Do you ever feel guilty for bringing your children into the world?
Yes, unfortunately, I feel guilty for bringing my second son into the world. He is very sick, we don't yet know what he has but his pediatrician is very very concerned about his condition. I'm worried sick about him. My eldest son is suffering as well because of this, I feel like I'm abandoning him, all my attention is focused on my youngest. But, as the first answerer said, my sons could grow up to save lives or bring peace and that really touched me. Every great man, or woman, were once babies and they made a difference to this world. So don't discourage yourself, you have a lot of love to give so bring babies into this world and make a difference too. Here in Malta we are going to have our first saint in June who was a very sick child and grew up to live in his 80's and made a big difference in his life to many people. He still does, after his death, people like myself pray to him and find comfort.
life brings suffering. Why bring children into the world?
A2A: It’s difficult for me to frame this in a way that makes sense. “Why” does not seem like a coherent question here. We have children because it’s what living organisms do. To stop would be collective suicide (specicide?). We already exist so the question would be better frames as “why don’t we just all kill ourselves?”The existence of suffering is not by itself sufficient reason for voluntary extinction. Quite the contrary. Without suffering life would be much less rich, complex, and rewarding. Suffering is the sign that things are not as they should or could be and is, or at least can be, our motivation to improve our circumstances. Our difficulties, fears, failures, injuries, and illnesses bring us suffering, but overcoming them brings us satisfaction, accomplishment, mastery, and joy.Just as hunger makes food taste better suffering make accomplishment more rewarding.
Why bring children to this cruel world?
This is and will be proof as long as this world is overpopulated, that the animal nature of man presides above his conscious will. Sophistication can be a quality of any species, but to evolve to something above the animal, -is to become more than the biological.
Why should I bring a child to this world?
Very interesting question. For many years I was never going to have children. Because I was not sure that I would not repeat the mistake my father made of leaving my mother the day I was born.It was not until I was certain that I was not doomed to follow his footsteps at the age of 34 that I told my wife that I thought it would be OK to have kids. By that time she had come to accept that we would not have kids.We now have 2 boys aged 17 & 19. I still wonder if I did the right thing. I look at the world, and I fear for all our futures. I live in Australia and have never directly experienced war or terrorism or religious persecution. But I do see our environment degrading on a daily basis.Are we just living on a large Easter island?Will we ever work out how to live together?So many questions. So much angst. So much beauty.Rupert Russell ‘Gods Eye II’ Framed Print by Rupert Russell
Would you bring a child into this world, if you knew they would suffer, live a hard life and feel abnormal?
Nope.My husband, who has a PhD, a great career, is considered a leader in his field and who is just generally an excellent person, has a fairly awful disability which already severely limits his functioning and will only get worse as he ages.When we decided to have a child, we both had genetic testing to ensure that we wouldn’t pass along his disability or any others to our baby. We both agreed that if we were both carriers for the same genetic disease we would adopt, rather than risk passing it on.Here’e the thing: Sure, life includes pain and suffering and hardship. Yes, adversity makes character. But our children have no choice about when or in what form they come into this world. We both love our son more than anything, and we’re so glad he’s here and can’t bear to even think of life without him. But can I say that he’s better off existing than not? No. If he didn’t exist he wouldn’t miss out on anything, he just wouldn’t be.If I’d been pregnant and found out he would have the same disability as his father, I would have terminated the pregnancy. A collection of barely-differentiated cells wouldn’t miss out on anything either. But a child who is severely impaired enough to suffer and face all the inherent difficulties of living in a world where accommodating the disabled is an afterthought? They would miss out a hell of a lot.And what kind of parent would I be to condemn a child to a life of pain, suffering and hardship (and feeling abnormal) for some ephemeral concept of how life is supposed to be difficult and adversity builds character? Life presents enough opportunities for pain, hardship, suffering and feeling abnormal as it is. As far as I’m concerned, forcing more of it on a helpless child who has no choice about it is just selfish and cruel.
If the world is full of suffering, then why bother to bring a soul into it to suffer. Isn't it better to spare the suffering of the soul by not having a child?
Well, if that is the mindset that world is full of suffering only, then sure please go ahead and do not bring another life in this world. Apart from your suffering argument there are many other reasons as well that could strengthen your stand even more.We are already too many.There are many children already there to take care of, so if possible, adopt.You will have less responsibilities, hence more time for self.Totally recommended!
Why can't people see that having children is immoral?
the problem you'll run into is those whose religious beliefs won't let them consider your stance. You're not wrong but not right either. It's a matter of reproducing when couple doesn't have the resources and will to raise a child that is immoral. or having more than they can support. many christian sects as well as muslim ones tend to outright forbid contraception and tell their followers to "go forth and multiply". Their faith won't let them see your point. But as to why I don't see things your way is that I am only slightly less selfish than you. You are clearly an individual who is very proud of being an individual. If your identity was less as an individual and more as a member of a family you would see that bringing children in the world is really just the family ensuring its existence. Like new skin cells growing to replace those that flake off. Still, responsible reproduction is always the best way to go.