Article #384
by Bill Nugent
The 1960s saw revolutionary changes in America and in every other nation on Earth. The most impactful revolution of the 1960s was women’s liberation which later became known as feminism.
Betty Friedan (1921-2006) wrote The Feminine Mystique (pub 1963) which lit the fuse and brought millions of women into awareness of the struggles of women who balance career and family. Women’s liberation exploded on the scene. Gloria Steinem (1934- ) emerged as a prominent leader in the movement and she co-founded MS magazine. She’s still goin’ at 90.
Helen Reddy (1941-2020) wrote and sang the anthem of the movement. The song, “I Am woman” hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1972. Reddy was heavily influenced by Australian feminist Lillian Roxon (1932-1973).
There were marches and demonstrations beginning in the mid sixties. The September 9th 1968 protest at the Miss America Pageant was pretty wild. Some of my own female relatives were activists in the 1970s. There was much discussion and dialog about gender roles. Hundreds of books and articles were written.
Employment discrimination was rampant up to the 1960s. The want ads in newspapers listed job openings for men and job openings for women in separate sections. Title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned job discrimination based on sex. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the Federal government refused to enforce it for years until forced to do so by lawsuits.
There was a major shift in consciousness during the decade of the 1960s. This was most profoundly seen in relationships between men and women, married and unmarried. There was a massive shift in gender roles in the home, culture, in public life, and in industry.
From Baby Boom to Baby Bust
The United States had a baby boom which lasted from 1946 to 1964. It was a time in which American families had much larger numbers of children than they have today. This was because of traditional values, financial prosperity and suburban lifestyle.
It’s significant that just about the time that women’s lib was being launched, it was the end of the baby boom. The years immediately after the baby boom, 1965 to 1970, saw a very sharp drop in the birth rate in the US and other nations.
In the 1960s there was a lot of talk about the population explosion because of the huge number of babies born during the baby boom. Even after the birth rate dropped so dramatically, many of the population statisticians said that the falling birth rate was just temporary. It was not temporary. The birth rate fell to a low level and stayed low.
This was a worldwide phenomenon. Europe and East Asia saw an amazingly similar pattern to that of the United states. And even in some of the traditional societies, the underdeveloped nations of what we call “the third world” have seen a decline in birth rate, though not as dramatic as that of the wealthy industrialized nations.
Fertility Rate Falls Off a Cliff
Let’s take a look at the total fertility rate. The total fertility rate is basically the expected number of children to be had by women during their childbearing years which is roughly from age 15 to 45. No doubt you’ve heard that the replacement rate, in other words, the birth rate at which a population remains stable is 2.1 children per woman during her childbearing years. This would replace herself and her husband.
Another way of looking at it would be to imagine 10 women getting together to celebrate their 45th birthdays and they all begin to talk about their children. The 10 women, if they gave birth at replacement rate, would have an aggregate total of 21 children. This figures to 2.1 children per woman.
To put this into perspective, consider that the total fertility rate in the United States in 1960 near the peak of the baby boom was 3.7 children per woman on average. Ten women getting together to celebrate their 45th birthdays would have a total of 37 children.
Now fast forward two generations to the present total fertility rate in the United States and it’s at 1.7. Ten women would have only 17 children. That’s a drop of more than 50% since 1960 and 1.7 is about 20% below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman.
Let’s take a look at Europe. In the nations that make up the European Union, in 1967 the birth rate was 2.6 children per woman which is well above the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman.
By 2021 the EU birth rate had fallen by almost half to 1.5 total fertility rate. That’s way below replacement rate. Some nations in Europe are above 1.5 and others below it. Italy’s total fertility rate is only 1.3. Poland is 1.3. Spain is 1.2. Greece is 1.4. Cypress is 1.3. Germany is 1.6. Looking outside the European Union, Sweden is 1.7. Russia is 1.5.
Looking around the world we see that China’s total fertility rate in recent years is 1.2 India’s is 2.0 which is just below the replacement rate. Japan is 1.4. South Korea is extremely low at .9. Hong Kong is even lower at .8.
Nations in Africa have the highest total fertility rate. The nation of Niger has the highest in the world at 6.7 children for women in 2023. Nigeria is 5.1 children per woman.
Some nations are actually starting to experience a net decline in population each year. They have more caskets than cradles.
Economic Impact of the Decline of Motherhood
Let’s look at this from a purely economic standpoint for a minute. My college degree is in Business administration. In obtaining that degree I did much study in the field of economics. Let’s look at the family as an economic unit.
