It's because it runs like a business that we're able to enjoy a high standard of living.

If the economy stops growing, or worse, degrades, everyone will suffer incredibly. Job loss, investment loss, higher cost of living.

There's a wide gulf between childcare for none and childcare for all.

I'm an atheist, but some of the cheapest childcare is at churches. Orders of magnitude cheaper than private childcare because they already have the infrastructure for it. I've had affluent people turn their nose at the idea of Christians watching their kids. But there are entirely affordable options if you're not being choosey.

I don’t understand the conjunction of “the state should not subsidize childcare with taxes” and “the church should subsidize childcare with underpaid labor and tithes.”

Church membership is voluntary.

Being atheist, GP is presumably not a member (or at worst, is a member in bad faith, pun intended).

The economy will stop growing eventually. Nothing grows forever. If we have built our society around the notion of perpetual economic growth, we have already accepted that "everyone will suffer incredibly", and we're only arguing about which generation will be the one to bear it.

> The economy will stop growing eventually.

That isn't necessarily true. If we find continual efficiency gains, it may never stop growing for thousands of years.

Most growth curves in life are S-curves. Population growth, etc. But technological advancement could continue until we become a type II civilization.

That's absolutely sci-fi speculation, but there are no signs of technological advancement ending.

If each round of advancement increases efficiency, growth continues. I don't see an end in sight.