You said and you said Which means in your mind, this goes beyond genetics and birth defects. You're proposing a government or some other agency decides who is and isn't fit to be parents, not only for genetic purposes, but since this is stemming from a conversation about religion where you earlier argued that parents shouldn't be allowed to have their children engage in religious study, arguably for ideological purposes as well. Maybe you ought to reconsider the path of thought that took you down to this conclusion, especially since in other posts you often voice such a vehement distaste for organizations that exert authority over both individuals as well as large groups of people.I feel compelled to mention at this point that I am pretty against the idea of most people being parents. I think that bringing a child into the world and raising a competent, self-sufficient, pro-social, healthy, mostly-happy adult is possibly the most difficult thing that a lot of people will ever do, and few are able to do it well.
I'm not sure why, but apparently it's a controversial idea to state that I think the only babies that should be born, are ones who can be born to a pair of emotionally and financially stable adults who have the means and desire to raise competent, self-sufficient, pro-social, healthy, mostly happy adults.
Yup. Nature and Nurture and flat out luck determine if you're going to be a saint or a serial killer. Nope, but I know that's the only conceivable idea to put these things into practice. I can only control myself. I'm not going to produce biological children because I refuse to pass on my variety of messed up to the next generation. I can wish and wish for other people in similar situations to take the same considerations, adoption as one example and IVF and embryonic screening as another. Some will, some won't. My ideal isn't a government agency saying 'Your SAT score was too low, you don't get to have kids, here's a sterilization pill.' it's people with inheritable conditions, or without the means to raise adults self-selecting out of being parents, or else taking measures to address the problems that can be fixed for the betterment of the human meta-animal. I've examined this a lot. Do you think it's an easy or flippant thing to declare with the certainty that I do that I'm not fit to reproduce? If there was such an agency handing out chemical castrations I'd be the first one to sign up, and be glad for the privilege.Which means in your mind, this goes beyond genetics and birth defects.
You're proposing a government or some other agency decides who is and isn't fit to be parents,
Abstinence and birth control (including vasectomies) are voluntary. Fascist and totalitarian laws that take rights away from people? Not so much.Do you think it's an easy or flippant thing to declare with the certainty that I do that I'm not fit to reproduce? If there was such an agency handing out chemical castrations I'd be the first one to sign up, and be glad for the privilege.