I have 5 kids because my wife has a deep desire to take care and nurture kids of her own blood. She's from a 3rd world country where the more kids you have the better you're off. Now I can't imagine not having them around.
Now, my thoughts on overpopulation is a ruse. The universe has a way of balancing itself, where through natural disasters, diseases and war. We as a species have come a long way but there is still hard coded primitive instincts and one of those is "breading" as you say.

Poor countries have the most babies because they lack and can't afford birth control aside from seeing another child as a huge blessing rather than an additional burden. There is also the issue of babies life expectancy in poor countries is extremely low due to lack of food, medicine and health care. So the more kids you have the more chances one or more of them will survive to adulthood or at least an age that can help support the family.

Thanks All, for your input. I realize part of why this sort of seemingly mindless breeding disturbs me. All my nephews and their wives, are college educated, extremely bright, engaging humans - I have to admit. And they're all well able to afford children.
And yet - the church thing. I don't know the extent of their particular beliefs. I do know science and evolution is frowned upon, and certainly abortion. Maybe birth control as well.
It's like believing in their flavor god, allows them all free passes to make more worshipers ! Oy.

We are often in awe of our potential for procreation. With all the things that need to go right to create a new human I'm in amazement that there are so many of us!!
I couldn't understand how my biological father,the sperm donor, could do his part to create six then disown and walk away from all of them including a younger sibling with severe disabilities.
For some people it's just something happens...a casualty of sexual relations.
For others who love and desire children can be a costly medical and emotional journey.
It's a profoundly life changing experience no one has the right to dictate that someone chose!
I have observed that most well-adjusted kids seem to be the ones who have been raised in an atmosphere balanced with love, discipline and a supportive extended "family" not necessarily blood relatives.
A friend of mine has 6. Both she and her husband make six figures or more so there's enough to pay for their college educations too.
I've always seen raising a family as a lifestyle choice. Birth control is a right and choice the government should not regulate or deny.
People who procreate and abandon( emotionally, financially, physically) are not fit to be parents.
I didn't want to repeat certain destructive family patterns so I chose to have my tubes tied.

I think it is either selfishness, ignorant, irresponsible or all three. Religion, again, has to take the rap for a lot of it, with the 'go forth and multiply' attitude (which is a twist from the original meaning).

I remember in the 70's, we were all concerned with overpopulation. I read a book about Margret Sanger when I was in my teens and she is my hero. No people, she did not want to eliminate black people. It's a stupid internet rumor. Anyway, we seem to have forgotten about overpopulation and everyone is back to having litters of babies that they cannot take care of, while contributing to the destruction of the planet.