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.
Then I wasn't clear.
It was Pope John Paul II, not Benedict who spoke to Italians.
"be fruitful and multiply"?...interesting comment...I guess the Citizens of Rome, Chief Officers', are not adhering to the teaching's of Jesus, as they are not procreating...
Look, I believe in large families, but I also believe in not arguing with facts.
I see no current equation between large families and virtuous social patterns. Right now, I see the opposite occuring in many locations. (hopefully as a temporary phenomenon).
My interest in the subject is from a rather odd perspective: decades ago I read an article in a science fiction magazine that predicted two things would happen by 2011...a population decline and the ability to keep humans alive indefintely. It was all based on some mathematical theory or the other and durned if it doesn't seem to be working out that way.
I would respectfully suggest that chastising Canadians when he is not persuasive in his own backyard is counterproductuve.
Who are you talking about and what is counterproductive?
And Benedict has spoken about low birthrates in Europe, shall I post some links?
The Canadian bishops are making their ad Limina visit to the Vatican this week. The pope was addressing them on the state of their country.
Means what it says.
Europe is not the same as Italy, despite the EU.
For large scale situations, figuring out the source of the problem is geneally more productive than railing against it.
Canada ping.
Anyhow, all of Europe is below ZPG--- formerly-Catholic, formerly-Protestant, and formerly-Orthodox Europe --- and so are Canada and the USA if you don't count immigrants and the first-generation children of immigrants.
Most common male baby name in Hamburg: Mohammad.
OK, not much.
Europe is not the same as Italy, despite the EU.
Huh? Last time I checked, Italy is part of Europe.
For large scale situations, figuring out the source of the problem is geneally more productive than railing against it.
And he is speaking directly to what he thinks is the source of the problem. He isn't just bitching that birth rates are too low, he has his own ideas what is causing it and is urging the bishops to speak out about it.
Did you even read the post?
Pychologisists with psychosis are not in a better position to make such judgements.
Yea, and?
Go back and read what I wrote. Someone was saying the Pope had no standing to pontificate about marriage and birth rates since he was celibate. That is a moronic charge. Hence my comparing what they said to a psychiatrist.
It wouldn't be wise to antagonize Canada. Canada could build nuke weapons even before Iran. Canada could also build aircraft carriers and nuke bombers even before France. That Canada is not a space power on their own is merely because they have chosen to cooperate with NASA and ESA. There is a superpower lurking up there in the Great White North that could be real anytime they want.
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