We can consider the family to be basically a “people factory.” I know that might seem a bit simplistic to call the family a people factory but for economic analysis let’s look at it that way. As such, the family is the most important economic unit in the entire economy. Families produce the babies. Families produce the most important product of all: human beings.
What’s happening all over the world, in the richest to the poorest countries, is that the people factories are emptying out. People factories in many cases are closing down.
Many of the people factories have no production at all or just one or two babies. It doesn’t take a genius to see that over time this could have a very serious economic impact, to say nothing of social and cultural impact.
Educational Opportunities
The reason for the decline in the total fertility rate is, as some of the UN literature that I’ve read say, is that women have “more educational opportunities.” Prior generations limited women from careers other than housewife and mother.
Women were basically steered into a domestic career. Decades ago, women had few options. They could enter a convent and live a religious life. They could become seamstresses or secretaries or nurses. It’s as if women were “drafted” into motherhood.
Young men are drafted into the military during time of war. During World War Two, 86% of the US army consisted of draftees. Decades ago, women were “drafted” into that vital profession called motherhood.
The birth rate has fallen so low in certain European nations and immigration from nations with high birth rates is so high that the UN has taken to calling the migration of people into European nations “replacement migration.”
If you’ve read this far you might be beginning to get the impression that I’m some sort of an old fashioned, male chauvinist, patriarchal authoritarian. You’d be wrong, but that’s the impression you might get.
Men are also responsible for the rapid decline in fertility because, in our corrupt culture, many men are abandoning their families. Women lament that good men are hard to find. Male abandonment of children is a kind of “men’s lib” that has proceeded along with radical feminism. Men must return to biblical standards of fatherhood and responsibility.
I believe in an expanded role for women. Girls should have a wide range of educational opportunities. However, I think the present societal pressure to induce girls to enter the “STEM” fields and other non-traditional fields for women is a bit overdone. STEM, by the way is science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Women are traditionally underrepresented in these fields.
It is wonderful that God has blessed so many women with important ministry and missionary roles.
Men are better at some things than women. Women do certain things better than men. Men and women are different. That shouldn’t come as any great surprise. Some say it’s because of differing gender aptitudes.
To allow women into non-traditional fields is okay but to pressure them into doing so is, I believe, inappropriate and counterproductive.
The Culture of Life
It’s been said that motherhood is the glory of womanhood. Many women find great fulfillment in the domestic life. Motherhood is the heart of the culture of life.
Abortion is the dark heart of the culture of death. We can fight abortion with adoption.
I believe the overwhelming cultural, anthropological and societal evidence strongly points to the fact that every nation on earth is patriarchal to a greater or lesser degree. Patriarchy is the natural state of human beings.
The Bible has been severely criticized by sophisticated educated people because of its patriarchy. Christ chose 12 apostles, all male. The writings of the apostles Paul and Peter give a leadership role for the husband and father in the home (Ephesians 5:21-29; First Peter 3:1-7). I know people try to put a different spin on the scriptures, especially some of Paul’s writings, but the Bible’s patriarchal bent is clearly and explicitly seen.
Patriarchy in the Bible and in Nature
God actually has two books. The Bible is the inspired word of God that gives explicit teaching and commands to live a righteous and fulfilling life. God also created nature. God created the human race and He wired the human brain. The fact that every civilization, great or small, has been patriarchal all through the millennia should be persuasive evidence that patriarchy is the.natural condition of humankind.
I agree that in every generation, even in ancient times, there have been women who have excelled in non-traditional roles. We shouldn’t forget that such women have been the exception and not the rule.
We should not in any way denigrate or shame women who choose motherhood. If it wasn’t for mothers none of us would be here!
I’m encouraged that some of the contemporary feminists take a softer stance regarding motherhood. In the early days of feminism, the militant feminists openly criticized and degraded motherhood. In recent years some of the feminists write more positively about motherhood and about the natural differences between men and women.
The Ultimate Family
People find fulfillment in families. God reveals Himself as our Father. Jesus of Nazareth is God’s only begotten Son. Jesus is the promised Messiah of Israel.
The prophets of the Old Testament foretold that Messiah would come and live a perfect life and would die for the sins of the people and rise from the dead to offer forgiveness of sins to all who call upon Him in repentance.
The ancient Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6). Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled this prophecy more than 700 years after it was written. I invite you to turn to Christ today to receive forgiveness of sins.
(c) 2024 William P. (Bill) Nugent, permission granted to reprint or email for Christian outreach.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!