World "overpopulation"?

[aC23]

I have been hearing this countless times. Some people think our world is overpopulated, and argue against having biological children. They usually encourage adoption. I don't get this. So because Third World citizens keep producing children and "overpopulate" the world, I am "forced" to adopt a child and not have any biological children of my own? What kind of nonsense is that?

We have the technology to send people to the moon but we can't deal with this so-called problem?
How is the world "overpopulated" anyway?

Am I the only one that thinks that this is a retarded concept?

[EagleEye]

Yes the third world breads at an obsessive rate and those who are intelligent and successful usually exercise self-control and have less, if any, children.

[Joe Schmo]

The world IS overpopulated, but abortion isn't the answer.

[aC23]

The world IS overpopulated, but abortion isn't the answer.

What are you basing this assumption on?

[newman]

The world IS overpopulated. The earth has insufficient resources to provide houses, transport, food and heat for the number of people here. The sad fact is that a couple of billion need to get wacked out.

I say start with the muslims.

[Joe Schmo]

The world IS overpopulated, but abortion isn't the answer.

What are you basing this assumption on?

Observation of the world around me.

[RationalThought110]

I have been hearing this countless times. Some people think our world is overpopulated, and argue against having biological children. They usually encourage adoption. I don't get this. So because Third World citizens keep producing children and "overpopulate" the world, I am "forced" to adopt a child and not have any biological children of my own? What kind of nonsense is that?

We have the technology to send people to the moon but we can't deal with this so-called problem?
How is the world "overpopulated" anyway?

Am I the only one that thinks that this is a retarded concept?

I think people from "Third World" countries should stop being imported into the US.

[Mishmaat]

I have been hearing this countless times. Some people think our world is overpopulated, and argue against having biological children. They usually encourage adoption. I don't get this. So because Third World citizens keep producing children and "overpopulate" the world, I am "forced" to adopt a child and not have any biological children of my own? What kind of nonsense is that?

We have the technology to send people to the moon but we can't deal with this so-called problem?
How is the world "overpopulated" anyway?

Am I the only one that thinks that this is a retarded concept?

The heart of the problem is with foreign aid and oil imports. America is the principal financier of this third world and Muslim population boom.

Now regardless of whether the world is "overpopulated" or not I see that as utter nonsense. I want to have lots of children when I get married. Adoption is out of the question.

[EagleEye]

People need to stop financially supporting the Muslims by paying for their oil, then once they actually have to feed their own families, they will stop pumping babies out like an assembly line.

[Ehud]

Anyone who thinks that the world isn't overpopulated needs to learn some Environmental Science and study some demographics.  Arable farmland is drastically decreasing and food production in most of the 3rd world is already reaching its limits, only taking the current population into account and not taking into account the coming population boom.  Pollution in most 3rd world countries is so bad that it's starting to threaten the lives of the people living in those areas.  Finding suitable drinking water is becoming increasingly more difficult and it is predicted by environmentalists that there will be wars in the upcoming decades over water.

Of course living in the West, we think that things are just hunky dory because we don't live in the areas that are overpopulated.

Take a trip to India or Africa and you can really understand the reality of the situation.

there are so many countless statistics demonstrating that the earth is overpopulated that I learned about in an environmental science course that I couldn't even begin to point them all out right now. 

[Masha]

But here is the problem. How to reduce the world population without resorting to birth control? People usually don't have that much control over their sexual urges, so you cennot really rely on abstinence. I personally don't have a problem with birth control. But most religious people do. This is one reason why I am more secular than religious, even though I have tremendous respect for Judaism and Christianity. I am pro-religion and religious values, but I am myself not 100% religious, and the reason is some difficult issues that I struggle with but cannot reconcile with human survival and thriving. The issue of the population control is probably at the heart of it. I would appreciate hearing other people's views on religion and birth control in the light of overpopulation.

[newman]

But here is the problem. How to reduce the world population without resorting to birth control? People usually don't have that much control over their sexual urges, so you cennot really rely on abstinence. I personally don't have a problem with birth control. But most religious people do. This is one reason why I am more secular than religious, even though I have tremendous respect for Judaism and Christianity. I am pro-religion and religious values, but I am myself not 100% religious, and the reason is some difficult issues that I struggle with but cannot reconcile with human survival and thriving. The issue of the population control is probably at the heart of it. I would appreciate hearing other people's views on religion and birth control in the light of overpopulation.

I don't agree with birth control for Jews because they are less than 1% of the population and 1/3 of them were murdered en mass (may G_D avenge their blood). They also make the biggest contribution to the betterment of man kind and we need as many as we can get.

As far as the third world is concerned, birth controll should be mandatory! These humanoids are of no use to man or G_d.

