Jory Jones

[quote=Alex T]

We [Christians] Americans are breading ourselves out of existance, we're waiting till late 30s to get married and having on average 1.3 kids!  I argue that if we focus our efforts to get married the earliest possible and have the maximum number of kids, 7 or more!

The only needed requirement is to find a compatible spouse, that's a person from the opposite sex, who accept and respect your Christian faith, accept you as a partner for life, understands the marriage covenant -willing to commit, and raise Christian kids.

Doing so, we not only live a happy life, but also in 30 years we can dominate this country and lead a larger Reform!

[/quote]

I am going to make two points, one in agreement, and one of caution.

First, while this statement may seem to some, offensive or a joke, it does deserve some consideration.  If you look at religious numbers around the world, Islam is growing rapidly due to immigration, and birth rates.  Christianity is dying out, sadly partially due to low numbers.  Of course evangelism, spreading the gospel, and supporting Christian children in the faith, also are important in keeping the faith alive.  However, the Bible does say,

"God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Genesis 1:28

I do not believe that this commandment ended with Adam and Eve or during old testament times.  This does not mean that everyone is called to a lifestyle of marriage and having children, but there are those who can help teach others children, or support those who do have children, and if you are unable to have your own, there are thousands and thousands of children who can be adopted and raised to have a good strong family who will teach them of the love of Jesus Christ.

Second, my point of caution. 

I am a 25 year old single male.  While I have met women who I believe qualify based on the quoted criteria above, this has never been good enough to just get married and have kids.  I have been waiting for a women who I know has the same values and beliefs that I do.  I have been waiting to be in a position where I can properly support a family with children, and be able to give them a safe and secure environment.  An environment where we can raise our children in the knowledge and values of the Bible, who will see the relationship of Jesus and the church reflected in their parents.  When this occurs I am willing to have as many children as is healthy and possible.

I believe that having children in a marriage that is based on less then this is irresponsible on my part and not God honoring at all.  If there is to be a divorce, (which I am against) or one parent does not believe that the Christian values being taught to the children are as important, or the marriage is no different then a non-christian marriage, then it does more harm then good to have children.

So I will happily marry at a later age, and have fewer children, if it means that it will be a strong family structure that honors God.

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

By being the role models, and by living out our Christian values we will lead this Country to a larger Reform.

Paul and Ty,

I agree that it is all of us together.  However, I believe it is primarily the church's job to give the parents the proper tools and instructions so they can teach their children at home.  As these things have been thrown out with the "bathwater" to use your term, a dichotomy has unfortunately developed between the church and the home.  This is where faith, the Bible and religious teaching is done at church, and sadly less and less taught at home.  When one's relationship with Jesus and their faith should permeate their lives, it has been limited, (not in all cases), to Sundays and perhaps on Wednesday nights at youth group (where sadly I have been seeing more social time then teaching of God's Word).

I wholeheartedly believe in the wisdom scripture that says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."  Proverbs 22:6  However, alongside many life lessons, if that child does not see Mom and Dad practicing it, or hear them talking about it, teaching it, living it..... It is just not enough for the church to be responsible for it alone.

Having said that, I believe that our confessions, creeds and prayers are exactly those tools that we can give to parents so they can teach their children what it means to be a christian and to be reformed.  Now we only need to teach the parents.

Now to make my point I need to tell you a little about myself.  I am 25 years old and still single.  My family does not come from a Christian heritage.  It was through the mentorship of people in the church I started attending when I was younger, and God's grace that I am where I am today.  I am thoroughly reformed and believe that our confessions are very important, because while the Bible is the authority and the confessions are subject to it, they help me to say, "this is what I believe... Here I stand".

The reason this topic caught my attention was because last night I attended a discussion on the Belhar Confession, and if it should be adopted as a new confession by the CRC Church. I was greatly saddened to see that out of everyone in attendance, I was one of the only people there under the age of 45, perhaps even 55. 

It is my generation and the ones following after me that will have to deal with the long term consequences of this decision. Good or bad, adding another confession to our denomination after 400 years is no small thing.  It should be heavily weighed, discussed and prayed about, and the younger generations not only hardly seem to know what it is about, but frankly do not care.  We have become a confessionally illiterate church.  

As you both have stated above, I believe that our confessions are not only still relevant today, but that it is paramount that we begin to emphasize what it is that we believe as a "Reformed" church, or soon we will not be one.  So perhaps, before we start looking at adding a new confession, we should remember first what confessions we have, and what they really mean. 

Thank you and I am interested to hear your response,

Jory