In cases where a woman chooses to keep her unplanned baby should a man be responsible for the child if he does not want to be a father? After all if a woman chooses to abort a child that a man would raise that is HER choice alone, so if a woman chooses to keep a child shouldn't it be the man's choice to decide if HE wants a baby...or to be a part of its life?
If the man finds a nice couple who would adopt the baby and the mother chooses to keep it shouldn't it then be her responsibility? Likewise, if the mother finds a nice couple to adopt and the man chooses to keep his parental rights shouldn't it them become his responsibility?
Wouldn't it be better if unmarried people took the responsibility to wait to have sex until they were married? Wouldn't society be better if we taught young people that single parenthood is not an acceptable lifestyle?
We have created a system that rewards young girls and young men if they get pregnant out of marriage. There are myriads of programs for them...free college, free food, reduced priced housing, reduced priced child care...all things that give them just enough to get by on, but never enough to thrive; just enough to keep them slaves to the government. We've created a society that puts the "pleasure" of the individual over the responsibility of that same individual.
I know pro life people will say, "well it's better than an abortion. We can't just leave them to their own devices." ...but perhaps if we made it too difficult to be single parents (as young, unmarried people) they would opt for adoption to two parent families, or better yet decide to not get pregnant in the first place (ie. not have sex before marriage).
Call me a religious fanatic; call me old fashioned; call me a prude; whatever, but the idea of being a mom, dad, and kids is not just a religious ideal, it is a civilized ideal. Children do better with a mom and dad working together. I'm looking at this from a strictly outside view; after watching a young person I know (a young father) deal with trying to be both mom and dad to his daughter for only a weekend it makes me sad. It's very easy, and common sensical to see that being able to share the responsibilities of a young child, with all it's needs as two people together (family), is the best and sanest way. Even if you take God out of it, a child will do better with a mom and dad together.
Perhaps it's time to push adoption (two parents) over single parenthood, for young, unmarried people who can't even take care of themselves yet, let alone another person...after all what is really being put first, the child's needs or the parent's desires?
What do you think? ...
