Should Sikhs Be Having Many Children

[11Gurus1Jot]

Dear Sangat Ji, You are right, the Sikh Population will only grow if every Sikh Couple has three children or more who then adopt a Gursikh's lifestyle and take Amirt. This also requires those 3 Gursikh to marry Gursikhs and then have 3 or more Gursikh Children. Going by data (facts) over the past couple of decades Gursikh/Amritdhari population is decreasing in a big way.

There is no doubt that Sikhs should marry Sikhs. But remember, from Guru Nanak Dev Ji to Guru Gobind Singh Ji there wasn't just people being born into Sikhi, there was also people coming into Sikhi. All of the humanity around the ten Gurus was so inspired by all the 10 Gurus that they took Amrit and Became sikh!.

Are we saying that our 11th final and eternal Guru Granth Sahib Ji can't inspire and welcome people into Sikhi. Or do we have to rely on breeding programme?

There are Christians all around the world, Black, white and brown. They have their own cultures, and as you know, in mosts cases, the Black Christians marry Black Christians, the White Christians marry White Christians, and the Brown Christians marry Brown Christains. This is not racism but more about different cultures and communities within a religion.

Do you think we should have that in Sikhi. ie. Let different colours and communities of people adopt the Sikhi religion but not have to give up their separate cultural identity. I mean could there be Black African Sikhs who prefer to marry Black African Sikhs?, and White Western Sikhs who prefer to Marry White Western Sikhs?, Chinese Sikhs who prefer to marry Chinese Sikhs?, Rusian Sikhs who prefer to Marry Rusian Sikhs?, and Punjabi Sikhs who prefer to marry Punjabi SIkhs?

It's not to say that all of the above couldn't marry each other at all! That's not what I mean at all. What I am saying should Punjabis have the 'monopoly' on Sikhi? Or can other Countries and Communities around the world fully adopt Sikhi without having to marry Punjabis? Look at 3HO?

Finally, it's not that difficult for a young shaven and trimmed Sikh Man or Woman to get Married. Especially if they drink, party and dress up to attract and seduce each other. As you know, with that lifestyle it just a matter of time before they meet someone and get married. So it's likely that shaven and trimmed Sikh Men and Women will continue to get married, especially as it's more acceptable for them to have a few relationsips before the find the 'right one', or the right partner for marriage. Some of these couples will and do go on to take Amrit in Later life and become great Gursikhs.

However, what about those who are already Amritdhari Sikh Man and Women before they get married? How do they meet a partner. They don't go Clubing like the shaven and trimmed sikhs. They don't go to wedding parties because of the booze and dancing, so can not go through the mating procedure of enticing a prospective partner to themselves through the dance floor etc. And because people do not generally go to each others houses like they used to in the old days.... the families struggle to find an 'arranged marriage' partner for them (ref Sikh Channel Programme 7pm Sunday). I think the way round this is that the friends of Amritdharis should all become match makers for Amritdharis i.e the friends of Amritdharis should arrange an Amritdharis wedding. As long as the Amritdhari marries an Amritdhari it's all well and good! As long as both partners are happy with each other, meet each other before marriage to make sure there are no personality clashes, and checks are done to make sure they are not related in any way (Amritdharies are a small community), then all should be happy!!!

[humanbeing]

I reckon it's our responsibility to increase the Panth with 4-6 Bhujhangia (Little Singhs and Singhaneea) but have the GurSikh Jeevan to support them.

!

Since when have we started the race for becoming the "largest religion" in the world???? Remember it is not the quantity but the quality that counts.

[Harjeet]

Well everyone on this planet is our brother and sister, we should also focus on waking up our fellow mankind, make the whole human race become Sikhs! Its already begining to happen!

[clarity]

In my experience all of the families which are larger are much more powerful in society and happier than small families who often get weeded out of the human gene pool eventually.

Having many children is vital to the survival of a religion or a culture.

We are designed by God in his image and he has given us a form that reproduces so why wouldnt we have more children.

Just look at the super rich and powerful they have as many children as possible while telling the world there should be a one child ploicy its a way to make the public less powerful and stop the middle classes creating dynasties.

Dont let anyone tell you that you should have a small family I have witnessed falimiles with many children from amrtidari backgorunds and Guru Ji always finds a way to help them financially.

Do ardas and ask for a large family because when you look arond you the large families are the happy ones and the powerful and wealthy in society.

There is a mass foeticide campaign taking place in Punjab precisley to wipe out the Sikh race and genes all we have to do to counter it is take up gursikhi and have large families who interconnect.

