Few things fascinate me more than those instances when different Gods send us conflicting messages. Both Genesis 1:28 of the Christian Bible and the first mitzva of the Torah tell adherents of these religions to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, stomp all over other inferior creations and whatnot. By this account, life sounds like a lot of fun. Buddhism, on the other hand, introduces one to the concept of dukkha as the first of the Four Noble Truths. In simplified terms, dukkha tells us that life is essentially about suffering.

I'm guessing that the Buddhist stance is what inspired Raphael Samuel, the entrepreneur from Mumbai who announced in 2019 that he was suing his own parents for procreating. If this sounds like an absurd, attention-seeking stunt, it’s because that’s what it turned out to be...