We live in a time where dogs are often treated like people while humans are increasingly treated like dogs. Children, once considered a blessing, are now seen by many as burdens. Families frequently limit themselves to just one or two children, believing that population control and financial prudence are paramount. The widespread acceptance of birth control has reinforced this mindset, even among many Orthodox Christians. But what underlies these cultural trends? And how should Orthodox Christians respond to such views?
1) Overpopulation: A Misguided Fear
The fear of overpopulation can be traced back to Thomas Malthus’ An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). Malthus argued that charity to the poor only exacerbates overpopulation, a view criticized by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol (1843) through the character of Scrooge, who callously suggests that the poor should die to “decrease the surplus population.”
Despite being repeatedly debunked, Malthusian ideas persist. The belief that humanity is a burden has led to tragic consequences. Just as Herod ordered the massacre of infants, modern society justifies abortion and euthanasia under the guise of the greater good.
In 1968, biologist Paul Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb predicted mass starvation and societal collapse by the year 2000 due to overpopulation. His dire warnings led some to limit their family size voluntarily, and governments took extreme measures. China implemented its infamous one-child policy—a policy now reversed due to its disastrous long-term effects. Even today, women in India undergo forced sterilization as a means of population control.
History shows that this ideology can take even darker forms. The Nazis coined the term Lebensunwertes Leben (“life unworthy of life”) to justify the mass murder of people with disabilities and other “undesirable” groups. Similarly, Lenin famously said, “You cannot make an omelet without cracking a few eggs,” justifying mass killings in pursuit of communist ideals. Mao Zedong echoed this sentiment in a 1959 Politburo meeting: “When there is not enough to eat, people starve to death. It is better to let half the people die so that the other half can eat their fill.” This policy led to the Great Chinese Famine, which killed an estimated 30 million people.
As Christians, we must reject such cruelty. Misanthropy always leads to murder and genocide. Scripture warns us: “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).
Ironically, while society fears human overpopulation, the pet population has exploded. Between 1996 and 2024, the number of dogs in the United States grew from 52.9 million to 89.7 million. If resources are genuinely scarce, why not direct funds from pet care to struggling families instead? This contradiction underscores how society often values animals over human life.
The core issue with overpopulation theory is that it assumes certain people are expendable. But who decides who is “extra”? History shows that once this mindset takes root, the list of those deemed unnecessary continues to expand—starting with the unborn and extending to the elderly, the disabled, the poor, and racial minorities. The so-called solutions to overpopulation typically follow a grim path: birth control, abortion, sterilization, euthanasia, and, in extreme cases, genocide.
Let us take a closer look at hormonal birth control.
2) Birth Control: A Modern “Solution”
The birth control pill was introduced in 1957 after being tested on a small group of Puerto Rican women. Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, backed these trials. Concerns about the pill’s health risks have surfaced repeatedly, but they are often ignored.
The 1970 U.S. Senate Hearings on the Pill raised alarm over hormonal contraceptives, yet little action was taken. Even today, medical experts continue to question their effects. In 2019, psychiatrist Dr. Sanil Rege noted:
“Hormonal contraceptives have been on the market since 1960 and have been prescribed to at least 100 million women worldwide. However, the effect of sex steroid contraceptives on mental health is under-researched and what has been published shows conflicting evidence. This is in contrast to anabolic steroids, which have been well researched and show significant structural and functional changes to the brains of steroid users.” (Dr. Sanil Rege, 2019)
Despite widespread use, research into the long-term effects of hormonal contraceptives remains limited. Recent studies, however, are shedding light on their risks. The Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry (2016, 2020) found a significant link between hormonal contraceptives and depression. The American Journal of Psychiatry (April 2018) reported an association between contraceptive use and suicidality. Emerging evidence also suggests that hormonal birth control may contribute to late-onset psychosis in women approaching menopause.
After decades of dismissing women’s concerns, these findings are a wake-up call. Yet, many questions remain—including the link between hormonal contraceptives and reproductive cancers. As Drs. Pamela Verma Liao and Janet Dollin observed in 2012: “The huge importance of the effect of the pill had allowed for one very large in vivo experiment on women.” How long will this “experiment” continue?
3) The Blessing of Having Children
One of the greatest gifts parents can give their children is siblings. Siblings are lifelong friends who remain even after their parents pass away. Contrary to popular belief, large families benefit both physical and mental well-being.
A 2021 study found that women with fewer children faced a higher risk of mental health issues in old age. Similarly, a Norwegian study concluded: “A large household is associated with fewer mental problems in children.”
But beyond health and social benefits, having children is a divine blessing. God’s first commandment to humanity was: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). For those not called to monastic life, this is their vocation.
Scripture affirms this truth:
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5, LXX)
The birth of a child is always a blessing. As Christ said: “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21).
May our homes be filled with joy, and may the world embrace the gift of life!