Can Parents Choose?

[Donald Trump]

Can parents choose the gender of the babies, by this I mean is it morally/ethically right for parents to choose what gender they want their child to be?

 

[Doaj]

I think it's fine. I don't knwo why people say that we're playing God. God is perfect. We can't comprehend how powerful this deity is, so we clearly can't duplicate it. I think we were meant to make it as far as we have. Everything will make sense in the end, I think.

 

[Bambi]

I personally think things like that are better left alone, I mean, what does it involve? =S

If it's purely because 'I want a girl to dress her up pretty zomgz' Then no, that's just wrong. You get what You're given I'm afraid

I think, if it's for medical reasons like, that would be fine...although god knows what would have to be up with the woman in the first place....

 

[Daenerys]

I don't really think it's right, in my opinion, if you plan to have a baby, you should just be happy with whatever you're getting. It shouldn't matter whether the baby is male or female, it's still a baby.

Although, if it was for medical reasons, like say, if a hereditary disease would only effect males or something (if there even are hereditary diseases like that) then it would be fine. But like Bambi said, choosing the gender of a baby just because you want a girl you can dress up, or if you have 3 girls and you want a boy, it's just wrong.

 

[Moogles]

While I don't think choosing the gender of your child is morally wrong, I'm not in support of it. Personally, I wouldn't feel the need to modify my child to my own personal preferences, but I can understand that some parents would.

If there are parents who would outright hate their child if they didn't turn out a certain way, then maybe it's for the better that they can choose. It wouldn't make them better people, but it'd make life easier for the child.

Oh, and I also agree that doing it for medical reasons would be fine.

 

[Scarlet]

I'm somewhat against choosing the gender of your child. It's a nice idea, and it would be nice choosing your child gender after you have two of the same sex. The problem that I see with this is that a certain gender population will drop. Most likely females, after a while there will be more males than females. The issues is already happening in China. Not to mention there still some sexists countries and they'll abuse the ability to create more male babies.

 

[der Astronom]

I don't have an opinion on this, except for the reasoning that we're playing God. Look around us. We're already playing God. Most diseases that could be left untreated are getting treated, and all the disabled people and others with psychological problems are being treated, we're going places where we wouldn't normally be able to, and faster, and we know how the weather works, and can predict it's patterns fairly accurately--we're even on the verge of cloning and stem cell research.

 

[Davey Gaga]

Although, if it was for medical reasons, like say, if a hereditary disease would only effect males or something (if there even are hereditary diseases like that) then it would be fine.

Things like Haemophilia and Red/Green Colour Blindness are sex-linked genes and mostly affect males - it is exceptionally rare for females to have such conditions.

I tend never to lean to one extreme in any debates, recently. I tend to be pro-choice in everything I say and this one's no different. I don't see such an idea as "playing God" at all, for two reasons: I do not believe in God, and because fertilisation is a random process involving chance. It'd be like flipping a coin with tails on both sides, calling tails first and saying that's also playing God. The example is extremely different but the principal is still there.

As long as it wont hurt the baby in any way (although I'm assuming these genetic processes are carried out relatively early in the gestation period anyway) then I have no quarrel with anyone who wants to do this. Personally, I find it amazing that people can now obtain whatever sex they wished for - you'd love it the same but you'd still feel disappointed that you didn't get the sex you wanted.

Things like eye and hair colour does seem a bit vain and unnecessary but, again, I'm not against it. That being said, I wouldn't seek out these processes if it was my wife.

 

[Contra Fates]

I strongly disagree with parents choosing the gender of the child.

The example I'll use is China. In heavily populated areas within China, families were only allowed to have one child. As a result, they'd usually choose to keep sons. The women would be sent to orphanages, and from there, to wherever they were wanted. Because of this, the population of women has decreased in China, and it's projected that the difference could be 35% women to 65% men. This, would obviously create a lot of issues for the culture, since there wouldn't be enough women for the men.

I believe if people were to have the power to -choose- what gender their child could be, it would end up causing a similar issue.

 

[Davey Gaga]

I agree that "keeping their sons" caused a problem but that's quite different, for several reasons, the most obvious of which being that China is China and, as far as I know, no other modern day civilisation carries out such laws. The boys were kept most likely for the sake of being able to use them as the source of another income for the household. I wont pretend to be an expert on Chinese politics -- I'm not even sure if this still goes on. I was eventually trying to get on to how the political issues in China really have no baring on the rest of the world's use of genetic modification. Not everyone would carry out these processes and, while the population would likely shift its balance, it wont be the end of the world.

 

[Contra Fates]

I agree that "keeping their sons" caused a problem but that's quite different, for several reasons, the most obvious of which being that China is China and, as far as I know, no other modern day civilisation carries out such laws. The boys were kept most likely for the sake of being able to use them as the source of another income for the household. I wont pretend to be an expert on Chinese politics -- I'm not even sure if this still goes on. I was eventually trying to get on to how the political issues in China really have no baring on the rest of the world's use of genetic modification. Not everyone would carry out these processes and, while the population would likely shift its balance, it wont be the end of the world.

Sons were kept, because in China, it's still a rather male-dominated society. So, father's would wish for sons, in order to carry on the family name. But, what they don't think about, is having only sons...means they won't have any wives TO carry on the name.

