Saving the Earth

Today is Sunday, so you'll have to forgive me for being a little more philosophical than usual. I don't usually take the time to write on Sunday, but I read something this morning that made me need to share a few thoughts.

As the mother of four amazing children, I have, on occasion, faced some people who think that I am trying to destroy the world. The most frequent opposition to my family is the argument that the education system should not be over burdened by my desire to have kids. I brush these naive arguments off. I know these people will stop their griping the minute they realize that it's my children who are providing their social security.

But this morning, I read an article that gives voice to Jonathon Porritt, who chairs the British government’s Sustainable Development Commission. This man wants to save the Earth and he believes that he can do it by proving to the rest of the world that it is irresponsible to have more than two children (ironically, the number that he has). He states, as proof of this problem, “We still have one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Europe and we still have relatively high levels of pregnancies going to birth, often among women who are not convinced they want to become mothers."

WHAT?

Now listen, I am not making a secret of how I feel about abortion. I cannot be happy about the mass genocide of unborn children because I believe that children are the greatest of God's gifts. But, pro-choice vs pro-life isn't even in it here. This is not someone saying that women should have the right to choose about abortion. This is someone arguing that abortion is a moral obligation and that it is, in fact, "irresponsible" to carry a child to term.

Why? Because of global warming. Yes, we must wipe out the children in order to save the children. Here is the real problem I have with this entire issue. It seems to always be those who have no religious footing that want so desperately to SAVE the planet for future generations. LET'S BE QUITE CLEAR ON THIS ARGUMENT. Life on this planet is an accident. It climbed out of the slime and progressed over billions of years through a series of genetic mutations (aka: more accidents). There is no divine purpose, no life after death, and nothing special about humans. We must consider ourselves equal with the mosquitoes, because they have the same right to be here that we do. Of course, that means no right at all. It's simply coincidence. BUT, in a few million years we may have, though our irresponsibility, used up this Earth's resources and caused a disaster for the planet. Life may, in fact, be utterly wiped away. This, of course, would leave us right back where we stared. And, I must say, "Who cares?" There was nothing divine about that life we destroyed anyway!

Okay...count to 10...Let me tell you what I know. I know that we are Children of God. As such, we have a divine purpose and an eternal destiny. We should be good stewards of the world we have been given precisely for this reason. But, killing, devaluing, or simply detesting children is the FARTHEST thing from a solution. Be grateful, Mr. Porritt, that there are those of us who value our children so much that we are willing to sacrifice careers, money, trips and other luxuries to raise them and teach them of their divine worth. Be glad that we aren't all teaching our children that the human race has no inherit worth. Be glad, because the values that I am trying to instill in my beautiful children are the ones that will make this world livable for yours.