Necessary Roughness

One of the undercurrents heard in the immigration and the caliphate expansion fronts is that we Americans (and Europeans) have as a society convinced ourselves that fewer children is a good thing. As a result, societies with higher birthrates will eventually overtake our way of life, perhaps even within a couple of generations.

It’s heartening to see then, this AP article in the Washington Post:

It’s barely a blip on the nation’s demographic radar—11 percent of U.S. births in 2004 were to women who already had three children, up from 10 percent in 1995. But there seems to be a growing openness to having more than two children, in some case more than four.

The reasons are diverse—from religious to, as Mrs. Bennett reasons, “Why not?”

These families cut across economic lines, though a sizable part of the increase is attributed to a baby boom in affluent suburbs, with more upper-middle-class couples deciding that a three- or four-child household can be both affordable and fun.

(skipping)

The Census Department says it has no national data specifying which demographic sectors are having more kids these days. But a leading authority on family size, Duke University sociologist Philip Morgan, says it makes sense that some well-off couples are opting for more children as concern about global overcrowding eases because of lowering birth rates overall.

“The population explosion—fears about that are over,” he said. “People used to think that having more than two kids was not only expensive but immoral. Now, people say if you can afford three kids, four kids, that’s great.”

Psalm 127:3-5, anyone?