Is it morally defensible for vegans to have kids?

[PrincessPeach]

Definitely the most stupid thing I have read so far in this forum. Also, very offensive to Thai people.

You are right
You have to forgive I'm going through somethings and honestly I thought that was true.. HA I need to get these crazy theories out of my head... Maybe you can edit out what I've said ... If not keep it up ..

A bigger population doesn't make a better population. It's actually the opposite. I agree that the world will be better once there is only one "race" but a larger population is not going to make that happen any sooner. Interracial couples deciding to have kids will make that happen sooner, but the destruction of the planet and the suffering of the animals are much more urgent issues.

Education is key. Knowledge is power.
People having kids or not having kids really wont make a difference. Anything can be defended by 'morals'..
I am talking about the evolution of our population and yes that does make the population bigger but that's what needs to happen.
The urgent issues need to be passed on to the younger population they are the ones who will be more influenced by it more passionate for the issue at hand. I can tell you right now I am no where near as obsessed with boy bands like I was when I was a child it's easier to make an influence stick when a brain is still developing. Come one you go into a teenage or adolescent room it's covered with what ever they are passionate about.. If we can get our younger generation the new generation of this plant obsessed with idea of becoming a vegetarian at a young age then that will help the movement so much it's far fetched and hopeful and it will happen. Give it another 60 years mark my words.
My son will start a new revolution you better believe what other reason did I birth him for?

Parents ask me all the time what do you feed that kid, how is he that smart.. He is often mistaken for a 3 year old because of how articulate he is at only 26months. (&how tall and muscular he is)
I never tell the parents he his vegan but this is what I do when I am at the park I always make sure to bring an extra bag of nuts seeds and dried fruit because I will start to feed my son and then of course all the kids want a snack .. I show the mom what the snack is that I made, the kids love my snack mixes and the moms are shocked with the amount of energy they have after... I let them keep the snack and I influence them to make healthier choices by instead of choosing a rice crispy treat they will now give their kids more nuts and seeds and dried fruit. Hell I had a mom tell me she was going to go home and put the sunflower seeds on a salad.. I said nothing about being vegan and even agreed with her when she said the feta cheese was good... That got her wanting to eat a salad, I was pleased with myself.

The parents think back on how smart my son is and how good my body looks after having my son and they put two and two together..
Maybe not going vegan but starting to eat healthier, you'd be surprised how many people don't give their children nuts and seeds.
Parents always want to know what I am doing with my son I never tell them vegan because they wouldn't think of me as the same as them.

[Classic]

Anti-natalism is quite convincing if you think about it. It follows from the rational argument that pain is wrong, and pain is an essential part of life; therefore giving life is wrong.

Most philosophers often take life as a presumption and pay little attention to defending it. Peter Singer merely defended his position stating that "life is worth living". Abolitionists like David Pearce give more focus to abolishing pain from all sentient beings in a transhumanist society. However, although he has a soft soft for antinatalism, he would say that the world would be better off if atheist vegans (skeptics and rationalists on the whole) gave birth to critical thinkers. That may counteract the millions in the third world who give birth daily to indoctrinated children.

[brimstoneSalad]

It follows from the rational argument that pain is wrong,

Pain is not inherently wrong (it's more about the violation of wills; to not be in pain is just a very common will).

and pain is an essential part of life; therefore giving life is wrong.

Even if pain were inherently wrong, there are other things in life that are good. So, the more important question is the balance of things.
The Vedic/Pessimistic-Buddhist view of life being an eternal cycle of suffering is not, I believe, accurate.

Most philosophers often take life as a presumption and pay little attention to defending it. Peter Singer merely defended his position stating that "life is worth living".

Well, Peter Singer has a lot of good positive arguments, but also some really weak defenses.

Whether life is or isn't worth living depends on the individual, and it is an empirical question. But, on the whole, beings who believe life is worth living, at least by a small margin, are more likely to survive and prosper (given that they aren't locked up and inseminated to propagate them against their wills).
Even people in some pretty shitty situations can still find life of value (although there are extremes where that is not true, and I think most animal agriculture would qualify there).

Abolitionists like David Pearce give more focus to abolishing pain from all sentient beings in a transhumanist society.

Yes, let us all plug electrodes into the pleasure centers of our brains and become drugged out zombies.
Pain is essential to thought and consciousness; the gradient of experience defines will and want.

I think video games actually reflect this pretty well; nobody wants to play, or would find value in, a game that was merely a win button.
That said, this does not justify some of the extreme shit misery in the world when we can make it better.

However, although he has a soft [spot] for antinatalism, he would say that the world would be better off if atheist vegans (skeptics and rationalists on the whole) gave birth to critical thinkers. That may counteract the millions in the third world who give birth daily to indoctrinated children.

This is true. It's important to understand that, even if life is pretty shitty, wiping it out is not a practical solution.
It's better to survive and propagate empathy.

[garrethdsouza]

One could have a kid AND adopt. Many couples go in for an adoption as a last resort, so if there are unwanted children that could be an imperative too.