Demographic Reversal Will Finish The Welfare State

IBD Editorials ^ | December 23, 2011 | MARK STEYN

[Kaslin]

Our lesson for today comes from the Gospel according to Luke. No, no, not the manger, the shepherds, the wise men, any of that stuff, but the other birth:

"But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."

That bit of the Christmas story doesn't get a lot of attention, but it's in there — Luke 1:13, part of what he'd have called the back story, if he'd been a Hollywood screenwriter rather than a physician.

Of the four gospels, only two bother with the tale of Christ's birth, and only Luke begins with the tale of two pregnancies. Zacharias is surprised by his impending paternity — "for I am an old man and my wife well stricken in years."

Nonetheless, an aged, barren woman conceives and, in the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy, the angel visits her cousin Mary and tells her that she, too, will conceive.

If you read Luke, the virgin birth seems a logical extension of the earlier miracle — the pregnancy of an elderly lady.

The physician-author had no difficulty accepting both. For Matthew, Jesus' birth is the miracle; Luke leaves you with the impression that all birth — all life — is to a degree miraculous and God-given.

We now live in Elisabeth's world — not just because technology has caught up with the deity and enabled women in their 50s and 60s to become mothers, but in a more basic sense.

[grey_whiskers]

Much of the developed world climbed out of the stream. You don't need to make material sacrifices; the state takes care of all that. You don't need to have children. And you certainly don't need to die for king and country.

But a society that has nothing to die for has nothing to live for. It's no longer a stream, but a stagnant pool.

Hmmm, Sarah Palin said it first, and better.

"Only dead fish go with the flow."

And she has five kids. (Happy Hubby!)

Makes you wonder what's wrong with Ann ("I need a cheeseburger") Coulter.

...at least until you look at the autofellating loser atheists, like Bill Maher, whom she hangs out with.

Cheers!

...oh, and Merry Christmas.

[Kenny Bunk]

Thanks for the post. But I feel bound to point out that the folks who run things have always known this demographic fact of life. That's why we had 1st, European Immigration. We needed it to grow! As the material welfare of these peoples increased and their fertility was thereby somehow checked, the powers that be looked toward the Third World, and even the shadow world of "The Emerging Nations."

My grandparents had 10 and 6 children. My parents 4. I have had three. AS a 1950's family reunion, 450 people showed up. That will never happen with the European-based population again!

Those earlier waves of immigration to the New World were despite huge cultural differences, united in the overall Western Christian Tradition. Idol-smashing Protestant and idolatrous Roman are both saved by Christ, which even they occasionally, albeit grudgingly are forced to admit.

Merry Christmas.

[reefdiver]

So go adopt then. I could care less what you think of my views

[TheOldLady]

No, you men are not alone. It pains me to hear that Agenda 21 is in full-implementation mode, but what else could we expect after ceding the schools to the left for two or three generations?

But what really bothers me is to hear the hopelessness of some FReepers here who think that there is nothing to be done about it, or that they must forgo having kids, when exactly the opposite is the way to defeat this horrible, genocidal evil.

Have kids and bring them up with God in their lives and education. It's the only way that God will heal our land.

And for Heaven's sake, don't be swayed by the Agenda 21 propaganda that says all is lost. It's another leftist lie. Almost nothing they say is true.

[metesky]

I assure you it’s nothing personal, reefdiver.

[metesky]

And Merry Christmas... :O)

[BenKenobi]

“when exactly the opposite is the way to defeat this horrible, genocidal evil”

Well that’s really not something we can do on our own. :)

[TwoSwords]

I would say the native birth-rate is low because of taxation carrying the immigrants of all types via all the programs they can sign up for and the bureaucracy that entails.

[OldPossum]

...Responsible people have made decisions not to bring life into this world because of the direction it is headed.

I agree with you on this matter. I claim no great powers of insight but at age 18 (1958), based solely on personal experiences I had concluded that I would never subject any innocent soul to what I had experienced and I decided to never become a parent. And I never changed my mind.

The direction of our country today just reinforces that conclusion reached 53 years ago.

[Theophilus]

Responsible people have made decisions not to bring life into this world because of the direction it is headed.

This is vain self-deceit.

[maica]

it may be that the greater act of faithfulness would be to have children especially in these times.

#####

We need to develop the habit of thanking parents of young children for their deeds and even "sacrifice" in the same way as we thank our military volunteers for their service to the country.

People your age, or in their thirties, who have chosen to work steadily, to pay a mortgage and taxes, and raise nurtured children are the only hope for the future of a healthy America.

[OldPossum]

I agree with reefdiver and just wonder what you mean by “vain self-deceit”?

[OldPossum]

I see that I have a chore to do. Will be back later to see what you say.

[TheOldLady]

Me neither. I’m 65 and childless, but not by choice.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

I think mark said he would be back on Tuesday; Walter Williams on Friday. A Best Of show for Monday. I did not hear about the rest of the week.

[lentulusgracchus]

But if Willard should scheme his way to the nomination -- and I don't think he will -- I will vote for him over 0.

Many happy Christmas greetings and good wishes to you, too.

As for Obama, soon enough the writing will appear on the wall of the Executive Office Building, for him and all his henchmen:

Mene, mene, tekel upharsin.

[AZ .44 MAG]

Merry Christmas, JLS.

[reefdiver]

says you, other people seem to agree. With me.
But you go ahead and subject yours.

talk about self deceit

[SaraJohnson]

Oops. You did not quote me as indicated in your post. I won’t vote for Willard, ever.

Merry Christmas!

[cradle of freedom]

I wonder if it is legally possible for a town to not have a public school but instead allow private schools? I wish some conservative communities would try something like this.