A man in India is planning to sue his parents for giving birth to him “without his consent,” claiming that choosing to have children and put them through the “rigamarole of life” is unethical.
Raphael Samuel, a 27-year-old man from Mumbai, is apparently part of an “anti-natalist” group, which advocates against child-bearing on the premises that it intentionally forces a human being into the world without first obtaining said human’s consent, and that it also puts a strain on the environment and the planet’s resources.
“I love my parents, and we have a great relationship, but they had me for their joy and their pleasure,” Samuel told The Print.“My life has been amazing, but I don't see why I should put another life through the rigamarole of school and finding a career, especially when they didn't ask to exist.”
It's a position that could all be chalked up to one crazy guy’s stroll down Looneybin Lane – except that the movement’s already got hundreds of followers and is still gaining steam.
“The anti-natalist movement is gaining traction in India as younger people resist social pressure to have children,” reports the Daily Mail.
A Facebook page run by Samuel and advocating against childbirth is chock full of responses by other “anti-natalists,” who say forcing a child to go through life, get an education and find a job is all the fault of selfish parents who had the child “for their own pleasure.” Others argue that it’s immoral to birth a child into a world in which he or she may face difficulties, problems or suffering, even going so far as to compare having a child with “kidnapping and slavery.” The Daily Mail writes:
A similar meme posted on the Facebook page reads: 'If parents truly know what is good for their children... why did they have them?'
Another asks: 'Isn't forcing a child into this world and then forcing it to have a career kidnapping and slavery?'
In yet another picture he writes: 'The only reason your children are facing problems is because you had them.'
While such arguments against having kids might seem pretty far-fetched, they’re not as fringe as you might think. In a world in which radical leftist late-term abortion laws have taken hold in states like New York and siting governors are seen publicly advocating for murdering unwanted babies born alive (I’m looking at you, Northam), it’s hardly a stretch to consider just how far some will go to prevent children from being born.