• Biblical Families is not a dating website. It is a forum to discuss issues relating to marriage and the Bible, and to offer guidance and support, not to find a wife. Click here for more information.

The world is obsessed with numbers

FollowingHim2

FollowingHim2

Women's Ministry
Staff member
Real Person
Female
- How many wives you have
- How many children you have
- The numbers on your scales
- The numbers in your bank account
- The number of years you've lived....

So, maybe arguing that having multiple wives is right, is a number issue. People are seeing it as a number thing, like they see having more than 2-3 children is number thing. There is apparently an 'ideal' number. People have all these 'reasons' why they can't have more children, but they could work around them all if they thought about it for all of 2 minutes, it actually all comes back to numbers.
I don't know what this means, I don't know how to use it to counteract the PM is evil thing, and maybe that's not the point anyway. But I've put my random musings down on 'paper' for you all to think about anyway.
 
I found as I added more children the reaction people had was very predictable based on the current number.
 
rockfox said:
I found as I added more children the reaction people had was very predictable based on the current number.
Click to expand...
Yep. If we go shopping with our youngest two, people smile. But the whole family going somewhere gets a very different reaction.
 
The root problem here is society has set cultural expectations for marriage and family. And the church has embraced them; even though they are the literal opposite of what the Bible would have them do.
 
rockfox said:
The root problem here is society has set cultural expectations for marriage and family. And the church has embraced them; even though they are the literal opposite of what the Bible would have them do.
Click to expand...

No surprise. Church adopts tons from pagan culture to fit in. Been doing that since, oh, 6000 years ago? Very few find and stay on the narrow path.
 
rockfox said:
I found as I added more children the reaction people had was very predictable based on the current number.
Click to expand...
I get different reactions from different people. I found when I went out with 4-5 children I had old women telling me how lovely it was, how they had wanted to have more than 3 but they chose not to (or hubby told them they couldn't), and how much they regret not taking the time to have another.
 
rockfox said:
The root problem here is society has set cultural expectations for marriage and family. And the church has embraced them; even though they are the literal opposite of what the Bible would have them do.
Click to expand...
It's not just the church though. It's everyone, it's the whole society, even our whole world. It's not just numbers of children and wives everyone is obsessed with. It's all numbers, even down to time. Ever wanted to just throw away the clock? I'm not sure we could actually live in our society if we did that. What about how many numbers are on the scale? How many $ are in our bank accounts?
It's this sort of thing that everyone lives under, this control, we have to fit within the numbers. We have numbers for everything, bank accounts, pin numbers, addresses... All these things that we use to identify us, that we have to live within. All boxes.

I'm having a weird philosophical moment, lol.
 
Numbers can be fun.

Eighteen wheels and a dozen roses
Ten more miles on his four day run
A few more songs from the all night radio
And he'll spend the rest of his life
With the one that he loves​

— from the song "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", written by Paul Nelson and Gene Nelson
 
Last edited:
FollowingHim2 said:
It's not just the church though. It's everyone, it's the whole society, even our whole world. It's not just numbers of children and wives everyone is obsessed with. It's all numbers, even down to time. Ever wanted to just throw away the clock? I'm not sure we could actually live in our society if we did that. What about how many numbers are on the scale? How many $ are in our bank accounts?
It's this sort of thing that everyone lives under, this control, we have to fit within the numbers. We have numbers for everything, bank accounts, pin numbers, addresses... All these things that we use to identify us, that we have to live within. All boxes.

I'm having a weird philosophical moment, lol.
Click to expand...
Speed limits. Once my speedometer broke and I kept using the car daily for a few weeks until I was able to fix it. After a few days, once I had lost the habit of constantly glancing down at the thing, I am certain I was a much safer and more alert driver. My eyes were constantly on the road. I knew my rough speed from the engine noise, but focussed on driving safely rather than being obsessed with an arbitrary number. It was a liberating feeling. Then I fixed the car and went back to driving legally, but have never felt as safe as I did then.
I agree numbers are a cultural obsession.
 
