Christianity vs. Islam: A Strategic Assessment

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:4-5)

My pastor emailed me a copy of an essay by Jeff Myers entitled Fatherhood and the Implosion in the Middle East. It makes some insightful connections between a culture's worldview, the stability of families and the consequent effects on society. (Click the link above to read it -- highly recommended.)

One particular passage struck me.

Meanwhile, the demographic time bomb is ticking. Ironically, a faulty view of fatherhood doesn't seem to correlate with actual biological reproduction. Christians have stopped having babies. Muslims have not. Christianity is aging. Islam is youthful.

Whereas youth make up about 20% of the American population, more than 2/3 of the population of Iran is under 30, 25% under 15. Across the Middle East and North Africa, the average age is 20-25. In a matter of just a few years, the majority of Americans will be retired, and these other nations will be in their prime.

Demographics aren't necessarily destiny, but if they were, the future of the world will look a lot less like everyday life in America and a lot more like what is happening in the Middle East.

In the providence of God, some Christian parents cannot have children. But if the low birth rate in America indicates high levels of infertility, we must reckon with the fact that this is one more sign of God's judgment on a morally corrupt nation.

If, on the other hand, Christians choose not to have children or to severely limit the size of their families because they don't want to sacrifice their toys or their lifestyle, that's another matter entirely. They put themselves in the position of rejecting a blessing from God (Deuteronomy 28:11).

They also put all of us at a strategic disadvantage in terms of fulfilling the Great Commission. Within a generation, there will be so few of us, that Islam -- or any other ism -- could conceivably overrun us.

Although this WARSKYL blog tends to focus more on tactical considerations, I want to suggest that defending our families, churches and nation from militant Islam will require a lot more than weapons and tactics. It will require a host of believers with the faith and character of a Charles Martel or a Charlemagne.

If you, as a Christian Martialist, want to be part of the strategic solution rather than the problem, you need to carefully consider the size of your family. And please don't think in terms of numbers alone. You should have as many children as you can faithfully train as disciples of the King.

Your objective, in other words, is Rearing Faithful Children.