Political/Religious Arguments

General:

Your child will have to suffer in a world where injustice occurs due to those in power enacting or removing policies that will hurt you and future generations. The only way to ensure that your child, grandchildren, etc. will not suffer through that is to not have them at all. While conditions may improve, it is a risk that may lead to terrible outcomes. It is also a risk that your child never consented to taking in the first place. It is very unlikely and nearly impossible for your child(ren) to ever have enough power and influence to change this and will be a victim of the opinions of others, which is not always what is most rational. In fact, they may actually disagree with you and advocate for policies that could cause more damage due to external influences like social media. Even if they do agree with you, there is little they can do to fight against the trend regardless. For this reason, it is unethical to have children that will suffer the consequences of this.

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Leftists/Anti-capitalists:

It is immoral to create more people who will be exploited under a capitalist system by becoming wage slaves (or exploit others by joining the bourgeoisie or becoming class traitors). Since we don’t know if the world will ever become permanently communist/socialist, it is not ethical to reproduce. However, abstaining from reproduction will prevent the creation of more wage slaves and undermine capitalism without creating more suffering by depriving enterprises of laborers and consumers. For example, a leaked document from Facebook depicts kids as sources of "untapped wealth," showing that corporations take advantage of the continued supply of users created through reproduction as resources to exploit. Slaves were also treated the same way, in which many were raped and forced to reproduce so slaveowners could continue to exploit them.

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It is also unethical to create more people to serve as fodder for a revolution since it might not even happen and people should not be a means to an end. Also, the state and corporate powers will suppress any form of revolution (democratic or violent) via the media/propaganda campaigns (as they did with Bernie Sanders in the U.S. and Jeremy Corbyn in the U.K.) or through violent means if it becomes a genuine threat (e.g. the Pinkertons, coups, law enforcement, assassinations as they did with Fred Hampton, deployment of federal troops, authorization of lethal force and weapons, etc.). It is highly unlikely a revolution can succeed with all of these sophisticated measures and the military might of the state and bourgeoisie arsenal. Even if it does succeed, many people will suffer before and during it and there is no guarantee it will even last or will not become authoritarian. As a result, the only way to prevent all of this suffering and exploitation is to not have children in the first place. While this may seem defeatist, it is the only guaranteed way to do so and rest assured that your child will never have to live in the same capitalist, neoliberal dystopia that we live in today. 

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To make matters worse, there is no guarantee that they will even agree with your political views. Many people do not believe what their parents believe, such as how many other leftists may come from conservative families. Thus, your child may do the opposite and become more conservative, even if you try to teach them otherwise. For example, the former Democratic presidential nominee candidates Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris had parents who were Marxist as well as the far-right French political figure Damien Rieu. Needless to say, this is not reflected in their current beliefs and policies. This is further reinforced by the sheer amount of liberal propaganda in the world that smears communism and frames it as oppressive and unfeasible. Your potential children will be subjected to it as well and may believe it, regardless of what you try to teach them. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will lead a revolution or follow in your footsteps, you can do as much as you can yourself via mutual aid, direct action, and activism without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become liberal or even reactionary.

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The existence of more people in the Global North also increases exploitation in the Global South through an increase in demand for resources and labor. Alienation and social isolation caused by capitalism contribute to suffering as well, leading to many deaths of despair.

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In fact, the anarchist political activist and writer Emma Goldman made these same arguments in her essay The Child and Its Enemies. 

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Additionally, if you believe that western media consistently lies about existing socialist countries to slander them, it is also likely that your own child will be indoctrinated into this line of thinking through a constant bombardment of propaganda from school, media, interactions with others, etc. Even if you try to warn them, they might not listen and still be convinced by the lies no matter what you say since it has such widespread institutional backing. As a result, they will likely become anti-socialist/communist as most people currently are regardless of your actions. The only way to prevent them from being corrupted like this is to not reproduce at all.

