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Posted on 05/24/2006 6:47:17 AM PDT by NYer
Some Canadians' noses are out of joint after Pope Benedict had the audacity to criticize our nation in front of the world.
The pontiff's beef?
Our low birthrate, which Benedict attributes to the absence of religion in our lives.
His words have been met so far with little more than a chorus of grumbles and cries to "mind your own business."
The Pope blames our woes on our "secular" status, which simply means Canada's population is turning away from organized religion.
How far? Just look at the reaction to Prime Minister Stephen Harper closing a speech with the words: "God bless Canada."
It's hard to believe that could offend anyone. After all, he's not beseeching any particular religion's god to bestow good fortune upon our country.
But, judging from the negative reaction these days to the words God, religion and church, you'd think he was uttering an obscenity.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians who practise no religion sat at about 19% in 2004, compared to 12% in 1985.
Fair enough. We live in a free country, where no one is forced to believe anything they don't wish to believe. No one could argue against that.
The drawback is that organized religion once provided a foundation for our moral standards and a model for good behaviour. As its impact on our society wanes, it is replaced by an ambiguous set of rules.
Personal gratification moves toward the top of the list. The '60s slogan "if it feels good, do it," has become the mantra for an entire society.
Many politicians, even if they hold deep religious convictions themselves, are reluctant to place themselves in the line of fire by suggesting a nation's success runs far deeper than the employment rate or income levels.
Fortunately, Pope Benedict is bound by no such constraints.
In fact, stirring things up is part of his job description.
That's what he was doing when he urged Canada's Roman Catholic bishops to preach "with passion."
Like the man he claims as his Saviour, Benedict is obviously on a mission.
He recently suggested a lack of true love was behind an increase in failed marriages and a decrease in birthrates across the developed world.
It's a message our politically correct society might not want to hear, but it is one that bears closer scrutiny.
At first glance, our diminishing birthrate appears just another manifestation of modern life, which offers us choices and benefits unknown to previous generations.
The trouble is, if our birthrate continues to diminish, or even remains steady at close to record low levels, it will begin to threaten our nation's survival.
Even immigration isn't filling the void -- despite the fact we welcome more newcomers than just about any nation.
The foundation of our society will crumble around us without enough fresh blood to replenish our population.
It's interesting so much debate is devoted to the potential impact of global warming, while this more fundamental threat goes virtually ignored.
The mainstream argument runs that everyone is free -- there's that word again -- to make their own choices about parenthood.
The larger question is why our society as a whole has come to place so little value on children when they mean so much to the continuation of our nation's viability.
It's not simply a matter of making it easier for parents to afford the cost of raising children -- even though that would be a good start.
Benedict and other religious leaders can only try to change our society's attitude that places a higher value on luxury cars, estate homes and sun destination vacations than on a noisy house full of energetic, laughing children.
If they don't succeed, the eventual economic repercussions may do the job for them.
New figures by Statistics Canada project there'll be more seniors over age 65 than children under 15 by 2015. By 2031, the number of seniors could be double the number of children.
When that happens, who'll take up the jobs needed to keep our economy going to support this mob of oldsters?
Where will the health-care providers come from needed to keep these masses of seniors healthy and happy?
Sadly, perhaps that's what it will take for our self-centred, cynical society to finally heed the true significance of Benedict's warning.
The Pope is right - howver - the answer is complicated.
Have the government (populace) issue a hefty bonus check and a lifetime pass to the Calgary Stampede for every child brought to term and born.
Childless couples would be forbidden to spend the winters in Florida.
Watch the birthrate boom to unprecedented levels.
Leni
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
the wicked for their sins.
I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
12 I will make man scarcer than pure gold,
more rare than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble;
and the earth will shake from its place
at the wrath of the LORD Almighty,
in the day of his burning anger.
It would seem that the lower birthrates in so many countries is another Biblical prophesy being fulfilled...
Why single out Canada?
Italy's fertility rate (number of children per woman: 2.0 is the rate required to maintain the population) is only 1.28.
Germany's (his home country) is 1.31.
While Canada's is 1.61.
I can think of no truer statement on the calamity of our era!
True love.
The love that emanates from God.
Did you know, you can make the bible say anything?
Horse manure. Look at the rest of the prophecy:
Isa 13:14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
Isa 13:15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword.
Isa 13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
Isa 13:17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it.
Isa 13:18 [Their] bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
Isa 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
The reason that men will be scarcer than pure gold in this passage is because the Old Testament God is going to stir up Babylon's neighbors against her, so that the Babylonians are put to the sword, down to the smallest child.
-ccm
Italy is no longer a Catholic nation. Times have changed. :0(
Personal gratification moves toward the top of the list. The '60s slogan "if it feels good, do it," has become the mantra for an entire society.
The problem is endemic in the West.
Oh, he's not singling out Canada. He's been disturbing people all over with his "preferential option for the child."
Because the Canadian bishops were in Rome for their ad limina visit.
Pope decries Italy's rock-bottom birth rate Pope decries Italy's rock-bottom birth rate. VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul yesterday urged Italian couples to have more children and called on public ... www.namibian.com.na/Netstories/2000/February/World/decries.html - 3k - Cached - Similar pages
"Why single out Canada?"
The Bishops of Canada as a group were visiting Rome. The bishops of a country will visit the Pope every few years for a kind of little pep talk. It is called an ad limina visit. The US bishops probably go next year. That talk should be very interesting.
He was speaking to Canadian Bishops. Why would he talk about another country?
Anyway, he has spoken many times on the low birthrates in Europe.
and of course, he is an expert on marriage, and the art of procreation.....
I'd love to have children if it weren't for the fact that every Canadian woman I've dated over the last 2 years weren't a hardcore pro-abortion feminist or turned out to be messed up on drugs. I know this statement sounds outlandish but it's true.
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