Sir, Could I See Your Breeding License?

Why [...] are we so cavalier about who we let have and raise them? As technology enables more people to reproduce, environmental pressures make each new life a bigger burden, and our understanding of child psychology improves, it’ll become more and more evident that just because a person can have kids doesn’t mean they should have kids. My guess is that, decades down the road, future generations will require a license to reproduce and start a family. That sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

Most important is that children don't have to grow up under horrible circumstances inflicted on them by the inability of their parents. You always have to weigh the freedom of some against any negative infliction it could have on others. In this case a bit less freedom would guarantee a lot less distress.

It is reasonable. I don't see how we can ask for species-appropriate animal husbandry regarding animals like chimps but not children. You have to have a drivers license for good reasons too. So why is everyone allowed to rule over helpless human beings for years without having to prove their ability to do so in a way that guarantees the well-being of their protégé?

Such discussions always remind me about something important. Children should not be assigned with any religion. There should be a certain age where they can decide what religion they want to follow, if any. This doesn't mean that religious people shouldn't be able to have children but that they shouldn't be able to force their children into a certain framework either. Parents should be forced to allow their children to take part in a educational framework based on contemporary ethics and knowledge. I don't even have a problem with lessons in religion in school as it is part of human nature. But it shall not be focused on any truth value or a certain religion but an overview and comparison with non-religious ethics and truth-seeking.