Society tends to shape conformity. And changing society brings forward norms different from preceding generations. Sadly there is no escape from snide remarks, if you don't draw it because of one thing you get it because of another. Today's large would be yesterday's medium.
Given the falling birthrate in many of today's 'developed' world, anyone with more than two children is helping to redress this, surely? My response will be that these will be tax payers supporting the rest of us when I am old. Who will be earning and supporting you when you are old?
On a more serious note, the measure of a family from a Christian Orthodox is not the number but whether the values and activities of that family are Christian ones.
Years ago I took my children out and they all took one friend. How I got them in the car was something else. Anyway we arrived at a picnic area and the horde disembarked. All were of similar hair colour and pigmentation. There were looks from some Anglo-saxon types but a large party of Sicilians gave us a huge round of applause. I guess they thought they were all mine. Not guilty, your honour!
