Posted on 08/26/2007 10:30:41 AM PDT by monomaniac
By Elizabeth O?Brien
MADRID, August 24, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Calling for Spanish policy makers to commit to providing greater support for families, the Institute for Family Policy (IFP) reported an alarming trend than one in four homes will be single-parent by 2011, Catholic News Agency (CNA) reports.
Mariano Martinez-Aedo, Vice President of the IFP, pointed out that recent trends in Spanish families have caused increased "fragmentation" that has weakened the structure of society. He said, "The tendencies that show the evolution of homes in Spain reveal serious deficiencies in our future, as they are provoking a society that is more and more individualistic, where social fragmentation is isolating the person and makes the social fabric very fragile."
The Vice President also criticized social policy for abandoning proper family values and failing in its purpose. He said, "This evolution is a result not only of cultural, economic and social changes, but also of a profound abandonment in family and social policy, which is not fulfilling its objectives."
He concluded, "A vigorous social and political reaction is necessary that adopts important and lasting measures that truly support Spanish families to fulfill their role."
The IFP noted that the destructive tendencies increasing in society are also due to the number of broken families and couples without children. The organization underlined the importance of an active cultural change in order to encourage solid families and strengthen society.
The IFP stated, "A decisive commitment to the family is also necessary in the realms of culture and education." It then proposed practical changes such as increased financial assistance for families and other pro-family policies.
At present one in five homes in Spain is supported by a single parent, CNA reports.
Since the election of Socialist President Jose Luis Zapatero, the country has plunged into the foremost ranks of anti-family countries in the European Union. Spain's birthrate of 1.28 children per woman is one of the lowest in the EU, yet as the IFP indicates, the country does not offer adequate assistance to parents and children.
Spain's alarming demographic trends are not surprising in light of the fact that the country has systematically struck down or loosened those laws that protect traditional marriage and family as well as the rights of unborn children.
Read previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
Spain's Socialist-Led Descent into Darkness
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111503.html
Spain to Teach Children From Age 10 to Accept Homosexuality
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071701.html
Spain Fast Becoming Europe's Worst Place for Families
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07011708.html
There used to be a day when families provided support by definition and now families are in need of help?
Gosh, what happened?
Don't tell me that political power grab agenda has anything to do with it for agenda is as pure as the falling rain....
Individualism is lost...
Spain is down to 1.29 children per woman per fertile lifetime - i.e Spain is just about halving in population every generation.
Very shortly it will cease to exist [as will all of the other nations in the right-hand column]:
TOP 30 MEAN IQ *** BOTTOM 30 TOTAL FERTILITY RATE *** *** Estonia 1.41 107 Hong Kong *** Croatia 1.41 106 South Korea *** Guernsey (UK) 1.40 105 Japan *** Germany 1.40 104 Taiwan (ROC) *** Bulgaria 1.39 102 Austria *** Russia 1.39 102 Germany *** Romania 1.38 102 Italy *** Austria 1.37 102 Netherlands *** Greece 1.35 101 Sweden *** Armenia 1.34 101 Switzerland *** San Marino 1.34 100 Belgium *** Hungary 1.33 100 China (PRC) *** Slovakia 1.33 100 New Zealand *** Andorra 1.31 100 Singapore *** Italy 1.29 100 United Kingdom *** SPAIN 1.29 99 Hungary *** South Korea 1.28 99 Poland *** Latvia 1.28 99 SPAIN *** Poland 1.26 98 Denmark *** Slovenia 1.26 98 France *** Moldova 1.25 98 Norway *** Ukraine 1.24 98 United States *** Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.23 97 Canada *** Japan 1.23 97 Czech Republic *** Belarus 1.22 97 Finland *** Czech Republic 1.22 96 Australia *** Northern Mariana Islands (US) 1.21 96 Argentina *** Lithuania 1.21 96 Russia *** Republic of China (Taiwan) 1.12 96 Slovakia *** Singapore 1.07 96 Uruguay *** Macau (PRC) 1.03 *** Hong Kong (PRC) 0.98 SOURCE: IQ and the Wealth of Nations
SOURCE: List of countries and territories by fertility rate
KayEyeDoubleDee,
Spain has admitted more than 4 million immigrants in the past decade, mostly Latin Americans. That is the reason why actual population has increased by 10%.
monomaniac,
the impact of “progressive” culture that downplays the role of family and improvement and focuses on hedonism has had a lot of influence, but there is also a deep economic problem, because, to keep the privileges of the middle and third age people (pensioners with high state payments and workers that cannot be fired) the adjust is being done on the younger generation. It is not easy to buy a home here by the average young worker (below 30) not to say to earn enough to get married and have two children. The future of Spain is being lost trying to avoid any inconvenience to the older generations.
A consequence of the Welfare State in our now globilizing world.
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