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Old 2nd May 2006, 05:11 PM   #1
Flying Walrus
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Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1
Child-Free Christian Marriage

Hello all,

You may have noticed recently in the media an upswing in interest in being child-free by choice. My wife and me (both Christians) have been married about three years and are seriously considering this option. Neither of us have any desire to have children, seem to have any parental DNA, or particularly like begin around children for long periods of time.

It's not hard to find a number of reasons for not having children (effect on the environment, how hard society is on children growing up these days, ending up doing it just because it is the 'expected thing' rather than having any strong positive desire to do it and so on). What there isn't is any discussion of this from a Christian perspective.

So, my question to the forum is this: What is the Christian viewpoint on having children within marriage? Is it an absolute command if physically able, or is there some discretion available? What scriptures do people look at on this issue?

Looking forward to seeing what opinions are out there.

Best Regards,

Flying Walrus
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Old 8th May 2006, 08:43 PM   #2
Jonas
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Re: Child-Free Christian Marriage

Dear Flying Walrus,

I would say that children are the natural outcome of two married people who love each other. There is no commandment or anything of the like in the scriptures that says if you don't have children, you are a bad believer. But God says to all humanity, after he created them, that they should populate the earth, be fruitful.

I understand your concern about our world today. Yet, I think that this world hasn't been better at some time in the past, but rather different in its characteristics. This whole eon (or age, as it were), in which we are, is evil, no matter what people say or mean about the past or our pressent. So it is not necessarily valid to say today's world is too corrupted to have children.

One other important point can be gotten from the first pages of the bible. There we read that mankind was created in the likness and image of God (or Elohim, to be exact). Elohim in Hebrew is a plural noun denoting two entities that subject, or, in other words, two subjectors. Important is the idea of plurality that the word Elohim depicts.

We know from Colossians Chapter 1 that God created everything through Christ. This means, consequently, that humanity was created in the likeness and image of these two entities, Christ and God, which is already implied in the name Elohim. These two, the one through the other, created all the beings that exist, and can, therefore, since God is also called Father, be perceived as one big family. And this, all this, we, as males and females, represent on this planet earth: The husband, through the wife, brings other beings into being, just as God does through Christ. Husband and Wife are there to start a family, and they can find fulfilment in it, because it is our divinely given honor to represent God and His Christ in our married lives with it.

I hope what I say here makes sense. If not, please tell me.

I am not married, just so you know, and can't therefore speak as an experienced believer regarding marriage. The things here are simply truths that my God has shown me.

At some point in my life, I hope to be able to live a marriage that is blessed with children. I know that children are beautiful, and being a father to them can be exciting and fulfilling. Children are a blessing. Plus, we can certainly be rejoycing that we may have children together with God's guidance, with faith in His word, which makes us strong and steadfast.

With my kind regards,
Jonas

Last edited by Jonas; 12th May 2006 at 05:16 PM.
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