We may not agree with all the details of his argument and rationale – there is ambiguity in the notion of ‘spacing children’ – but these thoughts from Ross Douthat do point out that having children is a spiritual and supernatural endeavour, and, all things considered, the more the merrier. And once we lose sight of heaven, of a purpose to life beyond this transient phase, we are doomed to the downward spiral of demographic disaster. For if there is no life after this, why would not our refrain be, as Saint Paul warns, manducemus et bibamus, cras enim moriemur? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die?
This crabbed, narrow, secular outlook – with death seen an abyss to be avoided at all costs, even burning down the economy and everything else – goes a long way to explaining the irrational approach to Covid. As I alluded in a recent post, even the hint of one’s demise is enough to drive the denizens of our age into precipitous panic. Hence, ignoring the obvious ill-effects of lockdowns, curfews and despair – but more on that later. I agree with Ed Condon and the inherent limits of political solutions, but even he seems prey to maintaining the climate of fear – with ongoing ‘social distancing’ and ‘masks in public places’. These are no way for any society to survive, to say nothing of thrive. We must move past the fear, while protecting the small minority of the truly vulnerable. But, then, that’s just common sense, and there’s little of that going round these days.
And, speaking of rare birds, for a spot of humour in these trying times, this parody of hypersensitive political correctness may bring a wee smile – plus, it’s Scottish, so how could it no’ be braw?