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From: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: To have children?
Message-ID: <2303@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 19-Nov-84 18:59:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.2303
Posted: Mon Nov 19 18:59:50 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 21-Nov-84 01:33:00 EST
References: <1257@eosp1.UUCP>
Reply-To: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (Rich Wales)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 42

I'm a Mormon.  I hope you will all pardon a brief and careful intrusion
into this newsgroup by a non-Jew, but I feel that the following conjec-
ture by Toby Robison needs a bit of clarification:

    Whatever one thinks about the arguments for limiting the number
    of one's children, we should recognize that most of these argu-
    ments simply do not apply to groups of people who feel they are
    a dwindling minority. . . .  Mormons currently have very high
    birthrates, which are necessary to preserve their chances of
    survival.

Yes, it is true that we Mormons have comparatively high birthrates and
do place a high value on children.  Families in our church are encour-
aged to have as many children as they reasonably can.  We do recognize
that not every couple can or should have a kid every year :-), and our
members are permitted to use artificial birth control where, after care-
ful consideration, they feel it is needed in order to "space out" the
family.

No, we do not perceive ourselves as "dwindling".  Quite the contrary, as
a group we are growing quite rapidly and have been for some time.  Some
of this growth is due to births; much of it is due to conversions.  Our
total worldwide membership right now is approaching 6 million; this is
almost double what it was only a decade or so ago.

I won't go into detail here as to why we place such a high priority on
families and children.  Such a discussion would inevitably get fairly
deeply into Mormon religious beliefs; not only would this not be appro-
priate for this newsgroup, but some people would undoubtedly interpret
it as an attempt to proselytize and be offended thereby.  While I am al-
ways more than willing to explain and share my faith with anyone who is
interested in knowing more about it, I would never want to be accused of
ramming it down anyone's throat.

Again, I hope no one will feel that my brief interjection into what is
admittedly a "side point" in the ongoing discussion was out of place.
-- 
    Rich Wales
    UCLA Computer Science Department
    3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, CA 90024 // (213) 825-5683
    ARPA:  wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA
    UUCP:  ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!wales