I'm not claiming that the entire world is like China, obviously, that'd be a ridiculous claim. What I'm commenting on is what happens when people are able to make a choice like that. Allowing people to choose the gender of their child would cause an imbalance. It should be something that isn't tampered with. I can understand removing harmful genes, such as obesity genes, cancer, viruses, diseases, or disorders....but something like gender? Let the natural process do it's job for that.

 

[Davey Gaga]

I agree with that to an extent - of course, the balance between males and females would shift towards one of them. However, I can't really see it as being a change significant enough to have a detremental effect on the way the world works. One area might favour the male gender and another would favour the females. For example, I'd prefer to have a boy first and you might prefer to have a girl first, so neither of our children has affected the balance whatsoever. If my child was going to be a girl, however, it would've upset the balance, so genetic modification is, in this case, positive, in terms of the population. It's all hypothetical here but the point I'm making is that, whatever an individual couple decide, the effects wont be disastrous.

Besides, it's easy enough to revoke gender-modifying research for a time until the population restores to its natural balance - that is, should that ever happen.

 

[Contra Fates]

I agree with that to an extent - of course, the balance between males and females would shift towards one of them. However, I can't really see it as being a change significant enough to have a detremental effect on the way the world works. One area might favour the male gender and another would favour the females. For example, I'd prefer to have a boy first and you might prefer to have a girl first, so neither of our children has affected the balance whatsoever. If my child was going to be a girl, however, it would've upset the balance, so genetic modification is, in this case, positive, in terms of the population. It's all hypothetical here but the point I'm making is that, whatever an individual couple decide, the effects wont be disastrous.

Besides, it's easy enough to revoke gender-modifying research for a time until the population restores to its natural balance - that is, should that ever happen.

It's not so much the choosing of a gender that concerns me, it's the implications of what could follow. If parents are allowed to choose the gender of the child, then it could open the gate for a plethora of options. Parents could choose the child's hair color, eye color, etc. This reminds me a lot of the movie Gattaca, where parents had the option of terminating their child, after they'd been told what the child was like.

It follows along the lines of eugenics. I used to be all for it, until I really looked into the inhumane aspects of it. Eugenics is an idea of genetic practice, that disallows certain people to reproduce, and only allows certain to reproduce. Nazi's were big supporters of Eugenics, because they'd disallow Germans to reproduce with Jews, but would be all for two, Aryan-like Germans reproducing.

I understand that example is a bit extreme, but it's just to add to my reasoning, I feel that if we allow a choice such as gender, we offer an opportunity to allow for much more in the future.

 

[Davey Gaga]

I suppose that's quite a good thought to have in your mind - you're playing it safe that way. I'd agree with you when you say that the door to further possibilities is opened --some may be undesirable in the long run-- but I truly can't see countries falling into the hands of Nazis or such like political types. The purpose of this is to allow further choice, not to develop into completely forbidding one particular aspect of genetics.

One thing that did just spring to mind there is that Survival of the Fittest could be thrown around the gutter. We obviously don't know what the side effects are as of yet and the genetic modification could have a detremental effect on the way our biological functions are carried out and favourable genes have the risk of falling out of the equation entirely.

I'm not using that to contradict myself, though - I did say that I never lean towards one particular side. Anyway, to avoid going around in circles and dancing around the actual question, I'll just conclude by reiterating that I'm totally against the opposition for this debate but, at the same time, it's not something in which I'd participate, given the chance.

 

[Fusilli]

I'm quite torn with this subject... I don't think it's fair for parents to choose the sex of their babies, it's like implying that they wouldn't love them as much if they were the opposite sex. I heard about a woman once though who had 5 sons and desperately wanted a girl, I guess I can empathise in situations like that, and maybe it ISN'T such a bad thing to choose. But still, where does it end? I completely disagree with 'designer' babies, where parents have the ability to choose their kid's eye colour, hair colour, height and all that. Because naturally most parents would want their child to be pretty and perfect, and again, it's like implying that they wouldn't love them as much if they were unattractive, which is not the way to go.

I also completely disagree with it in the case that Contra mentioned about China and it's one child policy. Most families want their 'one child' to be male, and if they find out that it's going to be a girl they often get an abortion. In which case I strongly support the rule that a lot of clinics have about not even letting the parents know the sex of the child until it's born, if it prevents things like that. I read once about doctors (I can't remember if this was in China or to do with Sikhism, but it was around the same theme) who would give a pregnant mother a blue sweetie if their unborn child was a boy, and a pink sweetie if it was a girl, the latter aborting the child. So yeah, in extreme situations like that I don't think parents should even know let alone be able to choose. Overall I think people should just accept their child whatever the gender. After all, it's not like either gender is better than the other.

 

[Dark-Angel]

I think we should let fate decide the gender. like someone said, the gender population of males would rise dramatically with no females to counter balance it. We'd literally be working towards exstinction

Let god decide for us

 

[Morrigan]

Isn't this considered discrimination towards genders?

I've heard rumors that in the future humans we'll be able to choose both gender and appearance of their baby.I dunno about personality.
I find that really cruel and unfair for the other gender.Like in old times.When a girl was born the parents were disappointed and as the girl grew up she would feel a burden to her family.

 

[Ironman]

I'm not really bothered if they can or cannot choose the gender of their babies, i think that not being able to pic is the good thing, you have to be prepared for either gender, and then the person with the ultrasound machine tells you what it will be and you get to prepare in full hehe