Two psychologists at the University of Waterloo, Richard Eibach and Steven Mock, have produced a study which they claim shows parents are deluding themselves when they say there is joy in raising a family.
The researchers set up an experiment where they put parents in two groups. In one group, the researchers only presented financial information and showed it cost around $190,000 to raise a child up to age 18. They focused on the financial burden of raising children.
In the other group, they counteracted the cost of raising children with the financial rewards, such as children taking care of them when they are older.
Apparently the parents in the first group felt more uncomfortable. So we draw the conclusion that parents are just deluding themselves when they believe raising children has benefits.
The taxpayer has to fund this total bunk, and here's why it's completely useless at best and morally wrong at worst:
1) Not enough babies anyway
We don't need to have research to "prove" that having children won't make people happy. The total fertility rate in Canada is already dismally low, as it is in most of the Western World. It's only 1.6, but the replacement rate is 2.11. We have a long ways to go yet to achieve that.
2) Only measures financial information
This is one of the worst problems with this study and this attitude in general. The implication of this study is that money brings happiness, so any choice in life which reduces one's income is a bad decision. It is implied that people without children have more money and can therefore afford things like luxury cars, big screen TVs, and are thus happier. If someone decides not to have children because they would rather a larger television set, they were probably not fit to have kids anyway.
3) Me generation
Related to the last concept is the idea of the Me generation. When people make decisions nowadays, it usually revolves around how it will directly benefit themselves. Kids are no longer seen as gifts from God, but rather as accessories to one's lifestyle. I'll often hear women say they want one boy and one girl because that will represent the "perfect" family. It's not about accepting God's gift of life in our lives, but rather engineering a good family photo. This has also led to the increase in the use of IVF, because people are just demanding to have certain things, even if it involves getting them immorally.
4) Contraceptive mentality
A major problem in our society has been the widespread use of contraception and the subsequent mental separation of the ideas of sex and conception. The only reason we are having this discussion of whether or not a couple should have children is because the sexual union is no longer intrinsically linked to procreation. I'm sure if every sexually active couple were automatically consenting to the possibility of bringing new life into the world, the question of whether or not to choose to have children would not come up.
Conclusion
Raising children involves sacrifice, even though I myself do not have kids. A selfish attitude is incompatible with openness to life and children and the decision to have kids should not be a financial one. Taxpayer-funded universities should spend money to tackle real issues, not help Canada sink further into moral depravity.
No comments:
Post a Comment