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Dead End of Secularism
www.tothesource.org ^ | June 11, 2009 | Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse

Posted on 07/02/2009 11:00:16 AM PDT by Publius804

Dead End of Secularism

Secularism was to be the wave of the future. Leading secular theorists such as Peter Berger taught that secularism would be the inevitable result of the inexorable march of progress and that its many advantages would simply drive out religion in all of its forms. No serious discussion was possible or necessary. Religion would be deposited unceremoniously on the dustbin of history.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the dustbin: secularism has not only failed to triumph over religion, it can’t even reproduce itself. In spite of enormous institutional advantages conferred on it by the state, the media and academia, secularism has created a society that cannot achieve replacement fertility. The most secular places tend to have the lowest fertility rates, and within countries, the most modern parts of modern societies tend to have the lowest fertility rates.

This is highlighted in the soon to be released second part of Demographic Winter, an independent film project which features interviews with me, among other experts.

For instance, the US is alone among the modern western democracies in having fertility rates at or above replacement, and the US is widely regarded as the last remaining religious country in the industrialized world. Within the US, the New England states have among the lowest fertility rates in the US. Vermont has the lowest total fertility rate of any state in the union: 1.66 babies per woman. (Note: you have to click on the link for the excel file to see the birth rates.) While you’re looking at the table, please notice that the six New England states, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, are in the “top ten” of the lowest total fertility rate states in the country.

(Excerpt) Read more at tothesource.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: birthrate; fertility; religion; secularism

1 posted on 07/02/2009 11:00:16 AM PDT by Publius804
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To: Publius804

Secularism doesn’t reproduce through birth. It reproduces through the mind.


2 posted on 07/02/2009 11:11:29 AM PDT by MyTwoCopperCoins (I don't have a license to kill; I have a learner's permit.)
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To: Publius804

Cross reference for how well off the population is. Poorer countries and subgroups tend to produce more children.


3 posted on 07/02/2009 11:20:00 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Publius804

God’s greatest blessing: “I will mutliply thy seed.”

God’s greatest curse: “I will cut off your generations.”

Go ahead and laugh. Abort and Birth-control yourselves out of the gene pool, and laugh yourselves out of existence.

The old adage, “The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world,” is apparently true.


4 posted on 07/02/2009 12:44:50 PM PDT by Westbrook (Having more children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: Westbrook

The future looks like us! (Big feet and annoying hair, on this end ...)


5 posted on 07/02/2009 1:23:45 PM PDT by Tax-chick ("Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge."~Pr. 14:7)
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To: Tax-chick
"Big feet and annoying hair"

snort! snic! BTTT

6 posted on 07/02/2009 1:56:51 PM PDT by YHAOS
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To: YHAOS

Just something to keep in mind, if you were thinking of marrying any of my kids!


7 posted on 07/02/2009 2:23:55 PM PDT by Tax-chick ("Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge."~Pr. 14:7)
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To: Tax-chick

Tax-chick, last I recall you were doing your share to keep the good ole USA filled with traditional, God-fearing children.

...

Yikes! Just checked your profile and you’re up to nine! I thought I remembered 6 or 7 from our last exchange a while back.

...

Where in NC do you and your family make your home? We’re in San Diego although my wife’s parents retired to a small town near Hendersonville, a burg called Tryon. My father-in-law’s surname was Woodward, also related to Earles and Furmans, and they mostly dominate South Carolina near Greenville.


8 posted on 07/02/2009 5:34:31 PM PDT by tom h
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To: tom h

We’re in the suburbs of Charlotte, but we’re not *from* here. I’m from Missouri, and my husband originally from Ohio. I lived in San Diego 1970-1975.


9 posted on 07/02/2009 5:55:07 PM PDT by Tax-chick ("Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge."~Pr. 14:7)
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To: Tax-chick
"Just something to keep in mind, if you were thinking of marrying any of my kids!"

I'm a bit too old for any of your kids. More likely my grandson, who is red-headed, and has big feet. Sounds like he might fit right in.

10 posted on 07/02/2009 6:49:06 PM PDT by YHAOS
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To: YHAOS

Sounds perfect! Have him call me in about 10 years.


11 posted on 07/03/2009 5:07:28 AM PDT by Tax-chick ("Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge."~Pr. 14:7)
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To: Publius804
Lower fertility rates often correspond with higher standards of living.

Also, I don't see how this can all be blamed on secularism. Government looting of peoples' means seems more likely to me; it's much more expensive to raise children in a one income household than it was 50 years ago, all because of the ridiculous tax burden and the massive funding needed to run a gargantuan and unconstitutional federal government.

The good thing is that birth rates for conservative voters are much higher than liberal voters, so in several generations the Democrats might find themselves aborted out of existence.

12 posted on 07/28/2009 7:05:54 AM PDT by GunRunner
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