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<\/a><\/div>\nIt\u2019s finally time to return to my argument with Justin Martyr<\/a> over procreation policy.\u00a0 [Quick recap of the story so far: Justin was debating gay marriage<\/a>, I butted in<\/a>, Justin responded<\/a> (twice<\/a>), I answered his challenge<\/a>, he responded<\/a>.\u00a0 Though you can certainly follow along by clicking only those last two links.]<\/p>\n My procreation rubric<\/strong><\/p>\n The last time we spoke, I was outlining why I though four hypothetical possible procreation plans were moral or immoral.\u00a0 Using my responses, Justin generalized my algorithm for evaluating these cases as:<\/p>\n People have a right to procreate under any circumstances they wish unless doing so might realistically compromise the health or autonomy of women.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Not really accurate.\u00a0 As I stated in the rock star hypothetical, I think it is wrong for women to attempt to have children for the purpose of stabilizing a relationship.\u00a0 Babies should be an end in themselves, and pursued only as such.\u00a0 The health and autonomy of women should not be severely compromised in pursuit of this goal.\u00a0 (I think Justin is reading too much into my objection to a free market in wombs.\u00a0 Those women are being unduly endangered by their work.\u00a0 Women may take on more risk for themselves in the pursuit of a child).<\/p>\n Another misreading<\/strong><\/p>\n I hope the above clears up my thinking a little.\u00a0 Justin also seemed to misconstrue pragmatism as a double moral standard.\u00a0 He writes:<\/p>\n It seems to me that Leah holds that lesbians can get a sperm donor (because sperm donation is essentially riskless), but that gay men cannot hire a surrogate mother (because pregnancy is risky and poverty could force poor women into essentially selling their good health). Is that correct? Gay men must adopt, but lesbians can intentionally procreate?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The division isn\u2019t really between gay men and lesbians at all.\u00a0 I would also prefer that infertile straight couples adopt rather than use surrogate wombs.\u00a0 I think the dividing line here is pretty clearly between people who have a working womb and those who don\u2019t.\u00a0 Justin\u2019s attempt to make this a question of victimizing gay men strikes me as disingenuous.<\/p>\n Now, onto the biggest objection.\u00a0 Justin stated that my position entirely neglected the good of the child.\u00a0 He went on to argue<\/a> that raising children in single-parent homes is intrinsically harmful and that divorcing and remarrying puts children at risk of homicide.\u00a0 Therefore, he states, my position is criminally negligent.\u00a0 The commenters on his site, especially March Hare<\/a>, are doing a pretty good job of picking this apart, but I\u2019d like to have a go.<\/p>\n