It's wrong to have children

[Tominftl]

In this unstable world who knows? Be prepared for some kind of war soon. Why else are the Republicans going to build up our armed forces? Things don't look good unless common sense prevails. Trump is getting rid of the EPA and letting big corporations polllute as they wish. They are throwing out the gas mileage standards and making a big deal out of the poor companies who have had their hands tied by regulations. Boo Hoo. They want to eliminate a free education for our children and send them all to private or charter schools who won't teach science. The Republicans don't even want to discuss global climate change. Unless your in a good job and can afford the nicer things for your child I would think twice. Especially if your already struggling...

[ScottsdaleMark]

Originally Posted by Basiliximab

Having children still happens even when you try to avoid it. The undeniable fact remains that choosing to bring people into this world full of all sorts of chances of pain and suffering is a selfish thing because you can't guarantee that that life will be free of suffering.

Why the focus on suffering? I don't understand the starting point of "Well, life has to be free of suffering or it's a negative" ... I posit that an earthly life without suffering would be incredibly boring, among other things.

Life on this planet is about encountering the inherent and unavoidable challenges of existing in a fallen world and attempting to best them. Humans are conditioned from birth to live a daily, minute by minute cycle of success and failure; suffering and joy; etc. (Baby tries to walk; baby falls down and suffers disappointment. Baby tries to walk; baby succeeds and feels joy and elation at his or her new experience.)

Depending on your world view, it is either extremely unlikely or completely impossible for life to exist without suffering. But in reading through this thread that's the word I saw the most, over and over and over, "suffering."

I guess there's probably an interesting historiography out there somewhere about how "suffering" came to be such a vaunted and important philosophical topic.

[cheesenugget]

Originally Posted by gouligann

In north America, most people have the resources to feed and take care of the children they produce.

What I didn't understand was why people living in 3rd world countries where thousands of children starve to death, was why they brought children into this world when they knew they couldn't even provide the basics of survival for their children. You see mothers in Africa, etc, with hungry, howling babies in their arms, and 4 or 5 other kids crying from hunger also. I wondered why would people even produce a child into such misery and knowing that they will most likely starve to death?

A documentary about this very problem finally gave me an answer to this question and it made me sick to know the answer:
They produce as many children as possible so that hopefully one or two will survive to take care of their parents when they are no longer able to take care of themselves. That, to me, is the MOST selfish reason to have a child that I've ever heard.

That is nonsensical. Many parents in the 3rd world country cares about their children other than seen as future "investments."

One must take into account the society, religion, the culture, access to education and birth control, etc. In the developed countries like ours, men and women are educated or have access to education, given mostly equal career opportunities and protected by laws that prohibits gender discrimination and domestic violence. These underdeveloped countries where the basic infrastructure can barely keep itself do not have these privileges. Even if there were, such as laws against rape, it is not enforced to protect the victims.

In a culture where a woman who may not know how to read or write, lived in an environment surrounded by same, was taught from an early age that you, a woman, is to be married off either you have a choice or not, so you can bear the next future generation for your husband. Your husband may or may not be loyal. Your husband will most likely not use birth control and if he wants sex, and as expected in many old cultures where misogyny reign, the wife must submit. Rape by your husband isn't taken seriously or broken any laws in your country.

And as a pregnant wife who may not wanted a child, you cannot abort. There are no clinics to help you.

Sometimes, it's not as mischievous as stated above. Both wife and husband truly love each other. Sex is a great way to commemorate such love. But again, the lack of birth control remains a problem.

In some cultures, having as many kids as possible is encouraged.

Keep in mind that the more children they have, the poorer the family becomes. What does it matter if a parent can't even feed half of his children? One of the top killers of young children in these areas is malnutrition and famine.