As a new parent (2 year old) there is some guidance I'd like to offer you.
First, I have to ask how old you are and if you and your girlfriend are going to get married. I'm not old enough to be naive about having to be married to have a baby but I think it's important for parents to be committed to a life-long relationship with each other.
Second, please take into consideration that while the joys of being a parent are overwhelming -- there are also the lows that can also be overwhelming. Just last night I got up at 12:00AM, 1:00AM and 2:30AM with a toddler who was having trouble sleeping. Fortunately I'm able to function with a little sleep but it's something to think about. The early years can add a great deal of stress into a relationship and if the relationship isn't strong enough it can crack and break and fall apart.
Third, you have to think about your lifestyle. How often do you go out? How often do you travel? Do any of your friends have kids? Will they understand or will they stop hanging out with you? My wife and I are young and we were the first couple in our group of friends to have kids. Most of our friends understand but we don't get to hang out with them near as much as we used to and after us telling them "we can't go out tonight" a few too many times, they've pretty much stopped calling to ask. Now if we want to hang out, we have to initiate the phone call to them.
Fourth, as with everything in this world, it seems to always come down to money. I know you said both of you work, but have you checked into diaper prices? Have you checked formula and baby food prices? Have you thought about breast-feeding and/or making your own baby food? Have you considered hospital costs and insurance coverage? What about time off of work? God-forbid, but what if there are complications and your girlfriend needs to go on bedrest? What if morning sickness is so overwhelming she can't make it into work?
Lastly, you have to be ready to put the baby ahead of all of your needs. You have to be willing to sacrifice everything in order for the baby to thrive. Less sleep, lost social time, less money for "extras", heck even eating cold meals for the next 5 or 6 years. I would encourage you to talk to other parents. Ask for "the real story". Make sure you are in a situation in your lives together that you feel like you will be able to support the baby: physical, emotionally and properly.
I guess to actually answer the question you asked though, there will always be something in this world that is scary or some reason to not bring kids in. Be it a World War/the Great Depression/another World War/or the scary world of the Internet we live in now. But being a parent means protecting and educating your child and making sure they are equipped with the proper knowledge to live in this world.
