Joanna Moorhead is right to say we need to brush up on arguments to defend the larger family (The Tablet, 27 December). Journalist Colin Brazier did a good job of this with his 2008 essay Another Child Matters. Included in his many sound arguments is the following: "However, halting the mission creep of parenting professionals requires a recognition that many - particularly larger - families can provide their own bespoke solutions to the challenges of parenthood, through trial and error, which can never be replicated by an official or quango."
Even the 2012 Synod concluded that marriage "open to life is assaulted by crises everywhere surrounded by models of life that penalise it and it is not always respected nor sustained in its tasks by ecclesial communities."
Edmund P Adamus, Director for Marriage and Family, Westminster Diocese
I am one of a family of eight children. It might have escaped [Minister for Work and Pensions] Iain Duncan Smith (The Tablet, 27 December) but children grow up to be tax-payers.
Three of my brothers served in the British forces, three other siblings worked most of their working life in the NHS.
Each one of us has contributed to the well being of our nation for many years. We also paid our income tax and National Insurance contributions.
It's about time Mr Duncan Smith applied his mind to the real issues - zero hours contracts would be a good place to start. A labourer is worthy of his hire.
Neil Tully, Flint, Wales
Loading ...
