7/29/2023 0 Comments Quiver full movementKathryn Joyce addresses issues such as these in her new book, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement. Perhaps that's one of the reasons we are so fascinated by larger families: we're not just interested in what life is like for them, we're also questioning the implications for our own lives. That simple question implicates wide-ranging issues, including contraception, fertility treatments, human sexuality, gender roles, the purpose of marriage and procreation - issues that, in short, touch at the very core of our identities. Women of childbearing age are used to fielding questions from family, friends, and complete strangers about their fertility: How many children do you have? How many children do you want? But these questions pale in light of the larger, more philosophical question at their base: How many children should you have? Outsider interest in how many children a woman has is nothing new, yet among considerations of failing Social Security and environmental concerns, this interest seems to be intensifying toward apprehension, even alarm. Why are we so interested in large families? Families like the Gosselins ( Jon & Kate), the Duggers ( 17 Kids), and the Sulemans are sparking heated discussions among observers, including Christians. Tie all that in with the media flurry about Nadya Suleman, the single mother in California who gave birth to octuplets conceived by in vitro fertilization in January, bringing her total number of children to 14, and suddenly we have - a trend? A fad? What's with all the large families? Or perhaps the real question is, what's with all of us who are watching them? Looks like someone at TLC thinks big families might just equal big bucks in its current programming lineup. After that - if you're still awake - you can catch a few more rounds of Jon & Kate. slot, followed in turn by another round of 17 Kids from 11 to midnight. Tomorrow night the network will run Kids by the Dozen at 7 p.m., followed by four episodes of 17 Kids and Counting during its 8-10 p.m. Two back-to-back episodes of Jon & Kate Plus 8 are on TLC. Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement
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