how do atheists justify having children?

[jobhunter7]

Sorry if the question sounds banal... but it seems easier to rationalise having children if you think your children do the right thing mostly in life they'll end up beyond the pearly gates...

@PurpleDaisies never said that

Still haven't heard you answer the equivalent question:

Why do Christians have children when they know their life may be followed by eternal damnation in hell if they sin and don't repent, or they leave the faith?

People have answered your question so it would be respectful to return the favour.

Love thy neighbour and all that.

@wellhelloitsme not sure i am qualified to answer...

other than that i suppose they can mostly rationalise if their children lead mostly good lives that won't happen as i said...

That’s not a true Christian position though. If you look at what the central teaching of Christianity is, it’s that nobody can live a good enough life so it’s choosing to follow Jesus who did that gets you into heaven. Nothing to do with being a good person yourself.

@RoseslnTheHospital

Not sure Benatar's argument is to klll yourself because then pain isn't possible in the afterlife - because of course it may be...

Are you an atheist OP? And do you have children?

I don't think that Benatar was in any way commenting on the existence of an afterlife. I would assume given he makes no comment on this as far as I can tell, that he would think that on death humans cease to exist, in the same way as they don't exist before birth. Hence, if to exist is to suffer, then the logical conclusion is that it is better to not exist.

I suppose the extremist fundamentalist types who believe strictly in justification by faith, and even predestination, take the view that if their kid ends up in hell that's God's plan so AOK?

I'm not sure the average person who calls themself a Christian in the U.K. nowadays really believes in heaven and certainly not hell. There's not much evidence of most of them living as if they were liable to meet their maker.

Benatar on suicide:

www.goodreads.com/quotes/8809245-this-is-not-to-offer-a-general-recommendation-of-suicide

Handy that he's now considering the harm caused to others due to suicide, when the pleasure of others is not factored in to his arguments about procreating.

You know, deep down, that you are passing off children’s fairy stories as fact though. Surely rejecting rational thought is a better reason to hold off from having children than embracing it is.

I mean, seriously, you believe that the whole world was flooded in the last few thousand years?

@RoseslnTheHospital Aren't "the pleasure of others" factored in to his arguments about procreating in that life can be difficult?

@SlightlyGeordieJohn Never said I was a Christian so not sure how I can have passed off "children's fairy stories" as facts.

So are you an atheist then? And do you have kids?

Some people have the courage to accept that the natural order of things is to live and then die. As carbon-based life forms, we are made from stardust. We only exist because stars died in the early stages of the universe. All things come into being, persist for a period of time and then pass. My parents did. I will. My descendants will. That's how it is.

@judgefudge&
@MysteriesOfTheOrganism
Really curious why you decided to reignite this dumpster fire?

Also, it's interesting how lots of people jumped on the OP, wrongly assuming they're a Christian...

Is it interesting? Christianity is the most popular religion in this country.

@AnorLondo Why would that make a difference?

Justify to whom?

Bloody funny though.

Joking about kids getting cancer - hilarious.

Hypothetical kids......

Did I say that it would? I just don't think it's strange that people would assume OP is a Christian.