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The meek are inheriting the earth?

It is old news that there is a demographic problem in the technologically and economically advanced world. Basically, Europe, Japan and North America are contracepting themselves and aborting themselves into demographic decline. This is only somewhat offset by immigration and with mixed results: especially in Europe, where the immigrants seem to be mostly Muslim . . .

It is also old news that Russia is perhaps the most heartbreaking case. For just one example, the number of abortions last year (2004) exceeded the number of live births. That is despite the availability of contraception. And that figure is according to the Russian government's own numbers. (See http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a_b.qA0CYFx0&refer=europe )

What is new (to me, at least) is that this problem is now manifesting in the developing parts of the world. It especially seems to be so in China (overall) and India (among the educated populations). Here is the link to the story that I read tonight and which gave me pause enough to post this. http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007552

From what I can tell, it seems like the main result of this will be severe financial stress in the advanced world in the next 30 years or so (sooner in some places) as pensions come due but without enough people of working age to pay into them to maintain them. Meanwhile, it seems that the people who still have babies will literally take over because there will simply be more of them.

Interesting, isn't it? The numbers don't lie. It seems that contraception and abortion have become a kind of artificial selection which is proving what Jesus said: "The meek shall inherit the earth."

I am curious to know what your thoughts are on all of this and its consequences.

-- John

The next big putsch will be the euthanasia of all the elderly since we dont have the money to pay for them!
Stephanos I

Humanae Vitae was prophetic.

Humanae Vitae was indeed prophetic. We are killing ourselves! At this rate within a century or so the Patriarchal Basilica's of Rome will have minarets outside of them like Sancta Sopiha in Constantinople. Check out Is Europe Dying? By George Weigel [hnn.us] .

Just keep in mind one of the main reasons that the Middle East and North Africa went from being Byzantine to Islamic was because of the plagues and famines of the early middle ages. When your population is decimated there's always someone else willing to step in.
St Leopold the Valiant [augustiniancanons.org] pray for all Christian families to be as productive as thine.

Russia is aborting itself to death?

I thought that the conversion of Russia had already occurred?

Man, Our Lady of Fatima was such a liar! :rolleyes:

Logos Teen

Garrett- No one has claimed that the conversion of Russia has occurred; what is claimed is that the consecration occurred. You young folks always expect instant gratification...

I have posted before about the mini-demographic phenomenon in this country, of Catholics and other traditional religious people having large families while secularists and religious liberals have one or two children, if any. This is already having a noticeable effect, as some worried liberal writers have noted.
-Daniel

Garrett:

I think I'd be a little careful about calling the Theotokos a liar. She who is without sin and in the Kingdom cannot now be part of the Enemy's camp. And that's what it takes to be a liar.

I'm not so sure that the Fatima prophecies haven't been fulfilled. Russia is no longer enmeshed in the errors of Communism. But nowhere did I ever hear that Russia or anywhere else would ever be kept free from error in all spheres, with the exception of the Church which Christ promised He would be with to the end of the age.

John:

What do you mean by "meek"? The "patient"? How does that fit this news item?

In Christ,

BOB

Daniel,

There are many on this Forum who have stated that the conversion of Russia has occurred/is occurring...Bob just stated that he believes this is possible!

I don't mean to sound short; but there are those here who push forward this idea.

Bob,

Obviously, I was speaking tongue-in-cheek. Do you think I would ever call the sinless Mother of God a liar? She never lied in her whole life, or sinned at all. My implication was that the conversion hasn't occurred, and ISTM for someone to insist that it has is to call the Theotokos a liar.

So what is Russia isn't [officially] Communist anymore? Communism isn't the only form of evil; certainly not in Russia. The re-emergence of the ROC, which acts as if is hates us, by the way, seems to me in no wise to support the idea of this conversion especially when the nation is aborting itself out of existence.

Logos Teen

Garrett- You are right, of course. Anyone who says that Russia is converted because Communism is [apparently] gone is deluded; I suppose if they all watch Desperate Housewives and shop at Target that they qualify?
At best, the demise of Marxism makes possible the conversion of Russia.
Now if we can only consecrate America....
Daniel

I keep saying this and I believe it is true

Historical Maps of Russia and the Former Soviet Republics
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/history_commonwealth.html

The Ukraine was part of the Eastern Bloc Countries part of the controled area of the USSR or as most of us said - Russia. Therefore, to me, in every sence of the word Russia is being converted. They are having to deal with what is happening in the Ukraine. Someone recently posted a link on here that the Russian government as approved of a monks homily being broadcast. So things are moving. We see with eyes of faith, not eyes of our mind. Abraham believed by faith not by what he saw with his eyes - Romans 4.

Pani Rose

Bob,

The news item was about the demographic crisis in countries which practice widespread contraception and abortion. Those countries, now even in the "third world," are not producing enough children to reproduce themselves. Thus, they are not producing enough children to take care of their older generations, literally and by paying for pensions. In other words, the widespread use of contraception and abortion --now even in the "developing" world-- are producing two results: a demographic void, which in turn will likely result in severe stress (if not collapse) to economic and social systems that produced the whole mess to begin with.

Now, the nations which practice contraception and abortion have two options to fill their demographic void. They can make some babies, in a hurry. Or, they can import people to fill the gap through immigration. In North America and Western Europe, they are choosing the second option.

Hence, the nations who still have children are sending their people as immigrants to many of these "advanced" nations in Europe and North America. They go for opportunity. However, the host countries accept the immigrants (more or less) in order to fill the demographic gap there. There is, in short, a massive migration of human beings occurring: because some nations practice abortion and contraception and other nations do not practice those things.

As I read and reflected on all of this, I remembered the words of Jesus in the Beatitudes. He said: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." And I thought to myself that the "meek" of today are those nations who still value having children. They and their children are literally inheriting the earth: by filling the demographic void in the countries where contraception and abortion are widely practiced.

-- John

Perhaps a good dose of meekness is sorely needed by all. Arrogance, pride, and materialism are indeed the sins that are briging about the social and moral collapse of Europe and America.

It reminds me of the words of John in the book of Revelation:

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see."
- Revelation 3:15-18

Perhaps God is already in the process of handing over the world to the meek and lowly, as so many in Europe in America stand by in their pride and arrogance.

I had never seen this in this light before, but I think there may be merit. It is certainly worthy of more study.