RE: Adoption of mentally impaired babies
January 11, 2017 at 2:07 am
(This post was last modified: January 11, 2017 at 2:16 am by Cato.)
(January 11, 2017 at 12:39 am)Rhythm Wrote: Why should they be made to materially provide? The adoptive parent has voluntarily assumed full rights and responsibilities, the biological has given them up. Did you really just suggest that an enforcement agency should be used to compel your idea of a moral obligation?
You're right here, got me. I don't condone government enforcement of morality, particularly where there's no victim. Despite my strong feelings about the situation I can hardly consider the child a victim.
(January 11, 2017 at 12:59 am)Catholic_Lady Wrote: I like/understand what you said about parents having a moral responsibility. And I agree.
However, I don't think adoption would ever be something that ppl take so lightly as to just *look* for excuses to give their babies away. Especially for such a dumb reason as wanting a boy and getting a girl. Its very emotionally difficult to give away your little one, and i imagine not something ppl would just do unless under extreme circumstances. Not to mention pregnancy most certainly is not a walk in the park, and most ppl who would go through the selfless act of a 9 months pregnancy for the sake of giving their child life, would more than likely care enough not to give them away unless they truly thought it was for the child's best interest.
Ultimately I think it's more ideal if the biological parents are able to find the strength to take on such a heavy situation. But I don't think it is immoral if they truly feel that another family would be better equipped and so made arrangements for that. I would actually applaud them for their sacrifice to ensure that their baby got the best life possible.
I think you misunderstood my examples. I'm not saying people are looking for excuses to give their babies away, only that there may be other reasons that would put them in the same emotional state as the parents in your example. The only difference is that you may not personally consider their reasons sufficient for giving the baby up for adoption. This presents problems for your position in that the act is moral or not depending on some undefined criteria for what triggers the parents emotional inability to raise a child and not simply the fact that they are emotionally unprepared to do so. Who then becomes the arbiter?
If you think my examples are absurd, you should probably look into the adult male/female population splits in China.
