Moving forward from “Fertility and Faith”

Abstract

Recent technological advances have greatly increased life expectancy and cut infant mortality to a tiny fraction of its historic levels, making these norms no longer necessary for societal survival. These norms require repres-sing strong natural urges, but, since they present traditional norms as absolute values, most religions strongly resist change. The resulting tension, together with the fact that rising existential security has made people less dependent on religion, opened the way for an exodus from religion. His argument, nutshell, modern to autonomy, self-expression, and individual control over their bodies, sexuality and intimate relationships. Religions typically seek to regulate reproductive behavior, promote fertility, and defend traditional norms around sex, marriage and gender roles. choices,