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Lastly, reproducing will actively harm the child considering they will likely just end up as another wage slave for the rest of their life. There's a reason why the richest person in the world wants people to have more children. He knows they will end up being another worker in one of his factories, consuming more of his Teslas to help him profit, and paying taxes to fund his bailouts, subsidies, and the police and military. Having children BENEFITS THE RICH IN EVERY WAY. If you don't even like the work culture now, imagine what your own child will have to go through when they grow up. Not having children benefits your own financial situation tremendously and prevents your child from having to go through the same BS. Everyone wins.

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Social Democrats/Capitalist Reformists:

It is immoral to reproduce since there is no guarantee that existing social safety nets and government programs will continue to exist, nevermind expanded upon, especially as conservatives actively plan to weaken or even abolish them. Since there is no way to ensure that your children will be able to rely on the government and its essential services if they do not succeed, it is unethical to reproduce. Even if you try to teach them to be social democrats themselves, there is little they can do about this. They might not even agree with you as many people do not believe what their parents believe. This is especially true due to the sheer amount of corporate and conservative propaganda that rails against policies like socialized healthcare, high taxation rates, and welfare policies. Thus, your child might actually become more conservative, even if you try to teach them otherwise. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will help create substantial policy changes or follow in your footsteps, you can do as much as you can yourself via canvassing, phonebanking, and activism for progressive political candidates without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become liberal or even reactionary.

 

Libertarians (left-leaning):

It is immoral to reproduce as they will be exploited by an authoritarian government that is actively stripping away civil rights and is becoming or may become more fascist, as well as by corporations who limit people’s freedom to enslave them for profit. It is unethical to bring more children into a world where they will be used and controlled by a government that oppresses and monitors them, as seen in the widespread use of mass surveillance around the world. There is no guarantee you can avoid this, and your children will suffer the consequences. Even if you try to teach them to be a left-leaning libertarian, there is little they can do about this. They might not even agree with you as many people do not believe what their parents believe. This is especially true due to the sheer amount of conservative propaganda that advocates for the reversal of civil liberties like abortion, gay marriage, and support the death penalty. Even if they do become leftist, they may be convinced to support authoritarian states like China, the Soviet Union, or even North Korea as they also appeal to leftist aesthetics due to the lack of successful decentralized states to be inspired by. Thus, your child may even become more conservative/authoritarian, even if you try to teach them otherwise. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will be able to preserve these rights or follow in your footsteps, you can do as much as you can yourself via advocacy and activism for political candidates that will defend those rights without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become reactionary or even authoritarian.

 

Centrist/liberals:

The world is being polarized between the far-left and far-right, especially in the U.S. This makes it difficult for rational people to compromise and cooperate and leads to greater strife, unrest, and even terrorism from both sides. As a result, your children will face danger and attacks from the extremes and will suffer the consequences of their unreasonable or even dangerous demands, both socially and economically. The best way to avoid this is to not have any children at all. While conditions may improve, it is a risk that may lead to terrible outcomes. It is also a risk that your child never consented to take in the first place. It is very unlikely and nearly impossible for your child(ren) to ever have enough power and influence to change this and will be a victim of the opinions of others, which is not always what is most logical. In fact, they may actually disagree with you and advocate for extremist policies that could cause more damage due to external influences like social media. Even if they do agree with you, there is little they can do to fight against the trend regardless. For this reason, it is unethical to have children that will suffer the consequences of this.

 

Conservatives:

