I was watching a documentary recently about a movement called Quiverfull.
30,000 strong so far in America and increasing all the time - as well as growing in Canada and Australia. The women of this group believe that no birth control is necessary (or even right) and that how many children they have is up to God and nature.
Many of these women have 10, 12 and 15 children. And they continue to have more. Most are self-sufficient who do not depend on the tax payer to support their family. They believe huge families to be their ultimate goal and suggest that 12 children born to each woman is a viable number.
They have many challenges, from the simple day to day aspects of feeding their kids and transportation, to education and health care. But they also enjoy a lot of fun and kinship, as well as tight knit communities with the focus on their home lives. Many break out in laughter at the notion that they live this life against their will. They're aware that society, in general, believes they need some kind of rescuing and if only they were more educated, they'd know how demeaning their life choices are.
Contrary to stereotypes, not all Quiverfull women wear long dresses and abstain from "material" things. Many are educated, sporty, fit women who believe that large families make an environment strong, not weak. They are well-rounded and as opinionated as any boardroom dynamo.
They are not without their (many) critics. There have been accusations of racism and feminist women have accused Quiverfull men of holding their wives back and disallowing female independence. The women have been called "breeders" and slaves of a patriarchal society. Far more commentaries are critical than supportive. And some of this criticism may well be valid - it can be a hard and exhausting life, with little personal time or the "me time" we have come to expect in our more mainstream lives. But in interviews, the Quiverfull women say that they are happy, content and would never be in this life unless they wanted to be. They are less interested in "me" time, or the "me" concept in general. Some think this is rather refreshing.
Not many people believe them. They must be brainwashed. They must be subservient. Why else would any woman choose this life? Quiverfull women believe that real choice is being allowed to live as they wish - not how others wish them to live.
Some of the men and women who believe in the no birth control rules of the Quiverfull movement include the Duggar family (of 18 kids and Counting on TLC) and some of the families on the the show Families by the Dozen.
Whether a popular lifestyle or not, people are fascinated by these families and their TV ratings are high. Family blogs are filled with supportive messages. Less admiring articles have been published by Newsweek, The New York Times and other large publications as well as countless social commentary blogs.
For more information on the Quiverfull movement, click here : http://www.quiverfull.com/ and you can check out a show about these women on WETV's The Secret Lives of Women here : http://www.wetv.com/secret-lives-of-women/
One former leader of the Quiverfull movement has her own website, talking about why she left : http://nolongerquivering.com/
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Do you find these families inspiring? Why or why not? Could you see yourself having a dozen or more kids? How many kids is enough for any family?
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I found this interesting paragraph in an article I found recently: "There are many high-fertile religious communities out there - as, for example, the Old Order Amish. Other religious groups, as the Shakers, who didn't manage (or chose) to have enough children, succumbed to (bio-)cultural evolution. In contrast, we still don't know about a single, non-religious population, movement or group that was able to retain more than two births per woman (the so-called replacement level) throughout subsequent generations. This is relevant from a sociocultural perspective: Secularization is taking place (especially among wealthy and secure populations) - but running into demographic dead ends, followed by religious-demographic revivals (through births and immigration). And it is relevant from the perspective of evolutionary studies: Intergenerational reproductive success is "the" benchmark of evolutionary fitness, promoting biocultural traits as speech, musicality - or religiosity."
If you think of life as a game based on evolution, then every child you have is like a point... and the more points you have by the time you're on your deathbed, the better. Women who have few children are unknowingly ensuring that genes responsible for lower fertility die out, and women who have lots of children are unknowingly ensuring that genes responsible for high fertility become more predominant.
There's a book on amazon.com called "monkeys on our backs".. i recommend reading the blurbs.. it's pretty mindbending
August 22, 2012 - 8:03amThis Comment
I do not find this movement or these families inspiring in the least. I believe that when adults decide to have children, the adults should raise them, not the oldest children. From what I've read, there is no room for creativity in the children, especially the girls. These children have no choice but to follow the indoctrination of their parents. Parents should raise children, not siblings. Individuality is frowned upon as well. If the two adults choose to have this many children, what gives them the right to rob their children, (most particularly the girls), of a normal childhood. I find it absolutely inexcusable and a form of child abuse. As far as the maximum number of children per family is concerned, two is sufficient. Each child replaces each parent.
April 17, 2012 - 9:22amThis Comment
Vyckie nowhere hides that she was a strong proponent of the QF movement while she was involved in it. She herself links to her old blog on her site. It makes her point for her quite well, that in order to keep from facing the truth about how the pregnancies were ruining her health, her children were not all that blessed unless you call congenital birth defects a blessing, and her husband (like most Christian men) only gave lip service to loving his wife "like Christ loves the church", it requires a whole lot of denial and posturing. Her blog and her newsletter were as much to convince herself that she was doing it all the godly way and that everything would eventually work out, as it was to convince anyone else.
What I get out of her story, and all the home school families like hers that I have known over the years, is that women hope for a very long time, far longer than they should. They keep waiting for the joy and provision and blessing that they were promised: loving husbands, happy and grateful children, provision for all. It never comes, so they just wait. And wait. And wait some more.
