Children Are Not Chess Pawns
Two major problems, thinkers on both the left and the right in America agree, are in need of solutions: A struggling economy and America’s low birth rate.
So, it’s likely that two new Senate proposals, one to increase the child tax credit and one to give families a financial payout per child, will get some bipartisan support.
Perhaps these strategies will help some would-be parents, at least those who balk at the financial burden of children, take the plunge. More robust efforts have made a difference in other nations, such as France. But only a cultural heart change will help us avoid a total population bust. The problem is viewing children as primarily a financial choice, or as an item to check off our adulting bucket list or as tickets to self-fulfillment.
If we re-learn that children are a gift from God, unique Image-bearers, and part of God’s good design for the world, we’ll find that solutions to many of our other problems will fall into place.
Publication date: February 9, 2021
Photo courtesy: GettyImages/monkeybusinessimages
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth and compassion. Founded by Chuck Colson (1931 – 2012) in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends. Today, you can get it in written and a variety of audio formats: on the web, the radio, or your favorite podcast app on the go.
John Stonestreet is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and radio host of BreakPoint, a daily national radio program providing thought-provoking commentaries on current events and life issues from a biblical worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN), and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview.
