Be Fruitful & Multiply

Dear Victorious,

I know that God told Adam and Eve to "be fruitful and multiply." But what about the global population explosion? What about the fact that we're depleting the earth's resources? What about the starving people whom we already can't take care of? Isn't this Biblical mandate outdated now?

Tawney Z. - Atlanta, GA

Dear Tawney,

No, the Biblical mandate is still valid. While it's popular to think of the world as being overcrowded, it's really not. There are vast stretches of the earth that aren't populated. Here are a couple of important facts to consider:

1. If the entire population of the world were relocated to one place, it would create a metropolitan area the size of Texas. The rest of the world would be empty.

2. There is currently more than enough food in the world to feed everyone. In fact, much of the food being produced in the world today is wasted. The problem is that the food isn't in the right place at the right time, etc.

As Christians, we have to remember that God knows what He's doing. He is our provision in life. And if He told us to be fruitful and multiply, He had a plan. He knows how well we'll do that and He's totally capable (and willing) to provide for all of earth's population. T

hat anyone starves or doesn't have clean drinking water or a place to live is not a matter of God not providing or the earth not being capable. Rather it is a matter of sin - where those who have fail to care for those who have not.