Religious more likely to be fruitful and multiply
filed in General on Sep.21, 2009
An interesting article in the Guardian today by philosopher Julian Baggini, which begins in cracking form:
I have one, and only one, firm and sincere desire about what quality my grandchildren should possess: non-existence.
The central question he asks is this:
The issue for me is rather one about the possible forms of the good life. I just cannot understand why it is that the vast majority of people seem to think breeding is a vital component of a flourishing existence.
Baggini is a prominent atheist and has written several books on the subject, including Atheism, A Very Short Introduction, and while I’m sure his work will be read long after he’s put in the ground, I wonder will he have as much of an influence on mankind’s future as this woman?
The commandment to “be fruitful and multiply” the Krishevsky family follows quite closely. Last Saturday, the great grandmother, Rachel Krishevsky passed away at the age of 99, leaving behind no less than 1,400 children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren.
Krishevsky got married to her cousin, Yitzhak, just before turning 19. The couple brought seven sons and four daughters into the world. In accordance with haredi custom, Krishevsky brought up her children to see children as a great joy. Her children subsequently adopted her outlook and produced 150 children of their own.
The nature of Israeli society is changing because religious Jews such as Mrs Krishevsky have far higher fertility rates than secular Jews, but it is not alone – the same is true in western Europe, as Eric Kaufmann wrote about in his famous article, Breeding for God….
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James Taranto at the Wall Street Journal has written about the “Roe effect” which has meant that there are fewer children born to liberals than conservatives. I suspect this is a similar idea whether the liberals are aborting their babies are just not conceiving.
