The Commodification of Children

I heard it again on the radio the other day - that it costs so much to raise children these days that therefore many people are not having children. I've heard that before, lots of times, but this time it struck me: that's how we talk about TVs, and cars, and computers, and things like that. They cost too much so I'm not getting one. And so (in a way) children have become just another thing to "have." That saddens me. How far we have fallen from the Biblical thought of children being a gift from God when we simply think about whether we can afford them or not. Financial considerations are important, but it seems they have become the tail that wags the dog. I wonder if this is the result of abortion or a contributor to it. The thing is, most folks always find the money for the stuff they want and the vacations they want, but children . . . hmmm.