The problem is that they have engaged in behaviors that mean those things won't come- having more children than they could possibly personally meet their emotional needs, much less social, health, academic, food and clothing needs. You can only live in denial so long before something has to give.
Wealthy families (TV stars like the Duggars, for example) can at least meet the physical needs. The social and emotional needs, not so much. I personally think the only reason A &E keeps the Duggars on is for the coming sequel, when one of the kids leaves the fold and tells all. THAT will be the ratings bonanza they are hoping for!
August 27, 2011 - 11:13amThis Comment
I have had to give comfort to a guilt-ridden mom of nine "permission" to seek food stamps to feed her hungry family , watched others from my church post with glee that WIC day had arrived, and given cash, food and winter coats to one family living hand to mouth, mostly on the kindness of others while claiming God is meeting all their needs.
Many of these parents start out young and strong and full of faith. But as the kids keep coming, it saps the health of even the strongest young adult. It's not that hard to add a new mouth to feed when they nurse, but when your brood starts hitting the teen years, it is very expensive.
Each new generation fancies that they are somehow superior to the ones who came before, that they somehow will succeed where others failed. Best wishes. You're going to need them.
August 27, 2011 - 10:58amThis Comment
I have only known two quiverful families. The father, mother, and children look overwhelmed, exhausted, sorrowful, and at times extremely angry. I do not see enjoyment of life or living life to the fullest at all in their lives. I pity them.
July 25, 2011 - 7:40amThis Comment
Quiverfull disgusts me, and a belief in a diety is just simply ridiculous. I'll live my life free from patriarchal constraint and free from the absurity of religion. How about you live your lives for you and not for some "God", not for "Him". Live with a belief in humanity, live to help humanity and the planet, not create more children when there a thousands dying every day. This is such a typical First World Christian movement, so stereotypically bible-belt America. Christianity is one of the most hypocritical belief systems out there.
March 24, 2011 - 5:21amOh and Dez (of course you're from Ipswich it's practically Australia's bible-belt) I value my womanhood, and how dare you accuse any woman otherwise just because she wants to use contraception.
I thoroughly agree with this comment:
"Why would God allow me to be born with a mind, born with the ability to think and reason, and born with the ability to make decisions only to have to turn them over to another HUMAN BEING and alllow him to make all the decisions for me? Sorry, but Quiverfull sounds like a cult to me!"
This Comment
Hi Everyone,
My name is Janna, and I am a senior at Haverford College in PA.
I am a political science major with an interest in social movements, and I think that something really dynamic and interesting is happening with communities of faith in America. In the coming weeks, I will be putting together a survey (about 10-15 questions) for Quiverfull couples trying to understand how people find the Quiverfull movement, why they join, and why they stay invested in the Quiverfull community. I am also looking to do in-person interviews with families living in the northeast (driving distance from Philadelphia). The identities of all participants will remain confidential, and I have no plans to publish my findings.
If your family would be interested in participating in my research, I would be deeply grateful, and very happy to have your input. If you know other families that might be interested in participating, feel free to pass on my contact information. Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions.
All the best,
February 7, 2011 - 9:30amJanna Frieman
Haverford College Class of 2011
[email protected]
This Comment
Why would God allow me to be born with a mind, born with the ability to think and reason, and born with the ability to make decisions only to have to turn them over to another HUMAN BEING and alllow him to make all the decisions for me? Sorry, but Quiverfull sounds like a cult to me!
January 9, 2011 - 7:25pmThis Comment
Hi,
My name is Dez Auld . wow I think the quiverfull movement is the best thing I have heard in Christianity for a very long time!!!!!!!! Real women...How can you find one of these wonderful women of God - more precious than rubies. Seriously. I live in Australia in Queensland, Ipswich. I would love to meet some a Christian Woman with these kind of values. Women that want to be women.....Glory to God in the highest. Some times I think I am living on planet of the Apes - most Christian women it seems have become deceived and do not value their womanhood.
Regards Dez Auld
October 31, 2010 - 3:17am(Personal email address removed by EmpowHER moderator.)
This Comment
I am the 34 year old mother of six that posted earlier in this conversation. To the anonymous that wrote, "How does the no of kids make you more 'godly'?" I am sorry, but you have no idea what quiverfull is. Quiverfull does not mean more kids equals more Godliness. It means turning your fertility over to God. Being in His will 100%, being open to as many or as FEW children as God blesses you with. It does not dictate that you become a child producing machine. Some women are more fertile then others by design. Some will never bare a child, while others like the Duggars will bare 15 or more. Obviously your following of this movement has not involved any real research. Vyckie has not brought any light to the bad side. If you knew Vyckie you would see how vastly different she is from what she was. It is interesting to me that the same pictures she used to tell us all of her wonderful life, are now being used to degrade it. Wanna see Vyckie's other side? Check out her family blog that she kept origionally before her change of heart. http://7arrows4him.blogspot.com/
May 21, 2010 - 5:49amThis Comment