Q&A: What is the Rabbi’s view on eugenics — who has the right to have children?
What is the Rabbi’s view on eugenics — who has the right to have children?
Question
For a drug addict who would bring her child into a world of addiction, poverty, and suffering — is she allowed to bring a child into the world?
And of course there are countless similar edge cases.
The practical implementation is quite dangerous, but the theoretical question is important. Especially since this already happens in pregnancy termination committees.
As I understand it, the reason to forbid it is mainly to prevent suffering for the child.
The cost of forbidding it is the suffering of the parents who long for a child. But their blood is no redder. There are also further implications for society as a whole.
Answer
I don’t know what it means to say that she has a right to bring a child into the world. Should she be put in detention so that she cannot have sexual relations? That seems very problematic to me. If she were to ask me, I would certainly recommend that she not have a child. You can’t give an answer to such a general question.