[lennytheduck]

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Why are the others so interested in taking all the children/babies. We've already seen that there are in fact men and women amongst the others and they seem pretty human so why don't they just make their own babies?

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There have been lots of thoughts thrown around regarding this issue.

First, I'm pretty sure that they are taking babies because they can't make their own.

The children were taken because they are "pure." Almost all of the characters, at least the ones whom we see flashbacks about, have checkered pasts full of immoral decisions and actions. Sawyer and Kate are killers, Jin is a hitman type guy, Eko dealt drugs and killed people, Ana Lucia killed the guy who killed her unborn child, etc etc. The children who are taken by the others (we see this from the people in the back of the plane, with Ana Lucia, Eko, Libby and company) have no such transgressions on their plates.

All of this had led many to believe that the island is some kind of purgatory with the Others deciding who goes and who stays. Its more complex than that, but that is it in general terms.

As far as Claire and her baby...that is a whole different, though likely related, subject. Many think that she was taken so that her child Aaron could be infected by a some sort of disease that will eliminate the LOSTies somewhere in the future. Again, there are more specifics, but I have to go eat some dinner. PM me or ask some more specific things later and I'll respond.