[aC23]

Anyone who thinks that the world isn't overpopulated needs to learn some Environmental Science and study some demographics.  Arable farmland is drastically decreasing and food production in most of the 3rd world is already reaching its limits, only taking the current population into account and not taking into account the coming population boom.  Pollution in most 3rd world countries is so bad that it's starting to threaten the lives of the people living in those areas.  Finding suitable drinking water is becoming increasingly more difficult and it is predicted by environmentalists that there will be wars in the upcoming decades over water.

Of course living in the West, we think that things are just hunky dory because we don't live in the areas that are overpopulated.

Take a trip to India or Africa and you can really understand the reality of the situation.

there are so many countless statistics demonstrating that the earth is overpopulated that I learned about in an environmental science course that I couldn't even begin to point them all out right now. 

Most of these problems occur in specific places in the world then- I was referring to the world as a whole.

[Cyrizian]

Good point, aC23.

If its overpopulated where you live... then move. I know of whole areas here in the U.S. alone where there is not a single soul around. Overpopulation is a myth in my opinion that is only believed by people living in big cities. If fact, there are whole states that have less population than New York City. I heard a report once that said that you could fit the entire population of the earth in the state of oregon (though not confortably). So if your feeling crushed in, go find a desolate place to live in... there are plenty of 'em!

[Ehud]

Good point, aC23.

If its overpopulated where you live... then move. I know of whole areas here in the U.S. alone where there is not a single soul around. Overpopulation is a myth in my opinion that is only believed by people living in big cities. If fact, there are whole states that have less population than New York City. I heard a report once that said that you could fit the entire population of the earth in the state of oregon (though not confortably). So if your feeling crushed in, go find a desolate place to live in... there are plenty of 'em!

Overpopulation has nothing to do with land.  There are hundreds of thousands of square miles of uninhabited hinterlands all over the earth, but that is not what overpopulation refers to.  Overpopulation is when there are too many people to be able to provide them all with decent, human, healthy standards of living.  Sure if there were 15 billion people on the earth many of us would survive, but it wouldn't be too much fun.  We would be living a miserable existence.  Overpopulation has more to do with the environment being destroyed and becoming incapable of supporting human life, something that is happening rapidly.  It also has to do with providing adequate living conditions and providing people with food and medical care.  We can't even provide AMERICANS with adequate living conditions and food and medical care, forget about the rest of the world! 

As for reconciling religious beliefs and population control.  I support human life and think that it is holy and beautiful, but I support population control.  I don't support population control of people of Western Civilizations because there has been a form of population control imposed on them for hundreds of years that should be reversed for the world to continue progressing.  Population control can also be supported on humanitarian grounds.  I want the people of Africa and India to live comfortable lives and not have to starve to death.  By fueling their population growth through food and medical aid to third world countries, we are prolonging and exacerbating their suffering.  The only way they'll be able to live comfortable lives and support themselves materially and spiritually is if they decrease their populations to managable levels and learn to support themselves.  We can't do that for them, they must do it on their own. 

Population control can be supported based on religious and humanitarian grounds because it ultimately benefits the people who will be living in improved conditions and it upholds their right to live decent and honorable lives.  If we remain objected to population control, Africans and other people will be subjected to misery forever. 

That's inhumane if you ask me.

[Mishmaat]

Anyone who thinks that the world isn't overpopulated needs to learn some Environmental Science and study some demographics.  Arable farmland is drastically decreasing and food production in most of the 3rd world is already reaching its limits, only taking the current population into account and not taking into account the coming population boom.  Pollution in most 3rd world countries is so bad that it's starting to threaten the lives of the people living in those areas.  Finding suitable drinking water is becoming increasingly more difficult and it is predicted by environmentalists that there will be wars in the upcoming decades over water.

Of course living in the West, we think that things are just hunky dory because we don't live in the areas that are overpopulated.

Take a trip to India or Africa and you can really understand the reality of the situation.

there are so many countless statistics demonstrating that the earth is overpopulated that I learned about in an environmental science course that I couldn't even begin to point them all out right now. 

I never really questioned if the world is "overpopulated". I placed it in quotes merely to leave it open to interpretation and maintain a neutral position.

I think some of the points you bring up are debatable. I'll isolate the continent of Africa. I'm confident that there are enough viable resources to sustain the livelihood of the inhabitants there. The people there are just too stupid to take advantage of the land. And regardless of the stupidity of the native Africans, scientists have long since developed genetically enhanced food crops that can aid in starvation. Also scientists through genetic engineering are capable of improving the the earth's environment.

There are practical reasons why Africa is such a hell-hole. It's torn apart by Islam, Marxism, overt-paganism, and a native population with the lowest IQs in the world.

BTW, what college or University do you go to?

[newman]

I believe GM crops can be a hazard. When you have a diversity of crops(10 types of corn or potato) you'll find a blight will only destroy 1 or 2 types. When you end up with one species of crop (as will happen) a blight can wipe out the entire harvest.