ttarre Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 Hi all! This is a VERY sensitive question and I was quite attacked by raising it today with a friend. Today I was walking on the streets of Stockholm and I saw a homeless, a bit older, female beggar showing a sign that she has three young children in Romania to feed and is currently pregnant. Of course not knowing her story, I did explore the idea of the immorality of having children when one does not have the means to be able to give them a safe and sound upbringing. My friend said claimed that maybe she didn't have a choice, maybe she had been raped, maybe her husband forced her to have children, maybe she was a victim of her culture, maybe she didn't even write the sign or even has children etc etc. I was being characterized as very unsensitive and non-sympathetic towards her and her situation. Nonetheless, could one argue that, despite what the reasons are, it is immoral to have children when you are in this situation? Add to that, that it seemed as if she was using the fact that she was pregnant and had children as a mean to get additional charity. Again, I am totally aware of that this is a very sensitive question to approach, but I would like to get the communities take on this. I am aware of the tough situation she probably is in, but would like to isolate this situation and see it from a philosophical point of view. Thanks!
ribuck Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 I think very few people have their whole future life already secured when they have children. The human race would have died out long ago if that was a prerequisite!
Wuzzums Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 Keep in mind people are a lot more inclined to give money to beggar children than adults. She's not begging to take care of children, she had children in order to get more money by begging. Giving people like her money is tantamount to throwing children out in the streets. Furthermore, giving money to the children of people like her is like literally supporting child labor. Whatever you do, do not offer these people money, do not subsidize their behavior. I'm romanian, and this issue is endemic here. I'm betting the woman in question was of gypsy descent. Their community works as follows: children, pregnant women and old people beg, teenagers and adults steal. They're actually very open about this.
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