The issue: Religion plays an important role in the lives of billions of humans around the world. Their religious views help determine what actions are acceptable and what role the environment plays in their lives. While it is often easy to say, "Just stop having babies, and the overpopulation problem will be solved," this approach has not yet worked. Many religions are deeply opposed to population control, or the use of artificial contraceptives, to plan the number of children a family will have. Religions often actively promote large family sizes, and work hard to prevent families from having fewer children. For example, in 1968, the Catholic Pope Paul VI endorsed the Humanae Vitae, which condemned the use of contraceptives. The current Pope maintains that viewpoint 30 years (and hundreds of millions of people) later. Other fundamentalist Christian religions actively discourage family planning or limiting the number of children a couple has. Eastern religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, and Moslem, also have their own outlook on population issues and the state of the environment.

What does this mean to you? Religion plays in integral part in the vast majority of human’s lives. People must decide how many children they will have, and this decision is influenced to an enormous degree by their religious beliefs. Forcing humans to increase, or limit, the number of children does not work in the long run. Human population stabilization will only work when people voluntarily work on limiting their number of offspring. Religions can play a major part in educating their devotees on population issues, and on preserving the quality of life on the planet that their God (no matter what the actual name is) created.

Achieving sustainability: Many religions, Christian and non-Christian, Western and Eastern, have stepped forward in defense of the environment, including population stabilization. Multiple religions find no problem with use of artificial birth control, leaving it up to the parents to make the decision regarding how many children they will have. Religious leaders have helped overcome cultural taboos related to population control by emphasizing quality, rather than quantity, of life. Other clergy members have directly opposed their leaders’ mandates, and told their congregations to do what they think is best, even if it means using birth control not sanctioned by church leaders. In short, many religions can work with educators, social workers, and environmentalists to ensure a quality of, and reverence for, all life that shares this planet.

Activity: Students will interview religious leaders in their community to obtain information on the various religions’ teachings about population control issues.

(1) Dividing into groups of two students, select the major religions found in your community. Be sure to include as many religions as you can from all theological viewpoints: Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Baptist, Moslem, Buddhist, Scientology, Unitarian, etc.

(2) Interview the pastors, clergymen, rabbis, etc. about their church’s position on the environment and the role that human population plays on environmental issues. Use the following questions as guidelines:

Does this church see any problems with human overpopulation?

Does the size of the human population have any effect on the environment?

Does this religion allow family size limits?

Is sex and population education allowed? Condemned?

Does the church support and respect those who limit the number of children they have?

Does the church offer adoption services?

Does the church offer child care services?

Is use of birth control allowed? What types are allowed? Not allowed?

What is the status of women in this church?

Does this church support national population policies?

Does this church support the inclusion of family planning programs in economic assistance programs?

What, if any, international activities include family planning programs?

(3) If you have time, go to a church’s service, and talk to members of the congregation, asking them some of the questions from above to get a "layperson’s" viewpoint of his or her church.

(4) Compare your answers with other classmate’s interviews.

(1) Did any of the church leaders see any problems with human overpopulation? What was the viewpoint of the church leaders about the potential for environmental problems caused by too many humans?

(2) Which religion(s) seemed to be the most liberal with respect to family planning? Which churches were the most anti-family planning? Why?

(3) What did the churches teach about issues regarding family planning and population control? Was there any agreement among the religions about these issues?

(4) How does the church regard women? Does this seem to influence its position on family planning?

(5) Are the churches involved with international family planning issues? What methods are acceptable to limit family size in different countries?

(6) How do your religious beliefs influence how many children you have, or will have? Are your beliefs in keeping with your religion?