If the world were overpopulated, what would be the Catholic response?

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Could the Church issue a worldwide NFP mandate for all Catholics if there was an overpopulation issue, or is that impossible?
 
tafan said:
Belief in overpopulation is not immoral. But those who advocate against overpopulation have a undeniable history of advocating for immoral solutions to the “problem”.
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That’s a bit unfair. And it’s also an example of ad hominem by association. Besides, I could say the same about Catholics. But I won’t because that would be absurd.
tafan said:
And my only point is that you have no evidence to support your belief that it will be a problem one day. None at all. If you were arguing (like Contarini) from an environment concern, you would have a stronger case to be made. But you are arguing from a lack or resources, it becomes completely bogus.
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Possibly. I’ll simply take your word for it, because I’m not too bothered. Even if overpopulation were an immediate problem, what would we be able to do about it?
 
Contarini said:
Maybe it’s interesting to someone who has never before thought about the fact that cities need agricultural land to support them, and that the preservation of wilderness has considerable value both for human flourishing and as an expression of respect for God’s creation.

I would think that these considerations would be obvious, and so I fail to see what is so very interesting about this banal observation. I have never seen it raised except as a propaganda point to try to persuade people that overpopulation is not a problem, and that certainly seemed to be your point here.

Edwin
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Haha, I assure you I was not posting propaganda, (lol). So for you this is not interesting?
 
Personally, I think that abstinence, NFP, and emigration has been the Church’s response to overpopulation.

Something that hasn’t been brought up yet is the idea that a region can be overpopulated (defined as too many people among whom to distribute finite food/clothing/shelter/energy/etc. resources justly) without the whole world being overpopulated. In such a case, I can see the Church advocating emigration from overpopulated regions (e.g. Bangladesh) to underpopulated regions (somebody mentioned New Zealand).
 
ssancho said:
Personally, I think that abstinence, NFP, and emigration has been the Church’s response to overpopulation.

Something that hasn’t been brought up yet is the idea that a region can be overpopulated (defined as too many people among whom to distribute finite food/clothing/shelter/energy/etc. resources justly) without the whole world being overpopulated. In such a case, I can see the Church advocating emigration from overpopulated regions (e.g. Bangladesh) to underpopulated regions (somebody mentioned New Zealand).
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I could see that too. Some places just have too many people in too small an area and some have too few. I mean living in Nebraska we have plenty of space, and then some. Anyway, the church would probably advocate NFP, as well as better use of land and waste as well as emphasizing charity to make a crowded world a better place
 
If the world were overpopulated, what would be the Catholic response?

This must be divided to be answered best.

If the world were overpopulated < Since it is God that makes people - the “if” becomes an impossibility.

First Grade, Day One, Question ONE from the Baltimore Catechism: “Who made me?” - GOD made me.

AND God knows what he is doing. One might as well posit … if I drink this poison, what will happen? And feel certain that theorizing isn’t good enough - one must drink the poison to find out (in the name of faux “science” or some such assinine sophistry) what will happen! Nevertheless thanks for the question - once remanded to the intellectual dungheap it belongs in - it becomes “a lesson!” :hey_bud: - "watch out for THIS stuff ! "

what would be the Catholic response? (See above)

***The danger in this: *** It’s an old canard. Hitler whined about Lebensraum “living room” (for the master race - which I guess was crowded according to the National SOCIALISTS and needed to redistribute the wealth of others) in the name of “Social Justice!” Our thread’s CAF Section title, yes?!

The “social problem” of “overpopulation” needed a "solution" (of course).

And a "final solution" in some cases. :eek:

DE-population could be well, a “good thing” in their through-the-looking-glass self-delusional racist fanaticism. :hypno: And DE-populate “the planet” they did! Millions died, innocents were killed, unjust war(s) were prosecuted and the planet was soon polluted with clouds of burning oil, cities and finally nuclear waste.

Overpopulation as a concept is an “atheistic philosophy” but beyond that - since atheism is delusional and false --it is actually Satanic, destructive, unloving and opposed to the mind of Christ.

On a more POSITIVE note: The Lord loves all his children and provides for us all. Consider the lilies of the field! The Lord desires that none should perish but that all
might inherit eternal life!

While the question LOOKS and poses as an “intellectual problem” to some - it’s serious consideration works to the end that the lives of others come into question, selfishness is elevated from the crud that it is - into a fake virtue, and Christianity is set aside (as a side effect) in favor of a “different light” like the Nazis used, or Marx professed, or Darwin theorized about.

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Also “THE LIGHT” (singular) of the world.

Choose a blind guide and fall into the ditch with them was one of Jesus’ many lessons.

At this point, shaking the dust of possible pomposity from my attitude, :rolleyes: I should close with a bit of humor, and CAF member Gordon Sims’ tag line (that I enjoy) …

“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many donuts.”
–Homer Simpson :dancing::extrahappy:
 
God will show us what we have to do if overpopulation were to ever happen. We just got to be ready to act on what God show us. But no need to worry bout overpopulation. Just more great people to be around.
 
youtube.com/watch?v=Um0qCSa9aYE&feature=related

From a song we sang on my Catholic High School retreat. I wasn’t a bad kid, but at that age you are not only self-absorbed, but taught to be. “Be independent” is a good value with the side effect of leading you to think an awful lot about yourself, the classes you will take, making plans for YOUR future, etc., etc.

This song helped me “turn my eyes outward” and see the (wonderful God-created and loved) people all around me. What a wonderful discovery of joy and freedom it was!

Like seeing a new baby and asking “can I hold her?” because the little one is SO precious. Anyhow - I offer this happy ditty as a counterpoint to the cynical bloodless intellectualism that dares to wonder if there are too MANY people - or that God must be making a mistake (or worse yet, wants us to eliminate “excess” people like weeds!). :eek::nope:

Lyrics “Up up with People!”

It happened just this morning
I was walking down the street
The milkman and the postman
And policeman I did meet
There in every window
At every single door
I recognized people
I’d never noticed before

Chorus:
Up, up with people
You meet 'em wherever you go
Up, up with people
They’re the best kind of folks we know
If more people were for people
All people everywhere
There’d be a lot less people to worry about
And a lot more people who care
There’d be a lot less people to worry about
And a lot more people who care

Chorus:

People from the Southland
And people from the North
Like a mighty army
I saw them coming forth
'Twas a great reunion
Befitting of a king
Then I realized people
Were a lot more important than things

Chorus:

Inside everybody
There’s some bad and there’s some good
But don’t let anybody
Start attacking peoplehood
Love them as they are
And fight for them to be
Great men and great women
As God meant them to be

Chorus:

Time for this song to make a comeback I think! 👍
 
According to the comparison between average ecological footprint per capita and bio-capacity, the world is overpopulated:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ecological_footprint

Also, the ave. footprint is expected to continue rising because of a growing middle class worldwide while bio-capacity will decrease because of environmental damage and global warming.

Given that, I think the response will be a return to localization, sustainability, small communities, practical use of resources for emergencies and to maintain dignity and basic needs, etc.
 
Check out the programs with Steven Mosher - expert on the overpopulation myth- on Catholic answers radio (just do a keyword search Mosher and you will find them). He is also the president of the Population Research Insitute - www.pop.org
 
JChapel said:
While I personally don’t buy the notion that the Earth has surpassed its carrying capacity (far from it), I think there are a fair number of people who mean well in believing this, but are tackling the problem with immoral means (ie contraception and abortion).

Let’s for the sake of argument say that the world is indeed overpopulated, or will be in the near future. What would be a moral and legitimate way to handle the problem?
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Those are questions for God not for us. We follow His command to “go and multiply”
 
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