How would you justify having a baby? [Part 2]?

Question

I already questioned people on why they would voluntarily want to breed when there are already so many people in the world. In exchange I got a tirade of instinct-fuelled abuse from hormonally controlled parents.... and very few actual answers.

Perhaps I need to better explain: As much as the eradication of humanity would be amusing... I don't advocate the ceasure of breeding of all kinds, but rather that breeding should be limited so we aren't just throwing new people into a world where the resources are so thin that everyone lives a miserable life. Not only that but there are many children out there without parents because said people irresponsibly gave birth to them and gave them up.

Why is it that so few people can look to do humanity a favour by helping those who are already there and uncared for rather than just making more mouths to feed?

We may be animals, but WE have the choice to defy instinct for the greater good. Is utilitarianism dead?

Don't forget, people... Modern medicine is helping keep those other resource-hogs: the elderly, alive longer too... Death rates are rather low, which would be why the world population is rising so rapidly. Which would you rather? That we kill off the elderly and carry on breeding, or lay off the bunny-behaviour for a while? This world isn't going to support our species much longer.... We're heading for a population-crash one way or another... and then what good will your emotions do you? THINK people... Reason it out.

[Reply to mystic_eye_cda]:

No. I don't think that people like that should breed at all. I believe that control should be set down on breeding practice so that only those who are genetically healthy and likely to produce offspring who would benefit society should be entitled to breed. Call me Hitler if you want, but I'm hardly advocating genocide here, and in the long run the species would benefit massively, and everyone would lead a much better life.

[To SMM]:

That was an excellent response, and I know exactly what you're saying about the "biological imperative" ...
However... consider an ant colony. Out of all the females, only the queen breeds. It is safe to assume that it was not always this way, but it has become essential to control the breeding so that the ants together can operate as a single unit: the hive... their society. It is in this way that ant species have thrived where individual ants would fail.
Humanity is going much the same way due to our development of reasoning above and beyond instinct. We are able to defy our instincts that we may serve as units of society and not only as individuals. We have the capability to be selfless rather than selfish, if generally underexpressed.... Already, the concept of serving society ahead of one's self is seen as an ideal, but so few people seem capable of acting on that. Perhaps its about time people took it to heart so we can evolve.

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To all those people who seem to want to go on about what would have happened if my parents had thought the same.... or worse still that I should be thankful they didn't....... I'll have you know that if I'd never been born, I'd hardly be in a position to complain, and honestly it makes no difference to me either way. I wouldn't resent my mother as much if she had decided not to breed (not least since I wouldn't be around to express resentment). And before you come to the next usual conclusion.... NO... I'm not therefore going to kill myself. Since I'm already here, I might as well try to do something with my life... such as encourage other people not to breed. Its a futile endeavour, but I like it when people realise I'm right, and furthermore that they really have no control over themselves... I derive some level of satisfaction from laughing at instinct-fuelled simians.

[To purpledragonfly]:
Please leave your imaginary deity out of this. And as to whether I've adopted yet or not, I plan on doing so when I have saved up sufficient money and adapted my life toward that end. At my current point in life I'm not ready to take care of any child, and to jump into such things would be irresponsible. Later... when I'm prepared.

Answer 1

as my husband explains, many people feel a "biological imperative" to have their own offspring. (that is genetically related to them, that they can point out and say you have so and so's eyes, etc). Many people don't want to adopt someone else's child, where they would be raising a "stranger". In my opinion, all children are "strangers" and there's a great chance you'll have a child that neither looks nor acts anything like you. Granted, i'm adopted, so of course i'm for adopting children other have had and can't care for.

Normally, there would be people not having children because their bodies can't (homosexual couples, infertile couples, older couples). Instead of adopting children (which is a very difficult task, to be fair) they are choosing to go though expensive and harmful processes to fulfill thier biolgical imperative. So evolution's attempt to keep down the earth's population is being thwarted.

also, science has allowed humans to live longer and healther, which is really the cause of overpopulation, not people having a ton of children. Most people in the "developed" world have about 2, which replaces them and thier spouse.

Others have a lot of children because they don't have access to birth control, or don't believe in it for whatever reason.

and of course, once you have four kids you love them and can't imagine life without them and wonder how people could not want to have your four children or children like them (feelings caused by hormonal fluxations in pregnancy, and societal pressure)

most people who adopt children feel even happier about thier children and being a parent than people who don't adopt do. But, still, for many it's hard to not have a child that looks like you.

Oh, and yes, my mother has as biological child ( i was adopted second, my stepsister third)

Answer 2

Unfortunately as that popular pop song years ago so eloquently mused, "been around the world and found that only stupid people are breeding..." True dat. Intelligent, conscious, forward thinking people have voluntarily decided to not further contribute to the problem of over-propagation. Sadly it may be that the very people who could do the world some good have chosen to let it die.

