# Pro lifers: What (if anything) is wrong with raising your children on welfare? Or selling them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-if-anything-is-wrong-with-raising-your-children-on-welfare-or-selling-them/631704 "2012-08-16T20:15:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-if-anything-is-wrong-with-raising-your-children-on-welfare-or-selling-them/631704/1 "2012-08-16T20:15:57Z")
So a woman is against abortion and refuses to use birth control. She has a new baby every year and raises all of them on welfare. Or sells them to the highest bidder. Any problems with it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-if-anything-is-wrong-with-raising-your-children-on-welfare-or-selling-them/631704/2 "2012-08-16T21:05:57Z")
Not a pro-lifer, but I think pretty much any would have this response: “Well, that’s a pretty awful way to raise children. I’ve got a huge problem with this. That being said, it’s still better than killing babies - pretty much anything is better than that. A humane society, though, should ensure infants are neither murdered, nor raised in poverty, nor sold as chattel.” ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-if-anything-is-wrong-with-raising-your-children-on-welfare-or-selling-them/631704/3 "2012-08-16T21:15:37Z")
To the highest bidder? How much would someone have to buy your child for, for you to get a decent profit? I mean, if you factor in the nine months of doctor’s visits, back pain, and general stuff that comes with being pregnant, plus the cost of actually giving birth to a child, that high bid better be pretty damn up there. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-if-anything-is-wrong-with-raising-your-children-on-welfare-or-selling-them/631704/4 "2012-08-16T21:35:34Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > “Well, that’s a pretty awful way to raise children. I’ve got a huge problem with this. That being said, it’s still better than killing babies - pretty much anything is better than that. A humane society, though, should ensure infants are neither murdered, nor raised in poverty, nor sold as chattel.” As an actual pro-lifer, I would say that probably is a fair way to sum up how many pro-lifers would react. Actually, I’m not sure what exactly Annie is going for with the child selling thing. Like if we’re against abortion then we must condone child selling? Because those are the only two options? Does this sort of thing also apply to anyone who is against infanticide? “If you’re against letting a woman kill her newborn infant, well, you must be in favor of her selling it to the traveling circus. Hah, got you there!” As for the welfare scenario? Of course all other things being equal it’s best when a family is self-sufficient, but I don’t think you can assume that the kid who grows up on welfare is going to have a terrible life. Let’s be real: First world poverty is still a better standard of living than many in the third world experience. Not to mention that money isn’t the only basis for whether someone is a good parent or not. I have seen shitty parents who had six figure incomes. I have seen loving parents who don’t have good financial sense. Even if this is a stereotypical welfare queen who is a terrible parent, you still can’t judge what someone’s life is going to be like based on what their parents were like. That’s just one factor and it doesn’t write someone’s destiny in stone. (Yes, I do realize that Annie is the person who was posting for a while about how adopted children are practically destined to become serial killers, but I know that most of us here don’t see it that way).