Hi. Erm...I'm not married and I'm not a Christian. But I am childfree by choice. I'm hoping 1 out of 3 will let me post here! Despite not qualifying for the first 2 elements, I am very pro-marriage and Christian-friendly. Most of my friends are practicing Christians and that kind of brings me here. My friend is looking forward to one day marrying her boyfriend and starting a family, bringing them up in Christ. Lovely, couldn't be happier for her.
But as a childfree-er, (she pretty much knew I was) I messaged her to say I was thrilled to find this Childfree Marriages sub forum on a Christian website, hooray! She replied that as a Christian, she doesn't really agree with that because the Bible says it is Christians' duty to 'go forth and multiply'.
I was surprised and replied that one can still be devoted to God and make meaningful contributions and legacies to society without having kids. What about Mother Teresa and nuns in general? Cicely Saunders? Gladys Aylward? Who can doubt that these women did not selflessly devote themselves to God and to human beings?
She replied back 'fair enough'. It seemed very half hearted, like she still wasn't convinced. I told her I'm not trying to make her into a childfree person, I just want her to understand that just because a person can biologically have a child, doesn't mean they automatically should. She replied she does understand but...effectively it's wrong.
She is an open minded individual and generally very tolerant of others, their belief systems, attitudes etc. so I was frankly blown away by this intolerant and narrow minded opinion. She believes being a childfree Christian is inherently wrong, going against God and His word in the Bible. We had to agree to disagree in the end.
I am very confident and comfortable in my decision not to have children. At any rate I do not feel happy talking to her anymore about this issue, because she is of the opinion that the reason you are put on this earth is to have children, whether you are Christian or not. Attitudes like that just encourage you to feel worthless and incomplete until you have bred. Ridiculous!
I would like to commend you Christian Childfree by choice-ers, because you have not submitted to the pressure of having kids just because all around you demand it.
I'm sorry that was a really long rant. Grrr!! But why is it that everyone thinks you are criminally insane when you politely and simply state that you do not want (biological) kids??? I think another Childfree-er put it perfectly when she said that when someone hassles her about not having kids she retorts 'why don't you worry about your own kids instead of worrying about my non-existent ones!'
But as a childfree-er, (she pretty much knew I was) I messaged her to say I was thrilled to find this Childfree Marriages sub forum on a Christian website, hooray! She replied that as a Christian, she doesn't really agree with that because the Bible says it is Christians' duty to 'go forth and multiply'.
I was surprised and replied that one can still be devoted to God and make meaningful contributions and legacies to society without having kids. What about Mother Teresa and nuns in general? Cicely Saunders? Gladys Aylward? Who can doubt that these women did not selflessly devote themselves to God and to human beings?
She replied back 'fair enough'. It seemed very half hearted, like she still wasn't convinced. I told her I'm not trying to make her into a childfree person, I just want her to understand that just because a person can biologically have a child, doesn't mean they automatically should. She replied she does understand but...effectively it's wrong.
She is an open minded individual and generally very tolerant of others, their belief systems, attitudes etc. so I was frankly blown away by this intolerant and narrow minded opinion. She believes being a childfree Christian is inherently wrong, going against God and His word in the Bible. We had to agree to disagree in the end.
I am very confident and comfortable in my decision not to have children. At any rate I do not feel happy talking to her anymore about this issue, because she is of the opinion that the reason you are put on this earth is to have children, whether you are Christian or not. Attitudes like that just encourage you to feel worthless and incomplete until you have bred. Ridiculous!
I would like to commend you Christian Childfree by choice-ers, because you have not submitted to the pressure of having kids just because all around you demand it.
I'm sorry that was a really long rant. Grrr!! But why is it that everyone thinks you are criminally insane when you politely and simply state that you do not want (biological) kids??? I think another Childfree-er put it perfectly when she said that when someone hassles her about not having kids she retorts 'why don't you worry about your own kids instead of worrying about my non-existent ones!'