I agree with @mystic that numbers are fascinating! They're part of the Creator's magnificent mystery of the entire universe. The more we learn about numbers and His glorious Creation, the more profound what He has given us becomes. His science blows the minds of our modern day scientific experts! I love reading about all the findings they can't explain with the numbers they say are sooooo important!

I miss the days of going grocery shopping with all six in tow. They were always well-behaved, and without fail there were sure to be comments from both perspectives. The kids used to be as amused about some of the looks and comments as was I. Restaurants was an even bigger event. People couldn't believe that as a family of 8 we could quietly enjoy the meal w/o kids getting down from the table, running around, pitching fits, throwing food, and generally making it a miserable experience for anyone trying to enjoy their meal that was sitting around us.

In our society people have come to use numbers "to compare themselves among themselves"--fools is what the Scripture calls that! How much did that outfit cost? What did you pay for THAT car? What's your Roth IRA looking like these days? Anything set back for retirement yet and how much? What size shoe do you wear? What's your cup size? How many years did you go to college? How many lbs. did you loose? How many have you gained back? How fast can you run the mile? You drove home after how many beers?!? How old were you when you first _________?

Just check it out over the next week: Can you carry on an intelligent conversation with family or friends w/o playing the numbers game of constantly comparing yourself to them to get one up? Numbers can really become a drag if one allows them to define oneself.
 
FollowingHim2 said:
It's not just the church though. It's everyone, it's the whole society, even our whole world.
Click to expand...

From the world I either get the 'you know how that happens don't you?' or praise for having so many. The former is mostly done in a humorous way; the later in either an encouraging/blessing manner or from an 'I couldn't have pulled it off' praise way. The church though, much more judgmental and condemning; serious pressure to stop having kids started after just the 2nd.
 
rockfox said:
From the world I either get the 'you know how that happens don't you?' or praise for having so many. The former is mostly done in a humorous way; the later in either an encouraging/blessing manner or from an 'I couldn't have pulled it off' praise way. The church though, much more judgmental and condemning; serious pressure to stop having kids started after just the 2nd.
Click to expand...


Oh boy, yea I get that all the time... “you know what causes that right?” ... and I’m like “yea, it’s a hobby of mine!” :D
 
I say, "Sex." very loudly. Then when they start to smile embarrassingly, I follow it up with, "And we really enjoy it, which is why we keep doing it."
I don't get asked again after that.
Best said around as many people as possibly, preferably in a church setting or around the elderly.
 
rustywest4 said:
Oh boy, yea I get that all the time... “you know what causes that right?” ... and I’m like “yea, it’s a hobby of mine!” :D
Click to expand...

"No, please tell me. They just keep showing up."

FollowingHim said:
She does say that, it's very amusing.

I usually get asked "Are you having any more?"
And reply "I have no idea - that's why we've got seven." Prople tend to giggle nervously and change the subject then as they have no idea how to respond.
Click to expand...

We are to the point people ask, "when you having another one".
 
rustywest4 said:
Peeps be hatin when we roll thru the grocery store with the whole crew! I’m like “come at me bruh” I got sons for days to back me up! :cool:
Click to expand...
Lol, you and Zec would get along so well!

FH2, I wish I could be as bold! :D

When it's perfectly acceptable to have one screaming brat in the grocery store than to tote around a well-behaved brood... you know society's done for.
 
windblown said:
When it's perfectly acceptable to have one screaming brat in the grocery store than to tote around a well-behaved brood... you know society's done for.
Click to expand...
The problem is that people expect the former, and don't believe you could possibly have the latter. That's why their kids misbehave, because they expect it, then they see kids as horrible trying things and don't want any more.
Same thing with older siblings being 'jealous' of the new baby. It's just never been a thing in this house, ever, because I never expected that it would.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top