Religion – Population Matters-USA

Aerial view of a residential section of the Gaza Strip

Can high population density lead to war? Recent events suggest that it can.

You are probably aware that, on October 7^th, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (also called “Hamas”) launched a surprise attack on its neighbor, Israel. Israel has retaliated with most of the terrible devices of modern warfare and thousands of deaths.

Although Hamas rules the Gaza Strip, Gaza is not an independent entity. It is surrounded on 3 sides by Israel. Israel has surrounded Gaza with an almost impenetrable wall to control the passage of people and goods. Israelis guard the handful of gates through the wall, and have watch towers and other means of controlling Palestinians’ passage.

Israel also controls access to Gaza from the Mediterranean Sea on the west. Much of Gaza’s potable water comes from Israel, as does their electric power. Both of these necessities are now severely restricted, causing a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Because Israel controls Gaza Strip’s airspace, territorial waters and also controls the movement of people and goods in or out of Gaza by air or sea, Human Rights Watch has advised the UN Human Rights Council that it considers Israel to be occupying the Gaza Strip.

From what I can discern, there are several reasons for high levels of aggression in the Palestinian Territories. The population density in the Strip is one of the highest in the world. Because of this, homes are crowded together with little room for parks or even an occasional tree. Living in close proximity, with little access to nature, increases stress. Hot conditions have been shown to increase aggression. Finally, the unemployment rate in Gaza is the highest in the world, at 45%. For young people, it is even higher, at 70%! Unemployed young men are the most likely group to be belligerent.

Despite its crowded conditions, people in the Palestinian Territories have high fertility. It is commonly thought that this is a consequence of their embattled position—that more people will give the Palestinians more strength. Although slightly lower, the Israeli fertility is also high, especially for a relatively rich country.

The Palestinians in Gaza are in a terrible situation, and Hamas made it worse by their aggression against their neighbor. Then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated the aggression by quoting 1 Samuel 15:2, 3 from the Bible, likening Hamas to the ancient Amalekites:

²This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. ³Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.

Despite the fact that Palestinians occupied the land before Israel was created, they have had a terrible deal. There are similarities with the American Natives, with several differences: we European settlers killed off a huge percentage of the indigenous people; North America is larger and less crowded than the Levant, and our land is more productive; and Israel has had significant international financial support.

I have two personal conclusions about this conflict. Amongst other issues, the high population density in Gaza may be a contributing factor to the war with Israel. This factor is not mentioned in most media reports on the conflict. Furthermore, for all its benefits, religion can be terribly destructive, especially if it fails to reflect current, more peaceful, ethics.

©Richard Grossman MD, 2023

Listen to the Complexities of Abortion

Screenshot from Kim Wallach singing “Freedom to Choose”

Even though I’ve written many essays about aspects of population, a friend mentioned that I’ve never included songs on the subject. Fortunately, she also pointed me in the right direction. “Freedom to Choose” was written by Bob Blue and Kim Wallach. Kim inspired Bob to write the lyrics after she told him the story of a protester at an abortion clinic. The protestor took her daughter to the same clinic ,when she didn’t want the daughter to have a baby. Unfortunately, Bob is singing in heaven.

Since it is difficult to get much of a tune from this blog, please listen to Kim sing this song at: https://youtu.be/lqPjPOPdgQE

Freedom to Choose

In a clinic on Main Street in Washingtonville

Lost in thought by a window stood Mary McGill

When her eyes met the eyes of a woman outside

Was it rain on her glasses or tears she had cried?

Outside on the picket line Rosemary Flynn

Felt the rain on her face and the anger within

As she stared at that face inside, gentle and warm

That seemed almost to beckon her in from the storm.

And the two women found themselves staring awhile

Recognition, awareness, but never a smile

And there seemed to be some kind of truce in that stare

Until Rosemary Flynn recalled why she was there

Then she held up her sign that said, ”Thou shalt not kill”

And she pointed directly at Mary McGill

And Mary McGill, before starting to turn

Gave a nod to acknowledge Rosemary’s concern

That day Mary counseled a child named Michelle

Who tried hard to seem calm in her personal hell

Mary spoke to Michelle with the tone of a friend

And her gentleness brought Michelle’s calm to an end

Michelle told her story with pain hard to hide

Of her mother and John and the new life inside

She had meant to show love, she had meant no one harm

But her mother felt anger, and John felt alarm

But the new life inside was a life, it was real

With a brain and a heartbeat she wanted to feel

And she wanted that child, she would love it so well

She would build it a heaven to make up for this hell

But she’d end the new life for her mother and John

“I’ll do it,” Michelle said, “for my mother and John.”

These words had an emptiness Mary saw through

“If you do it,” said Mary, “Please do it for you.”

Michelle looked at Mary through the pain and the tears

And Mary saw all of Michelle’s sixteen years

And she thought she saw something of several years more

Or perhaps she had seen Michelle’s face once before

Michelle only murmured the word, “I don’t know”

And she stood, and she turned and she started to go

When Mary made one last request of Michelle

With her parting words, “Take time to think this out well”

That night Michelle’s mother stormed into the place

Not hiding her anger, yet hiding her face

“My daughter came here with a purpose” she said

“Not to have you put foolish ideas in her head

“She’s too young, she’s a girl and the father’s a boy

“And she thinks that a baby is some kind of toy

“Your job was to teacher her, to straighten her out

“Not confuse her, and send her home riddled with doubt”

“My job,” explained Mary, “was not to confuse

“But to make her aware of her freedom to choose

“My job is to make sure the options are known

“You are right she is young, but her life is her own”

Then Mary saw something in this woman’s face

And remembered the person, the time and the place

This woman had labeled abortion a sin

The face in the picket line, Rosemary Flynn.

People often accuse and are quick to condemn

When the issue is safe, and does not affect them

I don’t envy the job facing Mary McGill

I don’t know all the meanings of “thou shalt not kill”

It’s a conflict more simply prevented than solved

But the choice must belong to the woman involved

And I think that the answers come, not from above,

But from us, and our consciences, tempered with love.