The Areopagus 8-25-09
posted by Phil Lawson
8-26-09
Amidst the coverage of the recent presidential election and political protests in Iran, I haven’t seen this detail reported elsewhere. While most Islamic countries continue to experience high birth rates, the situation is very different in Iran.
“Birthrates tell us something about the feeling a people has for its own future, and the collapse of Iran’s fertility is the fastest ever observed. Fifteen years ago Iran had 6.6 children per female. The number today is well below 2. ‘A first analysis of the Iran 2006 census results shows a sensationally low fertility level of 1.9 for the whole country and only 1.5 for the Tehran area (which has about 8 million people),’ Tehran University demographer Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi recently observed. ‘A decline in the TFR [total fertility rate] of more than 5.0 in roughly two decades is a world record in fertility decline. This is even more surprising to many observers when one considers that it happened in one of the most Islamic societies….’”
Having children generally represents hope in the future. This says a lot about Iranians’ feelings about their leadership. Indeed, what the current protests may not be able to achieve—demographics may do for them. As Mark Steyn sagely says, “demographics is destiny.”
Phil’s Tidbits:
A local Lutheran grade school placed a billboard advertisement along one of the major Stevens Point throroughfares. It was your typical ad. Next to it however was another billboard, this one advertising a new restaurant in town “The Tilted Kilt”— featuring scantily clad waitresses, in the mold of a “Hooters” Restaurant. It occurred to me that the Lutheran school could use this juxtaposition to its advantage. A billboard such as the following could be quite fruitful:
“Send your daughter here and she won’t end up working there”
The Cistercian monks at Our Lady of Spring Bank (Wisconsin) largely support themselves through the selling of printer ink an internet-based business. The New York Times recently did a story on them—and not surprisingly, it left something to be desired. Brother Steven posted this beautiful and humble remark in response:
“Some of you have asked why I don’t seem to think yesterday’s story was negative. I spent a long time working in a job where my main task was to understand the mind of the average Times and New Yorker reader and raise several million dollars a year in contributions. In the progressive intellectual frame, there are only three kinds of Catholics: Unaccountable powerful men (who are quite probably libidinous and nefarious), ignorant and oppressed masses (preferably with colorful customs and heart-warming aspirations for self-betterment), and unexpectedly intelligent and altruistic people who are credits to the race (or to the religion as it might be). The best we could hope for was a credit-to-our-race story, which is largely what we got…The Times article sold a lot of soy toner and dog biscuits, which I’m off to bake now. That makes it a good article.” (Source First Things “While We’re At It” Aug/Sept. 2009).
I was raised on the belief that the world is overpopulated. Most of my students today take it for granted that the world is overpopulated. When I tell them that the population of the whole world could fit in the state of Texas with every family having their own home and a yard—they don’t believe me—even though it’s true.
There have been more admissions the last few years that the real problem is de-population—especially in Europe and Russia. Japan during the 1990’s experienced the first ever recession caused by an aging populace. Even the UN Population division has cited these details.
The Population Research Institute has released a 1min 31 sec. video that humorously and factually rebuts the claims of overpopulation and includes the science/statistics to back up their claims. It’s worth your time. I’ll probably be showing it to my students.
www.youtube.com/colinpri1
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
Amidst the coverage of the recent presidential election and political protests in Iran, I haven’t seen this detail reported elsewhere. While most Islamic countries continue to experience high birth rates, the situation is very different in Iran.
“Birthrates tell us something about the feeling a people has for its own future, and the collapse of Iran’s fertility is the fastest ever observed. Fifteen years ago Iran had 6.6 children per female. The number today is well below 2. ‘A first analysis of the Iran 2006 census results shows a sensationally low fertility level of 1.9 for the whole country and only 1.5 for the Tehran area (which has about 8 million people),’ Tehran University demographer Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi recently observed. ‘A decline in the TFR [total fertility rate] of more than 5.0 in roughly two decades is a world record in fertility decline. This is even more surprising to many observers when one considers that it happened in one of the most Islamic societies….’”
Having children generally represents hope in the future. This says a lot about Iranians’ feelings about their leadership. Indeed, what the current protests may not be able to achieve—demographics may do for them. As Mark Steyn sagely says, “demographics is destiny.”
Phil’s Tidbits:
A local Lutheran grade school placed a billboard advertisement along one of the major Stevens Point throroughfares. It was your typical ad. Next to it however was another billboard, this one advertising a new restaurant in town “The Tilted Kilt”— featuring scantily clad waitresses, in the mold of a “Hooters” Restaurant. It occurred to me that the Lutheran school could use this juxtaposition to its advantage. A billboard such as the following could be quite fruitful:
“Send your daughter here and she won’t end up working there”
The Cistercian monks at Our Lady of Spring Bank (Wisconsin) largely support themselves through the selling of printer ink
“Some of you have asked why I don’t seem to think yesterday’s story was negative. I spent a long time working in a job where my main task was to understand the mind of the average Times and New Yorker reader and raise several million dollars a year in contributions. In the progressive intellectual frame, there are only three kinds of Catholics: Unaccountable powerful men (who are quite probably libidinous and nefarious), ignorant and oppressed masses (preferably with colorful customs and heart-warming aspirations for self-betterment), and unexpectedly intelligent and altruistic people who are credits to the race (or to the religion as it might be). The best we could hope for was a credit-to-our-race story, which is largely what we got…The Times article sold a lot of soy toner and dog biscuits, which I’m off to bake now. That makes it a good article.” (Source First Things “While We’re At It” Aug/Sept. 2009).
I was raised on the belief that the world is overpopulated. Most of my students today take it for granted that the world is overpopulated. When I tell them that the population of the whole world could fit in the state of Texas with every family having their own home and a yard—they don’t believe me—even though it’s true.
There have been more admissions the last few years that the real problem is de-population—especially in Europe and Russia. Japan during the 1990’s experienced the first ever recession caused by an aging populace. Even the UN Population division has cited these details.
The Population Research Institute has released a 1min 31 sec. video that humorously and factually rebuts the claims of overpopulation and includes the science/statistics to back up their claims. It’s worth your time. I’ll probably be showing it to my students.
www.youtube.com/colinpri1
God Bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
This Stevens Point Website designed by Promotion Web Design
