Parents in Australia are selecting children based on sex. They are looking for a child that is either male or female, after say having two boys or two girls to provide balance in the family.

The problem I have here is that people should love a child unconditionally, regardless of the sex.

What happens if a child identifies differently later on and wants a sex change? What will these parents think then?

I do have serious concerns with sex selection, but is it a free choice issue for the parents? Some have said it's legal overseas, allow the same in Australia.

What do you think?

Dear Nathan,

«The problem I have here is that people should love a child unconditionally, regardless of the sex.»

Why should you make this your problem?

People have their choice to love or not to love.
You will never be able to take that choice away.
You unnecessarily burden yourself with other people's responsibility for their own spiritual growth.

«What happens if a child identifies differently later on and wants a sex change?»

It is sad when anyone identifies themselves with their sex, or with any other attribute of their body for that matter - yet that is part of their learning curve and not something you or I can prevent.

«What will these parents think then?»

Hopefully in time they will learn that their child is not a sex.

«I do have serious concerns with sex selection, but is it a free choice issue for the parents?»

Ultimately a child is God's gift, not a parents' choice. A potential parent can make efforts this way or the other but only God produces the fruit of their effort.

«Some have said it's legal overseas, allow the same in Australia.»

Neither allow nor disallow - what children are born, if any, is none of the state's business. People should be able to make their own mistakes, then of course take the consequences and hopefully learn from them.

Oh yes? How are they "selecting"? A child is either male or female. The sex is detectable only after conception.

Are you saying that, when they know what sex the child is, the parents are saying, 'oops, we don't want one of those; let's abort it and have another go'? Do you know what you are saying?

If a couple should decide to have a child I think they should be prepared to love that child and to accept that the selection of genes that the child will have is selected from their genes.

Considering how many women are marrying other women, sex selection of children is desirable and possibly even needed to avoid a demographic crisis!

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ttbn,
Obviously it would be unethical if done by abortion. At the moment the possibility of sex selection only applies to those conceived by IVF. But there are other factors that could potentially that effect. Y sperm are more fragile than X sperm and it is claimed that because of the, fighter plots have many more daughters than sons. Even the father being a smoker is enough to favour females slightly. 'Tis likely in the future there will be drugs available to knock out a significant portion of Y sperm.

(Apologies for the typo above: "plots" should of course have been "pilots")