If someone wants to have a child, that is their choice. Pretty much any idiot can make that choice. Why, then, do people try to make parenting out to be such a noble endeavor? I am particularly perplexed by all the praise heaped on those who raise children by working ten jobs. My question is: If you need to work ten jobs to have children, why do you have them? And why should I be impressed that such a person chose to make that decision?
I have very little sympathy for people that have children who cannot pay for them. It is so easy NOT to have children, that there is no excuse (about 99% of the time) to have a child that you can’t pay for. It is anything but noble to have a child when you are too poor to raise it, regardless of how many jobs you work to support it. How is being away from your child all the time noble?
Of course, my problem is not only with those who can’t pay for their children. I am no more impressed by people who can pay for them. Every time I walk into a grocery store and see a woman standing proudly as a bunch of woman salivate over her newborn, I want to vomit. WHO CARES! Popping out a baby creates this ridiculous amount of prestige for a women, though babies have existed since the dawn of humankind. Even the most ignorant woman can pop out a kid and be promoted to nobility. I believe that is one of the reasons why teen pregnancy occurs. Young girls feel important when they have a child, even though most any female on Earth can do exactly the exact same thing. Still, they just love the attention at the grocery store.
Nobility is not beiing a parent it is accepting the responsibilities of being a true parent not just a genetic donor. It is the responsibility part that is noble. And that responsibility means trying your best to raise a good human being. Not just feeding and clothing. but to give that child a part of you in an effort to make that child better then you. There is the nobility. stepping up to the plate and Being an actual loving parent
If you take the responsibility seriously, parenting is one of life’s most noble and rewarding endeavors. If you choose to treat it with disregard, it not only will lack nobleness - it will prove to bite you with the big nasty one in the ass.
I agree with you here to a large extent, but also with Kriswest that responsibility may be partly noble. Nevertheless, having children today stems from the ego rather than religious or population reasons. And this is where I agree with you, having a child, which anyone can do, seems to be a way to elevate one’s own self-esteem and social ranking. To me, this is just another sign of decadence of Western civilisation. We raise up the activities of the mob to ridiculous over-inflated levels just so they can feel good about themselves and not realise deep down that they are losers. And all while this happens, noble activities become devalued and hence ridiculed or scorned.
Here in Australia we have a $4,000 baby bonus. This is where the federal government pays women to have children (no, they don’t have to be married either). There are countless stories here of people just having a baby to get the money to solely go shopping.
parenting by itself isn’t quite so noble. as was just mentioned, anyone can be a “donor” so to speak. the real nobility of the issue comes from making sacrafices for the good of another. that is noble. granted, doing it for one’s own flesh and blood child makes it a bit easier, but the root of it is that many parents will put aside their own lives, interests, careers, and comforts in order to care for another human being. that is what is noble.
when i first read this thread it made me think of the similar way people treat just having a child. as if it is some miracle. i’m not one to fall for the miracle business when any 14 year old can do it. it’s EASY to have a child. i’m experiencing it right now and am amazed by how many people fawn over us and talk about how miraculous it is to “create life.” when every other living thing on earth creates life, i’m not too amazed. i’m more amazed when someone goes their whole life without having a child. that’s a miracle. i truly hate the way people treat pregnancy, like a disease.
“we’re pregnant! quick, we must find a surgeon! forget about how our species has been doing this for thousands and thousands of years. to the hospital! monthly exams! blood work!”
man, it’s like people think they are diseased when they pregnant with all the medical care they seek out. thank god for people like my brother and sister-in-law who just had a child via midwife. granted they might have been a little overboard with never having a single M.D. checkup ever. but it was a happy, healthy birth and pregnancy. anyway, i digress …