There was a time when Jamaicans were having so many children that the National Family Planning Board came up with the slogan, “Two is Better Than Too Many,” complemented by the infamous advertisement, “Bev Brown from Primary School.”
Now, across the world—not just in Jamaica—there is a clear and present danger as birth rates have fallen drastically, well below the level needed to sustain society.
The issue was highlighted at the sixth anniversary of Freedom Come Rain, marked by the third staging of its Freedom Talk Lecture Series.
Apostle Dr. Jeffrey Shuttleworth, in his lecture titled “Wars, Wars and Rumours of War” under the sub-theme “Global Attack on Family, Food and Fellowship,” pointed out that we are living through a quiet but devastating crisis—not measured in wars or famines, but in the absence of children.
In places where families were once large, vibrant, and rooted in faith, the sound of children has grown rare. It is not simply a demographic trend, often referred to as a “demographic winter”, observed Apostle Shuttleworth.
“It is the fruit of a deeper spiritual and social abandonment. The Bible tells us that children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is His reward. For centuries, Christian societies lived as if that were true, welcoming new life with joy and sacrifice,” he noted.
However, Apostle Shuttleworth said things have now changed, as the dominant cultural message declares something very different, alluding to the “my body, my choice” movement. He stressed that the emphasis is now on career, comfort, freedom, and lifestyle.
“Life is about me, about you, my career, your career, my comfort, your comfort.
“In this kind of situation, children are no longer seen as blessings but as burdens. But what does the Word of God teach in all of this? The Word of God, according to Genesis 1:26-28, teaches that God made man, Adam, in His own image and likeness and then made woman from man.
“The Bible teaches that God established man as the head and the woman as the man’s helpmate or partner. Together in marriage, they are blessed and empowered by God to multiply and replenish the earth with righteous seed, or offspring called children, thereby constituting what we call a family,” he said.
Stressing that God established the family as the first line of government, the cradle of civilisation, and more specifically the primary agent or vehicle of socialisation, the senior pastor said the family is expected to carry, mirror, represent, and promote the values, character, and plans of God.
Hence, he noted, these values are cultivated, mediated, propagated, and promulgated through the family.
“The intention of God is that the family should be the primary vehicle of socialisation, responsible for cultivating, defining, shaping, and influencing organisations, communities, societies, and the world at large,” he shared.
