Is it wrong NOT to have children?

cosmictraveler said:
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.
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Here's the problem: overpopulation is experienced on the macro scale, not the micro scale. It's a simple math issue. How much food is possible to produce on all the land that is available to your culture (either by trade or by having it located in your territory - whichever)? How many people are there in your culture, and what is their average nutrition requirement?

If the total number of people is greater than your total access to food, then you're whole culture will suffer, except the rich.. So I don't see how the decision should ever be an individual decision. The negative effects of adding one more child are spread out over the group, so an individual never experiences the full effect of the consequences of their decision all by them self. If everyone in the group is going to share the consequences, then everyone in the group should be entitled to share in the choice.
 
What if the problem was of LOW population? Should people be forced to have kids? *shudders and makes note to self to get sterilized*
 
perhaps a better way ( instead of 'low' ) to put it would be 'declining' population. there are several countries in the world with that problem, i believe.

i'm sure that the governments of declining populations encourage having more children ... in subtle ways, if not overtly.

but religions play a large role here. "go forth and multiply" god commands. apparently he forgot to tell them to stop when the land could no longer support the population. and it would also appear their god has an insatiable appetite for new souls.

too, we can not forget that many religions foretell the end of earth, in the near future. so you won't find too many christians, or muslims ( and others ) terribly concerned about long-term overpopulation and the possible accompanying detriment to the planet's health.

regardless, the fact that the question was asked shows religious bias. the idea that my life can be controlled in any fashion by the minions of an imaginary creature is most offensive to me. here in america, where there is supposed to be a sharp division between church and state, we already have thousands of laws on the books that are a direct result of superstitious and ignorant beliefs. like christianity.

please. no whining about how morality would not exist without religion. i don't need god to explain to me that hurting others is a bad thing.
 
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