Having pets instead of children is selfish

[RampantIvy]

According to the pope

"Couples who do not procreate deny themselves the joys of parenthood, a decision which “diminishes us, takes away our humanity”, he said.

As he isn't a parent he has no right to say this IMO. What a knob.

Link here

@Jobseeker19 oh is everybody living in Europe white then

@Jobseeker19

Everyone talks about over population until it comes to European people.

When the birth rate is called low and people are called selfish by the same people who talk about over population I think it shows unconscious racism.

So what if white people aren't having as many children as they used to.

So what?? So WHAT? For gods sake. Educate yourself to what’s going to happen if this trend continues. You will be part of the problem and no help will come for you!

If religious people don't keep having babies and indoctrinating their children then religion dies out fairly quickly.

In a vastly overpopulated world surely people who have children are the selfish ones?

The overpopulation certainly in the west is not due to dc but people living longer.

And how many blanks have the Vatican priests et al been firing into their bedsheets?

Most European peole are white, so yeah.

but weird to blame it on pets though

@WheelieBinPrincess

Well arguably keeping animals as pets (bar cats and dogs) is quite selfish but that has nothing to do with having children or not.

Care to explain your logic there? Why ‘bar cats and dogs’?

The planet is hugely overpopulated and tbh I wouldn’t want to bring new life into the mess that is climate change and the future of the planet in 50 years

The issue is the UK is an ageing population, it terrifies me what it will be like when I'm 70 & so is everyone else!

People have children when they don’t want to us a bad idea - bad for the dc

Religion feels more alien to me these days hearing some stuff

It’s all about money and power. The more catholics that have children, and raise those children catholic, the more money the Catholic Church get and the longer the institution stays around. Anyone watched the film ‘spotlight’? A large number of Catholic Church members are more invested in protecting the institution than protecting the parishioners. The cardinal who covered up the sexual abuse of hundreds of children got a promotion when it came to light. I take nothing they say seriously.

@QueBarbaridad. Because they’re domesticated as pets and have been for thousands of years, but there’s a lot of other animals kept as pets that haven’t been. Most pets are kept for the benefit of the owner, not the pet. And I’ve had a lot of pets! Rescued ones. I’m not going to get on soapbox about it but lots of animals, like rabbits, don’t always make good pets at all.

@jeepersdeepers

The planet is hugely overpopulated and tbh I wouldn’t want to bring new life into the mess that is climate change and the future of the planet in 50 years

The issue is the UK is an ageing population, it terrifies me what it will be like when I'm 70 & so is everyone else!

Don’t worry! Plenty of young immigrants are willing to move in and take up the slack.

@Silverswirl

Yes it is selfish. Don’t really think the pope has any right to speak on the matter but when thinking of a long term view, it is selfish. There isn’t enough people being born right now in western countries. It’s really as simple as that. There needs to be more children born to avert a huge crisis in 50 years (if we are all still here of course due to global warming) But if we are still here society as we know it is going to be in a world of trouble if the current declining trend continues

If you are taking that sort of view, humans are just one of billions of species yet singlehandedly, we are destroying the planet.

The ultimate in 'unselfishness' would surely be to let the human race die out and give the planet back to those who respect it.

@Silverswirl I think it will hit us harder earlier than climate change.

"Around one-fifth of the UK population (19%) was aged 65 or over in 2019, or around 12.3 million people. The number of people in this age group increased by 23% between 2009 and 2019, at a time when the whole UK population only increased by 7%."

"The older population in the UK is projected to grow, with people aged 65 and over making up 24% of the population by 2043 (17.4 million people)."

The gov aren't planning for it & if the NHS & social care is like this now what will it be like then.

Yes he is a catholic and yes their stance is to procreate. However surely he has the intelligence to realise that what he said is extremely insensitive to those who can't have children?

I have four children - I feel a mix of satisfaction that I have successful done a biological duty vs guilt at our species over populating the Earth!

@QueBarbaridad because you are basically enslaving an animal for your own fun and entertainment. No matter how fun and comfortable you makes it’s life, it’s just a fun comfortable prison cell with you as it’s master and the animal is your property.

@QueBarbaridad why do you think that? We will be competing with a lot of other countries for immigrants as a number id countries are facing the issue so what makes you think the UK will be so attractive? Also the younger countries where immigrants often come from will become more prosperous so again why leave?

@Tumbleweed101

I have four children - I feel a mix of satisfaction that I have successful done a biological duty vs guilt at our species over populating the Earth!

And so you should as long as you bring them all up to be functioning contributing members of society

The pope sounds like a real dumb-ass and a hypocrite.

@Santaisstilleatingmincepies

Remember every sperm is sacred....

Note to self: Must stop spitting them out!

@TyrannosaurusRegina

Yes he is a catholic and yes their stance is to procreate. However surely he has the intelligence to realise that what he said is extremely insensitive to those who can't have children?

I believe he said they should adopt…

More nonsense from the head of one of the most evil, cruel and corrupt religions in the world.

There are a lot of immigrants who would love to come to the UK, who dodge other countries to come here so I dont think we will be competing for immigration.

There are cultures who have 5/6 children as standard and often more.

I definitely think the panic stems from white people not breeding as much and if the issue truly is about looking after an aging population then people wouldn't care as immigrants can come and help.

Which is why I stated it is unconscious racism.