Demographic Winter – Review

I just watched Demographic Winter and it is a very good documentary. IT is amazing that these demographers and other sociologists have seen what so many do not and that is the demise of the family. What they do see however is that it is not just that the family is not as it once was but this demise has adversely and will further adversely affect society and economics. Actually in light of the recent economics issues we face much of what was said was very timely.

There were a number of factors listed as being causes of this decline in fertility abut 5 main ones were listed. They were:

1) Divorce Revolution: The ease and acceptability of divorce has adversely affected the family and fertility rates
2) Inaccurate Assumptions: The great warning about the “population bomb” in the past and even some claims about how birth rates have negative affects on global warning were and are inaccurate but due to many blindly believing the assumptions fertility rates have dropped.
3) Women Working: This has also contributed to the decline in births and as this also tends to contribute to prosperity, it also adds to lowered fertility rates.
4) Prosperity: It is found as prosperity goes up fertility rates go down for a number of reasons but never the less it is a contributing factor to the demographic winter.
5) The Sexual Revolution: This is a great cause of the problems we face, especially in the west.

This is a good film for believers to watch as while the documentary claims that these declines are not as much an issue with people of faith we are still susceptible to them. As the church more and more looks like the world, and I would say with regards to having children this is very true, so to will we contribute to the demise of the family.

The final segment, during the credits, was interesting as the man speaking relates that he is not a man of faith but that what he has seen may lead him to faith. This is not a documentary that has a Christian worldview but their conclusions, not surprisingly, speak to God’s plan for man and His command to multiply and fill the earth.

So, while the means of coming to their conclusions are by no means biblical their conclusions speak loudly to God’s plan for the family. The world will not end any sooner than God intends and our neglect of God’s desire for the family will not thwart God’s plans but we should be encouraged when those not seeking spiritual answers are still driven to God’s design for the mankind He created.