The people that lead the most miserable lives, who scrape out such a bare bones existence are the ones who keep pumping out the kids to give their empty lives new meaning over and over with each subsequent lifeless child, regardless of the consequences to themselves, the people around them, and humanity as a whole. A bleek outlook, maybe. I think I tend to see things clearly. If my view is negative then that's the way it is folks.

There are those that live within their means, and plan pregnancy, provide for and raise their children morally, spiritually and ethically well ( we ALL come into the physical world one way only, and exit it differently), and so to all those mothers out there who bear us and raise us to ask these kinds of questions, Thank You. It isn't easy by any means. Awareness is the Key. As adults it is our responsibility to see to the future. F* the children.

Armageddon amuses me too ;)

Answer 3

To start the debate:

Are you saying the only people that should be allowed to breed are those who are too dumb to use birth control and too morally bankrupt to take care of their children so they put them up for adoption? That responsible parents who wish for children and plan for them should only be allowed to take the castoffs of those who do not plan?

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Edited to Add:

Ahhh so you are proposing Eugenics, now I understand your viewpoint. Let me ask you would you wish to be the judge? Would you wish to be judged?

Once upon a time they tried to prevent deaf people from breeding, so were epileptics, and other diseases we now know to not (always) be genetic.

Also limiting the genetic varience in a population makes it more suseptable to disease, and can increase the chances of genetic defects through too close breeding. In addition, once started if it is discovered that a percentage of the population contains a flaw there may not be enough non-affected breeding pairs to continue the population.

Random variations which would not be allowed to breed may also have proven to be beneficial over time, or have lead to other beneficial mutations. With controlled breeding the human race may cease to evolve.

Would you force women to marry their genetically optimum breeding partners? Would you use artifical insemination? What about the father's rights? Perhaps you would use IVF and surrogates so no one's children are genetically their own.

And any committee to decide who could breed / breed with who would be run by humans and therefore would be flawed, influenced by politics, greed, and other base human instincts.

Eugenic would solve nothing and cause so many problems it is not even worth considering.

Answer 4

I agree with you in theory. I have 2 children, neither are spectacular in anyway, but both are confident, intelligent and caring. I love being pregnant, I delivery easily and breastfeed. This is what I was made for and would love to have a couple more. My husband and I also talk about adopting, unfortunately it is an expensive process that will have to wait until we are in a higher tax bracket. I struggle with the decision to have more children biologically, I so want to and think that it will make our family more well rounded, on the other hand I worry about the over crowding of our earth.

Answer 5

Yea, I agree in part. The world is definitly on its way to being over populated very quickly. I think that as parents, we should have to get a license to have children. Not all people would make good parents. The govt in this country has already forseen the growing numbers and has in turn made it VERY VERY expensive for families in the US to procreate. Doctor bills alone could be a lifesavings for some people. So... as responsible humans, we should be more careful.

Answer 6

I have no prob having as many children as I wish to have...why you ask, we have never been on any aide. pay all our own bills & take care of our children. I know I am about to get s**t for this now, but oh well. I feel that if you as a father or mother lose your child into the foster system you should be steralized, as well as molesters, murders etc. I think we would have a better educated & manered youth if this was done. Just my opionion

Answer 7

you should be glad your parents weren't thinking the same thing...you are here...why don't you give up your space for someone else....not fair huh? Just think about it....is anyone useing up your space right now....while asking this question? How many people are in your office or room at this minute....? How much space do you need? As far as more mouths...i will feed their mouths...i am not asking anyone else to doit...you have to look at the situation in a different way.... When you get married...and you tell your wife you don't want kids because there are so many people in the world...what do youthink will happen.?

Answer 8

What if your mother had been convinced by some other cynic to not overpopulate the world with you? Besides how is the greater good realized by the eradication of he human race? Are we to clear the way for the mice who have been experimenting on us for years? More to the point why would you expect any agreement in this forum that is obviously populated by people who do not agree with you? Until evolution or nuclear holocaust renders us all infertile we do not need to justify reproduction.

Answer 9

My reasoning is that I want to raise a couple children with my husband and share a new experience together. We are pregnant with #1 and only plan on 2 children. I also would prefer to have it our DNA just so they can maybe look/act like one of us more, and God says to be fruitful and multiply. However, if I couldn't conceive or my husband couldn't get me pregnant, we would adopt in a heartbeat.

Answer 10

Did you ever stop to consider that we are supposed to overbreed? That the Earth will finally be rid of it's only destructive force?

I don't like seeing unwanted children in this world, but you cannot control the basic human ability to breed. It's just what we do!