „overthinking’ the whole having kids thing. How can you not with such an important decision that not only impacts the rest of your life, the lives of all those around you, but most importantly the life of this innocent bystander who did not ask to be born.” Here is a woman who is thinking twice, in spite of her religious influences, however she struggles with the emotional pain of being orthodox and childless.

Twenty women responded to this post. Several commended the writer on her honesty. These responders wrote statement such as how lucky this writer’s children will be to have such a “thoughtful mother,” and “I respect you for publicizing your choice and wish more people in the orthodox world could be more open minded.”

One respondent said that this article spoke to orthodox women who already had a “houseful of kids,” and felt guilty about not wanting to continue to multiply, yet struggled with the halakhic obligation to be fruitful. “It will help me with my decision,” she wrote.

An advocate of having children said “if you don’t have children you will never learn a certain type of giving or love that can only be found between parents and their children.”

Another dissenting voice said: “True in the end, we don’t know how kids end up.” She cites an ancient king who, “decides not to have children since he knows his son will be wicked. But he is punished for that, since that is not his concern. His job, as a man, is to have children. Everything else is out of his hands.” Photo: Tower Books

It seems God dictates that couples are simply supposed to procreate without thinking twice about the long- term consequences. allows for some opposition to the standard orthodox position on childbearing, but permission to be childfree by choice is not spelled out. This aspect of Judaism sees scripture as a guide, rather than as rules to be followed without question, and allows for the development of personal beliefs within a caring community. The reform movement allows females to become rabbis, and for those who intermarry to be part of the Jewish community.

“Modern” Jews believe that the benefits of birth control (female health, family stability or disease prevention) uphold the commandment to “choose life,” which trumps “Be fruitful and multiply.”

The Reform Movement’s openness may allow for a sliver of light to shine through partially closed blinds. It invites less judgment than Orthodox Judaism, and more discussion, about how there already is enough of us, and why we should think twice before making children.

Since Judaism is the foundation of , we wonder how much influence its laws have had on the compulsion of so many to birth first and ask questions later. As for those who believe we should be fruitful and multiply, we ask, “Until when?”

After all, we have to stop sooner or later; the Earth is only so big.