[VanHelsingh]

Do ardas and ask for a large family because when you look arond you the large families are the happy ones and the powerful and wealthy in society.

Wealth and power does not equate to a good Sikh and a happy life. Its the illusion of maya and something we should seek to extricate ourselves from, not immerse ourselves in its muddy waters. C'mon mate, everyone knows that!

[just a soul]

Wealth and power does not equate to a good Sikh and a happy life. Its the illusion of maya and something we should seek to extricate ourselves from, not immerse ourselves in its muddy waters. C'mon mate, everyone knows that!

that is very true - but numbers do mean a bigger voice

[clarity]

I agree wealth and power do not equate a happy life but folwing guru jis teachings with none atachment and honesty we are surely destined for wealth anyway look at the gurdwaras across the world they are just getting larger and larger the Gurus concepts ahve literally insured that Sikhs will be successful in all areas of life.

So wealth and Sikhism go hand in hand because we are honest, hard working and gursikhs do not partake in hair cutting fashion extravagant spending to show off make up etc isnt it guaranteed we will have more money on all of the people that are struggling to keep up appearances.

But large families are the way to go although there are disputes in large families it guarantees the success of our race and the future of mankind because if Sikhi doesnt become the dominant religion the world will surely burn just look around nobody else can get on.

The inner conflicts in Sikhi are caused by bribed outsiders who want to put an end to it because it threatens all established corrupt leadership in the East I can guarantee the English leadership would rather the entire leadership of India be given to Sikhs than the exisitng rulers.

We would eradicate poverty hunger injustice and still allow all religions to practice.

Do you think it was an accident that Punjab became the richest state in INdia or that Sikhs are amongst the richest if not richest minority in the UK.

Richness and wealth comes from giving richness and wealth in terms of love and respect if you give love and respect as a Sikh everywhere you go money is just a form of maya that people have to use but it does in fact confirm the good energy of Sikhs as long as we dont become attached I feel that money is not a bad thing in fact it has help us build some of the most beautiful gurdwaras in the world its only the attachment to something which weakens a person.

[West London Singh]

As we live in a democarcy..and a democracy is based on demographics...so in theory the majority rules...my question is should gursikhs have as many children as they can financially handle....should we be looking to have 4,5,6,... kids just to increase our population??...doesnt more numbers mean more votes which means more influence?....just look at the muslim population in britain...it jumped from 50,000 to over 2 1/2 million in just a couple of decades...should we following this route or not?? won't we feel more secure as a larger community than a smaller one...

Another example is the ultra othodox community (haredi) in israel who have on average around 6 -8 children each :0 ...this is actually worrying the secular jews in the country..because with their growing popualtion is coming growing power and influence in the government...as were seeing with the settlements in westbank and east jerusalem..

Just curious what my fellow brothers and sisters think about this...

I don't have any Sikh cousin with more than 2 children. We are Sikhs. We are not, never have been and never will be a burden on the welfare state or society as a whole. If a Sikh can afford to have more than 2 children than that is fine....but I know that 2 will be my financial limit. The day that Sikhs start having multiple children and be a burden on the state will be the beginning of the end of Sikhs.#

And those orthodox jews ? You don't need to look at Isreal for that. Just go to the Stamford Hill neighbourhood of North london. The ultra orthodox jews there have up to 10 children each and are officially the poorest community in the UK.

[clarity]

I would say the Sikhs have a stigma witht he welfare state we will give charity but understand we shouldnt take it if we have the capacity to work which you will not see in other communities.

If all of the Sikhs on here tighten up their family network and connect more with family instead of so called going with the times and splitting families therefore weakning themselves I feel it can be achieved.

For example look at large Sikh families the grandparents look after the children teach them Punjabi and look at the money you save on childcare it is obvious over work and small families are weakning us there is a way to make comprimises and have more children.

I feel it should be encouraged after all our panth will grow stronger.

Look at cost cutitng measures like a smaller car and less extravagant holidays I feel this country especially under conservatives give the family a lot of incentives.

University is going to be a thing of the past in 16 years with the era of online learning outsourcing and technology and so unles your children are going into medicine which there is going to be lots of cometition for in the future I feel it is doable you need to have faith in Waheguru.

Why would we be discussing this unless whaeguru willed it.

With female foeticide the growth of interreligious marriage and a lot of effort going into weakning Sikhs I feel we as a nation should grow and strengthen oursleves.

[VanHelsingh]

Numbers are important I guess from a certain perspective. Personally I'd rather have quality over quantity, although at this moment in time I think we have neither.