Is it wrong NOT to have children?

Discussion in 'Ethics, Morality, & Justice' started by Thoreau, Feb 21, 2010.

  1. Thoreau Valued Senior Member

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    Whether it be because one is gay, sterile, whatever... is it wrong for someone not to have children before they die?
     
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  3. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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  5. tostig Registered Senior Member

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    You'd be surprised at the amount of criticism from the right-wing about having children:

    1) when discussing day-care;
    2) when discussing orphanages;

    and then there are those on the right as well criticizing one's choice not to have children.
     
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  7. sine.nomine Registered Member

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    Given our species' overpopulation as it is, many would argue its actually worse to have kids.
     
  8. Pantherine Registered Member

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    Well, no its not wrong, maybe you want to have a free life, maybe you just can't handle children. Having a child is a large responsibility, you may not think you are ready for one, you may find out later that you wish to have one. All manner of questions could be asked, but there is one question that is brought up, should certain people have children, those with abusive tendencies be allowed to have children, should convicts have children, should neglecting parents be allowed to keep a child, so many questions, so few answers.
    :shrug:
     
  9. Pantherine Registered Member

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    That is a very relative point, but how would we solve our overpopulation?
    All the way to do so, that i have seen have serious ethical problems. Though there was a culture that had solved that problem, though many would argue that the Spartans ideas were barberous and primitive.

    I do appologize if it seems like i'm critsizing, i don't mean to be

    I have one question, How do we go about solving the problem besides denying our baser instincts?
     
  10. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    I hear a lot about how I'm so grievously selfish for not wanting, at present, to have children.

    I think you're selfish if you have children for any of the wrong reasons, myself. That's a young human being you're talking about. You should only have one if you are 100% sure you WANT one and are ready to take CARE of one and deal with all the hardship and responsibilities it entails. I'd be selfish if I had a kid to fit in.
     
  11. sine.nomine Registered Member

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    Contraceptives have been in use for thousands of years. A few cultures look down on excessive child bearing once overpopulation becomes evident.
     
  12. Pantherine Registered Member

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    That being said, why then are contraceptives not manditory world wide?
     
  13. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    What if you simply don't WANT them, should you force yourself to have children because others think you should?
     
  14. shorty_37 Go! Canada Go! Registered Senior Member

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    Absolutely not....

    In fact there are a lot of people that should have never had any in the first place.
     
  15. PieAreSquared Woo is resistant to reason Registered Senior Member

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    so you're gay and sterile?
     
  16. sine.nomine Registered Member

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    Mandatory contraception brings up ideas like eugenics and sterilization, which have failed in the past. Also, it would go against some religious beliefs central to many cultures.
     
  17. kororoti Registered Senior Member

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    252
    It's wrong to do whatever is already being done too much. If it were 120 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, it would be wrong to add to the heat. If it were 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, it would be wrong to add to the cold.

    Right now, at this point in world history, it's wrong to have too many kids, not wrong to have too few.
     
  18. Tanglewood Registered Member

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    Personally I have always said for myself that I do not want any children, having been raising children (my sisters' mainly) since I was 10. If I ever do decide to have children, I would rather adopt as there are so many kids out there who need love and care and do not have it. This is just me however.

    I know many wonderful mothers who are/have raised wonderful kids who contribute to society in a positive manner. I also know some wonderful mothers who have raised kids right but the children, for whatever reason, have made bad choices and are on a road downhill. And all vice-versa.

    There are so many arguments for this: overpopulation, religion, culture, carrying on the family name, the dregs of society--rapists, molestors, etc. But in answer to the original question, no, I personally do not believe it is wrong to not have children before one dies.

    There are plenty of other ways to contribute

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  19. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Many people today have children only because they do not practice birth control or family planning. They "accidental" have children and then they deal with them. There are more people being born than dying today which puts a very large load on the environment to keep everyone fed and alive. Smarter people, in general, have only one or two children because they know that they cannot AFFORD more. I do not have any children and my Ex didn't have any with her new husband either. But it is up to each of us to do what we think is right for ourselves whether or not to have children or to ADOPT instead.
     
  20. Cowboy My Aim Is True Valued Senior Member

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    I don't think that it's wrong to not have children. I don't consider having families (even big families) to be wrong, either.

    The only time I think there's a wrong answer to the question of whether or not to have kids is when people who are unwilling and/or unable to properly care for children insist on popping them out anyway. :bugeye:
     
  21. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    It would certainly be wrong of *me* to have children...I can't even tolerate a baby crying for more than a minute or two. Drives me mad.
     
  22. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    It's certainly, at least in my opinion, wrong to have many children.
    Having no children at all is sooner a virtue in my opinion.
     
  23. visceral_instinct Monkey see, monkey denigrate Valued Senior Member

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    Yaaayyy! Someone thinks my choice is a virtue rather than sickness or selfishness...

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