Is Britain Near the End?
Rev. David Moody
General Secretary of FEM
Is Britain as we know it perishing? In the 1960s we in the western world were told that if birth control was not brought in there would be a population explosion. Today we are facing a completely different population crisis. The nuclear family of dad, mum and 2.4 children is a thing of the past. The birth-rate has dropped to 1.64 per woman of child-bearing age. However we need to remember that the birth-rate needs to be 2.2 just to replace the population. Any less than that it is decline and any more is growth.
Another disturbing fact following on after the above concern, is that, at a conference at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, held in December last year (2002,) it was recorded that one in seven girls who have under-age sex are estimated to be infected
with chlamydia, which is a foremost source of infertility. Put that together with the fact that
one third of children under 16 are sexually active, means that 1 in 20 teenage girls will be unable to conceive in adulthood.
Now this brings into focus the current pensions crisis. It is a common fact that the funding of pensions depends on population growth. Yet in all that is written and said about pensions the real cause has been ignored by all government departments. Nonetheless, we must be made aware that if we fail to maintain and add to our population there will not be enough young people to keep the economic engine working when the current generation retires. So it is quite obvious that we require
immigration to keep the wheels of the British economy turning.
Another factor which is affecting Britain today is the "working mother". However every mother is a "'working mother" whether she has an outside job or not. Unfortunately motherhood has been depreciated, and there has been pressure put on girls not to sacrifice a career to the demands of family and home.
We find that, this results in women in their thirties doing well at work but unable to find the right man to marry or even the time to
marry. Other women who do marry but have a responsible job leave the bringing up of children to others, some times to women who they hardly know. Notwithstanding at the other end of the scale, working class families as a matter of course need two incomes just to make ends meet
This brings us to the big fact that we are living in a dysfunctional nation, made up of many dysfunctional families. This has been brought about by the rejection of God and His plans and been replaced by a worldly passion for self-indulgence.
It is sad also to find that much of what is happening in the world has crept into the church and has resulted in much of the church becoming barren and devastated.
We need to remember that "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:24). Our leaders and our nation need to repent and ask the forgiveness of the
Almighty God and walk in His ways before it is too late to turn back
"Wilt Thou not revive us again that your people may rejoice in Thee" (Psalm 85:6). The churches in our land need to turn to the Lord and cry out for revival,
confessing sin and the luke-warmness of heart, so that God can revive the church again and cause the church to rejoice in Him.
David Moody
General Secretary of The Fellowship of Evangelical Ministries