Assembly Quote by Nancy Mairs
“Through its prohibition on birth control, the Church has suggested that the only right way to have children is through biological reproduction: a kind of forced labor culminating in the production of another soul for God. What kind of a God stands like Lee Iacocca at the end of an assembly line, driving his workers with a greedy 'More! More!' while the automobiles pile up in showrooms and on freeways and in used-car lots and finally junkyards, his only satisfaction the gross production figures at the end of every quarter?”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Birth Control Debate, 1990s
The Church treats procreation as forced labor, equating children with production units for divine profit.
In simple terms: Church views children as labor for God.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of forced reproduction.
Themes
religion
ethics
reproduction
labor
power
Mood
critical
provocative
Type
theological
social commentary
When to use this quote
- activism
- theological debate
- family planning
- human rights
- ethical critique
Key Concepts
Theodicy
institutional control
human dignity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does institutional doctrine affect personal freedom?
- What alternatives exist to reconcile faith and reproductive rights?
A Different Perspective
It ignores individual autonomy and diverse family structures.
![“Bernard [Leach] had acquired many [Shoji] Hamada works. Some of them, it was interesting - first of all, Hamada worked in St. Ives for about four years before returning to Japan to start his own pottery. He had exhibitions in London, and if these exhibitions didn't sell out, the galleries were…” quote by Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6c0/warren-mackenzie-4654_exhibitions_bernard-leach-had-acquired-many-shoji-ha_2454863.jpg)
![“With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these [hydrogen fuel cell] cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” quote by George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c2a/george-w-bush-64_born_with-a-new-national-commitment-our-scien_323146.jpg)
![“In the grammar of the phallus -- the I, I, I -- [woman] can't utter female experience.” quote by Nancy Mairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d05/nancy-mairs-20489_female_in-the-grammar-of-the-phallus-the-i-i-i_969766.jpg)
![“Mac [Barnett] and I prank each other during our presentation. We show baby pictures of each other looking completely ridiculous. I can't believe the frilly shirt that I'm in, and Mac's wearing a sailor suit and playing a toy piano. That's a perfect example of a good prank, where we have three…” quote by Jory John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/afb/jory-john-60334_assembly_mac-barnett-and-i-prank-each-other-durin_50495.jpg)
