July 13. Population control. Mr Naicker had been in Justice and Peace groups for many years. He told his family, “If you think about it the Egyptians were forcing birth control on the Israelites way back then. Nowadays influential nations are promoting that too for poorer nations, even tying aid packages to birth control or reproductive health as they call it.”  There wasn’t much discussion. The older members did not understand this fully but Maysie, a sociology student really understood how population control has been a weapon used throughout history.”

“Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you may let all the girls live.” The woman conceived and bore a son and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  Read Exodus 1: 22 – 2: 9.   Pope Francis.  Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking how the world can be different some only propose a reduction in the birth rate.  Developing countries face forms of international pressure which makes economic assistance contingent on policies of reproductive health.    To blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some is one way of refusing to face the issues.  LS50