Get busy, Europe!

Or to be more precise, do not simply get busy, but get busy while respecting the profound nature of the sexual act, and be open to the action of God and His gift of new life.

In other words, have more babies!

So said Papa in his weekly audience at the Vatican.

He spoke in reference to the collapsing birth rates in many European countries. In the near future, having a large family may come to be viewed as a duty, simply to maintain Europe's infrastructure. I know that in some European countries they actually pay women to have babies - my father's relatives in Austria, I believe, received money when their children were born.

Now probably everyone knows that the Catholic Church opposes all forms of artificial contraception, as contraception deforms the meaning of sex and thus, harms human dignity. The Church does affirm that responsible family planning is an important obligation for married people. To this end, Natural Family Planning (NFP) is quite acceptable. (Note to the terminally uninformed press corps: NFP is not, not, NOT the "rhythm method.")

However, you don't have to be a Catholic to realize the dire straits a contracepting culture can find itself in. You don't even have to be a Christian, or believe in God. You just have to accept the science about reproduction. What is the main activity most species are oriented toward? What does a successful species do well? What eventually happens when a species fails to reproduce often enough?