Is It Immoral To Have Children?

I have triplet granddaughters.

They were to be their parents 2nd child (actually my daughter in law's 2nd and my son's first). They were conceived completely naturally and were 100% healthy.

I know the universe wanted them here.

 

those softball trips are the cutest ever.

 

ThankYou!

 

I know someone with a special needs child (it was her second child) she said to me today that even though she loves her child, had she of known his condition she would have aborted.

Personally the only thing I would need to abort is a positive pregnancy test but I am careful to not let that happen.

Seems every third person is on antidepressants, which is depressing. How dare anyone be sad or have a natural sadness response to life circumstances.

They are adorable children

 

The argument could also be flipped around. One could say that not having kids is selfish. Think of all the love, adventure, friendships and joy you would be denying a potential human being, all for the selfish act of wearing a condom during sex. (I'm not saying I advocate this point of view, I'm just pointing out that the argument can be made.)

And we gamble with other peoples existence all the time. Every time I drive a car I'm betting that I don't lose control over it, cross the center line and kill someone. True, the odds of this happening are small, but it does happen. So am I being immoral by trying to get to work? Not if I'm driving responsibly.

The key is personal responsibility. One should engage in behaviors that maximize the possibility of a positive outcome. Don't have kids you can't afford. Don't drink or smoke while pregnant. Make sure your kids become educated. And a ton of other stuff. (I was selfish and didn't have kids.)

We can't just decide not to take chances because something bad might happen, that's irrational.

 

The premise is bogus to the point of being nonsensical. I hope you either worded it wrong or are not entirely serious.

 

Oh, do you know someone that has successfully escaped death?

 

It's not all about you. It's about the child. You had kids for yourself, not the child. You didn't say you wanted kids because you wanted them to experience life. You had kids because of how it would make YOU feel, not the child.

I find it very troubling that you went ahead and had kids during the Cold War, knowing that the world was vulnerable to communism and dictatorship.

 

I wasn't just talking about the disabled (not handicapped, that's old school. How old are you anyway?) but any child.

Murdering someone who's already living isn't the same as not having children. Or do you think abortion is murder?

But yes, I also support euthanasia.

 

That's another thing: given that children are such a joy and I have such nerve supposedly wanting perfect children: why didn't all you parents just adopt??

 

Congratulations on being a grandmother.

Sorry, but you don't know that.

 

Drugs and cigarettes are a joy. But there's a harm side. Should we give kids drugs so they won't miss out?

People are agreeing to be on the streets near drivers. It's like being in the mob. You're all agreeing to kill or be killed. So there's a morality to it.

 

No, why? Do you?

 

I like your point about wealthier and more established countries having a lower birth rate.

But I also wonder what our individual impact, in the "first world" is on the environment compared to an individual born in a developing country. I would venture to guess that a family with two kids in the States has more of a negative impact then a family with 5 kids in Sierra Leone.

A quick Google search confirmed my hunch, small snippet of an article, which contained a lot of interesting factoids:

"Between 2000 and 2050, the US will add 114 million kids to its population. Africa will add 1.2 billion—but their respective CO2 emissions will be the same."


http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2008/04/whats-your-babys-carbon-footprint

So, no, I would argue that it was not immoral to have children, because, as someone pointed out, someone has to have them. Humans are creatures of the Earth, and just like every other species, we are genetically wired to reproduce. What is immoral is to have children, and to raise them in such a way that contributes heavily to over-consumption, pollution, and destruction. It is immoral to teach them not to care for the Earth, or not to minimize their impact. And, it is arguably immoral to have children you are not equipped to care for, mentally or physically, or for malicious reasons.

 

Thank you both!

 

This world is suffering. You will suffer no matter what. Should we all just kill ourselves?
No, because most of us have hopes and dreams despite the trouble.
So do kids.

 

The logic of your post is suicide, to avoid the risk of pain and suffering. You don't seem to have made that choice. Why not? And does your life suck so badly that you blame your parents for bringing you into the world?