It has been said that “Demographics are Destiny.” If that is the case, an increasingly secularized America is in trouble. As our country ages and becomes more dependent on entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare—and as the need for caretaking increases—there are fewer young people who are paying into these systems or will be available to take care of their aging parents.
While some people may look at that amount, take a big gulp, and say “no thanks” as they think of all the other things they could do with that money, there is one group that consistently sees this amount as a wise investment. In that group are those who attend religious services on a weekly basis and see each child as a gift from God made in His image.
For prospective secular parents, having a child seems to be more of a business question—how will this affect our return on investment? For the faith-based parent, they see the investment not in monetary terms, but in long-term relationship terms. That is because faith-based parents often look beyond themselves and at a greater purpose for having children. The result of that faith and purpose is often emotionally and spiritually healthy children.
But there is also another factor that often results in raising emotionally and spiritually healthy children. That factor is having those children within the bounds of marriage.
“The finding that children who are born to married parents tend to enjoy better life outcomes is consistent with existing research that has established that children who grow up in two-parent homes are more likely to graduate from college and work and are less likely to have children young, be depressed, be convicted for committing a crime, or end up poor as adults on average.”
And who is more likely to be married and provide such an environment for children? Faith-based parents, who take the sacrament of marriage seriously and are committed to their spouses and children because of that faith. These parents are also involved in churches, which provide healthy, nurturing environments for both parents and children.
Thus, the decision to get married and have children is not simply a business transaction, nor is it just for the sake of demographics even if they are important for our long-term societal health. It comes down, as I mentioned earlier, to a sense of purpose, of something greater than just our personal desires of the moment.
For the secular, that sense of purpose is often based on doom and gloom, such as concerns over perceived climate change and overpopulation while seeking what they believe to be personal fulfillment that is ultimately unfulfilling.
It is that hope, along with an eternal purpose and belief in the permanence of marriage and family, that motivates the faithful to have children, and it is that lack of hope and lack of permanence that causes the secular to decline.
Thus, our looming demographic problems, while troubling, are small in comparison to the greater issue of raising healthy, happy children who will, in turn, likely raise future healthy, happy children. The solution is a return to becoming a society that values marriage and religious faith—the two constants that provide the proper environments for children to flourish and thrive. In fact, we will not only solve our demographic problems but will also be a healthier and happier society.
