Ok Stephan, but that's not what I was arguing about. I agree with you on the point about someone having an obligation to their child, I was arguing against your point that the courts could actually have the right to take away someone's liberty when nothing they've done merits that.
Also, you say "I will say that although you are right that state courts are likely to abuse their power over deadbeat dads, there's an easy way to avoid being ensnared in that net. Namely, don't be a deadbeat dad. Just because it's unwise to empower state courts to decide such matters does not mean the deadbeat dad deserves sympathy. The state is not the only malfeasor on the block."
I have a problem with that too. You're not addressing the point that the courts can and will abuse their position. All you're saying is that "don't be a deadbeat dad and it won't happen to you", which is a lot like saying "if you're not guilty, then you don't have anything to worry about." I'm not providing any sympathy for the deadbeat dad, rather I'm fighting against what I see as the worst threat? What's a worse threat Stephan, a deadbeat dad who will have a lot of trouble forcing you to do something, or the empowered courts who suddenly have decided that they have the right to deprive you of liberty on a flimsy pretext. They're not equal threats to liberty, and that's why I resented your position. On the premise that these are not good individuals, you saw no problem with empowering courts to deprive someone of their liberty.