Oh Vanna, you worry too much.

I wouldn't worry about the future of sperm or ova research.
Most of that technology will be used to help infertile couples have their own children, which is a good outcome of university research.

The old-fashioned ways of making babies are not under too much threat of becoming redundant anytime soon- given that there is pleasure involved in the act as well!

Suzanonline,
Just a type of footnote if you don't understand what I am on about, but it has to do with human cloning.

The advocates of homosexual adoption will often say that a child does not need a father.

With human cloning, a mother is not necessary also, and human cloning is not that far away.

Johnny Rotton,

'We've established that heterosexual couples are the primary cause of gay children.'

Hahhahahahah

Take the silence as astonishment!

Commonsense tells me that only heterosexual couples can produce naturally genealogical shared children and that heterosexual couples are also the ONLY cause of heterosexual children.

And unless you think being gay is odd you'd never have uttered your stupid and bigoted laden statement in the first place.

doh!

New technologies are producing artificial intelligence with an extraordinary development of including emotions.

Reproduction and parenting may quite definitely become obsolute.

I celebrate fathers day every day. It is truely a joy I share with at least one of my adult children everytime one of them contacts me or me them ... and that, unless something extraordinary happens, is currently daily.

I think the sad sacks here should try that for a truely unlimiting life experience.

Oh and I'm also h....sexual and focused only on my relationships with my kids and not on my own sexuality ...

Severin, you are right about the article being on a vile topic, and insulting to just about everyone except biologically intact fundamentalist heterosexual christian families.

Anyone who's gay, or has gay friends and relatives they love, must be appalled at this article, and the article on same sex adoption, and some of the responses to both in the forums.

Not to mention people who, not through any choice but of necessity, have to bring up their children by themselves, such as my good friend whose wife just died and now he's the single parent of three daughters.

Not to mention either, the children whose lifestyles, over which they have no control, are being so roundly condemned and marginalised by Marsh and the other bloke because they don't fit their paradigms.

But we live in a democracy, and free speech is one of our privileges.

OLO is a unique arena in which all viewpoints seem to get an airing. This is something to be proud of, even though the viewpoints can sometimes be alarming.

I always thought love was supposed to be inclusive. That love doesn't say: You can't have this because you don't fit the paradigm. That maybe love says, of course you can have it and we'll change the paradigm.

A very happy fathers day to all you dads and granddads, straight, gay, transgender, or just past it.

Keith, I'm pretty sure Johnny Rotten was being ironic.
I can't see anything offensive in his posts.

I really, really hope reproduction and parenting doesn't become obsolete, because then we won't be humans anymore, and that will be sad.

When an Aboriginal Elder says:

“Children need a mum and dad. Aboriginal culture is built around the family. Indigenous culture would never endorse such injustice because within our culture children are greatly loved and appreciated. This law is likely to create another stolen generation and this is simply unacceptable. Fatherlessness brings a curse to our children.”

He speaks for most of humanity. To go against this natural law and situation is to spit in the face of all of us. Specially those who have a very long tribal history where these traditions cannot be blamed on "white fella's"

So...those of you who think you can tweak society and muck around with such a precious thing as family in the true sense of the word "Mum, Dad and if they are able..kids" you spit in our faces, you trample our values, and you hurl mud at all we hold precious.

Sure..go ahead.. keep at it.. you never know, you might just get what you wish for.. but remember..the law of unintended consequences suggests you might just get a bit more than you wished for.