Is Procreation Too Easy?

[sunny-dave]

We've had a discussion over breakfast here (late night last night) about the 'gay threat MP resigns' thread running in news

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1550186.html

and I'm of the opinion that it's not whether you *can* procreate, but whether you *should* procreate - not just for gay people but for the rest of the population too - be they heterosexual or any of the LGBTQWXYZ alphabet soup of legitimate alternatives.

I recall the process that I had to go through each time I wanted to rehome a dog from Dogs Trust - suitable home, lifestyle, income etc etc - and compare that to the 'you just need the appropriate gametes and some way of introducing one to the other' which applies if you want a baby.

It sounds repressive, but so many children are born into (frankly) inadequate/abusive circumstances that I wonder if procreation needs to be regulated - not for population control (cf the One Child Policy that China had), but for the good of the children?

[RobNorth]

Thank you "women's liberation" - all it's done is liberated men...and a relative few middle class women.

[nailit]

Surprised that no one has mentioned religion yet. Both Catholics and Muslims breed prolifically. Would it be against their religious rights to curb their procreating habits?

[pixie374]

Only a male could describe procreation as "easy". And only another male could criticise single mothers, who do the job of two parents, but no blame of absent fathers.
No, regulation isn't acceptable.

[tamborine]

Am a catholic with 3 kids & 3 gkids. None on welfare ever

[New Judge]

"For those that have mentioned the high birthrate in the 3rd World should remember the death rate is very high and that is why they continue to have vast numbers of children."

Yes, rather similar to cats continuing to churn out litters of kittens because many of them finish up in a sack at the bottom of the canal.

[Togo]

Is that why we built the Suez Canal Judge? (^_*)

[Togo]

Well buddy their need is indeed greater than ours at the moment. :))

[gness]

Of course procreation isn't easy for all of us......took me ten years and lots of treatment to have my second...but that's not Dave's point I think.....

We do need to look at how we slow down the over population of the world....at least I think we do.....

Over dinner I wondered if instead of child allowance...tax credits etc.....we paid people...in some way....to not have children....or maybe to have only one or two children...over two you lost the benefits you'd been given for restricting your family.....

I've had the arguments against this....your thoughts please?....x

[sherrardk]

Child tax credits are now only available for the first two children - it came into force this month (doesn't apply to children who are already here).

[EDDIE51]

It has been calculated that if the entire world's resources were to be shared out equally, it would only allow the standard of living that was achieved by the UK in the 1950 s. As it is each citizen of the USA between 4 and 200 times as much as any other nation.