It is immoral to create more people in a world that is losing traditional values as a result of globalization, social unrest, questioning of capitalism, the strengthening of big government, and greater acceptance of people that you may find repugnant. Exposing your children to this is unethical because they will suffer the consequences of this moral and cultural degradation. There is no guarantee you can avoid this, and your children will suffer the consequences. Even if you try to teach them to be conservative, there is little they can do about this trend. They might not even agree with you as people often do not believe what their parents believe. In fact, this is exacerbated by widespread liberal and even Marxist schools and teachers that indoctrinate people into believing lies against the country and its fundamental values, as seen by how many young people today support communism. Thus, your child may become more liberal/leftist, even if you try to teach them otherwise. They may even support policies that will destroy us like open borders and more federal interference in the economy. They could also become lazier due to government handouts and socialist policies and no longer value hard work, rugged individualism, independence, and entrepreneurship, becoming another welfare queen. A prominent example of this is how Elon Musk's child identifies as transgender and no longer carries the Musk surname despite Elon's strong conservative ideals and support for the US Republican Party. The only way to guarantee that this won’t happen and protect your child from ever experiencing this is to not have them at all. The power of the government and widespread propaganda is too great to risk raising someone in such a terrible environment. This can be seen by how President Trump is constantly attacked by the mainstream media, ivory tower liberals, and coastal elites. All of this will likely indoctrinate your child into believing their lies, no matter how hard you try to teach them the truth. The only way to be sure that this tragedy will never happen is to abstain from procreation as they will never get the chance to brainwash them. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will be able to preserve your heritage or follow in your footsteps, you can do as much as you can yourself via advocacy and activism for political candidates that will put your country and its interests first without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become liberal or even socialist/communist.

 

Libertarians (right-leaning):  

It is immoral to reproduce as they will be exploited by the government through taxation and control. Since there is no guarantee that taxation will ever be abolished and with the growing calls to regulate businesses from the left, your children will live under the boot of big government if they are born. There is no guarantee you can avoid this, and your children will suffer the consequences. Even if you try to teach them to be libertarian, there is little they can do about this. They might not even agree with you as many people do not believe what their parents believe, especially with the constant flow of propaganda that pushes people to submit to Big Brother. Even if you try to teach them otherwise, they may refuse to listen and become indoctrinated into supporting greater government control and stripping away civil liberties. The only way to avoid this without a shadow of a doubt is to abstain from reproducing to prevent the government from ever manipulating your child to their whims. While it may seem defeatist, it is a risk that is not worth the reward since unborn people have no desire for liberty since they don’t exist but will suffer if they are born and it is forcefully snatched away from them. Additionally, it is also a risk that your child never consented to taking in the first place and a violation of the non-aggression principle. Therefore, it is not ethical to have children as it will cause more suffering than good. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will be able to preserve these freedoms or follow in your footsteps, you can do as much as you can yourself via advocacy and activism for political candidates that will defend those rights without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become liberal or even leftist/communist, as many young people are today.

 

Neo-Nazis/Alt-Right:

It is immoral to create more people who will almost certainly live in a world that is becoming more socially liberal, such as the increasing number of people who accept or even identify as LGBT, the all-time high acceptance of interracial marraige at 94%, and even the growing acceptance of socialism among young people. The effects of this will likely be extremely harmful for people with socially conservative beliefs, so it is not something you should subject your own child to. It is also highly likely that your own children will be indoctrinated into these ideas, even if you attempt to teach them otherwise due to the strong presence of media influence on the world, even in children's cartoons. In fact, it is even possible your own child may become one of them and decide to marry someone of a different race or identify as a different sexuality or even a different gender despite your own desires. Additionally, the proportion of white people in the US (and in other western countries around the world) has been dropping, and the group will be a minority by 2045. Even if you decide to reproduce to combat this, it will not alter the overall trend. Instead, your progeny will have to live in a more diverse, multi-cultural world that will not only be vastly different than traditional society but will also influence your child's environment and make them even more likely to be accepting of these identities. Overall, you should not reproduce as your child(ren) will be forced to live in a morally decaying society and may even agree with these ideals as younger people are more likely to adopt such views.

