Wacky Wednesday--It's Better To Not Have Children

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Who wants to bring a child into this world of corruption, danger, and uncertainty?
~We are overpopulated, and somebody’s got to start being responsible.
~Pregnancy is a major health risk to women.
~Children often turn out badly.
~How can you have a great career and take time off for pregnancy as well?
~Children are one of the greatest sources of stress for a marriage.
~They cost you sleep.
~They cost you money.
~They certainly don’t provide you with more free time.
~They make messes, and break things.
~They are terrifically frustrating on a regular basis.
~There is no greater challenge to your self-image as a competent, intelligent person than parenting.
~Children could keep you from going on the mission field.

Post-show Thoughts: There are many things which could and should be said to respond to this, but I think the most elegant one is to simply observe that in spite of all these true problems, people still have children, have more children, and so deeply protect and love their children. That alone means that they are worth far more than all these problems woudl indicate.

That's why I find it so hard to take people seriously when they list some of these reasons as the explanation for their decision to avoid, postpone, or cease having children. Citing these elements in support of such a decision simply means to me that the person speaking really has no idea what children are and what they do for us. It's like someone saying, "I'd never want a mansion. The heating bills would be murder." You almost wonder if they're speaking English. Same thing here. What about some of the other, more specific advantages of children?

They teach us about God, His nature, and His love for us. The pain (agony, even) of having them helps us understand more about ourselves and our relationship to Him. They bring us joy like nothing else can. They keep us companion in our old age. They make us humble. But surely the biggest character effect of children is that they force us to be less self-centered than we naturally want to be. Also, although they surely add stress to a marriage, they also provide one of the most reliable inducements to staying married.