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Anarcho-Primitivists/Luddites:

It is immoral to create more people in a technologically advanced society since they will have no choice but to live in it as completely disconnected societies and communes are very fringe or extremely religious (which will merely reinforce existing societal norms). Trying to live outside of society on your own will also be very lonely, and you will not be able to get external help or communicate with others, especially if something bad happens. It is also very difficult to do, and you will face pressure from groups attempting to intrude or claim your territory as their own property if you do not have a legal right to it (which is expensive to acquire) or it may be affected by pollution and deforestation. It is also very unlikely that technology will disappear in the future because of the extreme dependency people currently have on it for their daily lives, from cars to modern medical equipment to the Internet. Your children may even depend on modern technology if they have disabilities, need medication to survive, or even simply poor eyesight. They may also enjoy technology as younger people are more likely to rely on devices such as computers, phones, television, and other devices for entertainment, education, and socialization. Even if you try to teach them otherwise, it may not be enough to combat the widespread presence of technology in every facet of life. And if they did agree with your ideals, they would likely be isolated from social groups who are more amicable to technology and cannot form relationships without it. As a result, you should not reproduce as your children will need to live in a technological society for their entire lives, (possible even out of necessity), and this will not change any time soon.

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Religious people:

It is immoral to create more people who might end up going to Hell, especially in an increasingly secular world where people are more likely to become non-religious. Even if you try to teach them to be religious, they might not follow it as many people do not believe what their parents believe. This is exacerbated by the sheer amount of atheist propaganda and lies that besmirch the word of God and will try to convince your child to join them in damnation. Thus, your child may become more atheistic, even if you try to teach them otherwise. Believing that they deserve to go to Hell if they become atheists is not reflective of a loving and caring attitude towards them. The only way to guarantee that they will not face eternal suffering is to not reproduce at all. Rather than living through them in the hopes that they will promote the gospel of God, you can preach for it yourself without relying on someone else to do it for you. As a result, you will have more time, energy, and resources to do so than you would have if you had a child that might become agnostic or even atheist. 

 

• Psalm 127:3-5: Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

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• Proverbs 17:6 - Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

 

• Psalm 128:3-5 - Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 

 

These verses reflect fulfilling the desires of the parents. Seems selfish to me, especially if you acknowledge that they will have a high chance of suffering. Also, I can't exactly argue against the text of a 2000-year old book. If you base your moral foundations on the writings of long-dead men justified slavery and stoning women for adultery, there is pretty much nothing I can say to combat that.

 

The Bible supports antinatalist sentiment as well:

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• Luke 23:29 - For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

 

Cultural Mandate:

 

• King James Bible: "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

 

While there is a cultural mandate to “be fruitful and multiply,” the reason for this provided in the King James Bible is to “replenish the earth, and subdue it.” However, humanity is actually acting as a destructive force on Earth, and we are losing control of it through pollution and its effects on ourselves and the planet. Since we are actually harming the planet rather than replenishing it as we once had, the cultural mandate no longer applies. In the end, the Earth will rule and subdue humans due to environmental factors that we cannot manage, the exact opposite of what the Bible commands. Efforts to solve this will likely fail due to the sinful greed, sloth, and pride of the world and  delay solutions until it is too late. Even if we do try to accomplish this, it will require swift international government action that will significantly increase federal intervention in the economy and our personal lives which can turn authoritarian. This opens up the door for the government to control what we believe and oppress religion in favor of atheism. We also cannot rely on private industry to solve this as government regulation will stifle innovation that could have solved this issue by overburdening small businesses and companies and preventing them from investing in new technology. Individual action will not have a large enough impact to make any genuine transformations. Even if there is a small chance to fix the problem somehow, it is not worth the risk of not only subjecting your children to live on a degrading planet but also solidifying man’s humiliating defeat to nature. You should not force your children to endure this. The only way to avoid it is to have no children who will contribute to and experience this shameful failure to live up to God’s expectations.

 

• “The eternal soul has an inherent desire to exist.”

 

How do you know it wants to exist? What if it had a bad previous life and wants to stay nonexistent? How do you know that soul is better off existing than not since they could have a bad life if they are born? If you think that they would have a better chance to give them a good life than someone else, remember that this other person will reproduce regardless if you do, so another soul will end up suffering anyway.

 

Additionally, if all souls want to exist, why do some people decide to end their own lives, even if they do have all the material wealth and fame they could need or want (e.g. famous actors and musicians)?