Three steps forward, one back

Recently, I’ve witnessed the cultures clashing in a more obvious way. People are talking more openly about these things, and that can only be a good thing. Many of my friends from high school are either mothers or are currently pregnant. One could look at it a few ways. One is that they are too young (and not married) to be having sex, and therefore having babies. Another is that it’s a huge success that young women are choosing to carry their baby and keep them. I like to focus more on the latter because the pregnancies are real, and going back is no longer an option for them.

A lot of women (my age or younger) that I know are having babies. What does this mean? In addition to what I’ve already stated above, it seems that, in the least, these individuals are recognizing the value of life. Having sex is one thing, getting pregnant and choosing to keep your baby is another. I view this as a huge up-swing in the pro-life movement. With the help of facebook, not only are these women sharing what a joy having a baby is (by posting pictures and statuses about them), but all their facebook friends are seeing that too. One can also gather from facebook how a women feels and thinks about her pregnancy and baby. Quoting from a profile, a friend from high school states, “I was a nineteen year old mama. Meaning, yes, I will be thirty-seven when my little [baby] graduates high school. You can't judge me. My baby has changed my life. He was unexpected, but he will never be a mistake.”

I believe only good can come from these and similar situations. People can no longer be told about the hardships of having a kid, and how it is awful and that it will ruin their life. Being told these lies no longer work, because they can see the truth. Another good can also come from these seemingly bad situations. If a girl gets pregnant, she is no longer alone. She has friends, has heard of people, probably knows others that have been exactly where she is. She will probably be less afraid to choose life, knowing that she can be supported (at least by advice and friends) better. Yes, I truly have hope for my generation and the pro-life movement.

Although great steps have been made, sadly I also see the evil mindset is still firmly in place. That same friend that I quoted is adamantly pro-choice, and many other friends see all the new babies as a mistake. But even this is interesting because the ones who have negative attitudes towards raising a child young recognize that is because they are selfish, or that kids that young don’t need to be having sex. Even here, I only see the situation improving.

But does the rest of society, and (debatably) more importantly legislature, match up with this new trend? Yes and no. I read this article, in which a bill headed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL were defeated by the Virginia House and Senate and their lame tactics exposed. In fact, the pro-abortion plan backfired on them. But I also learned from Father Zehnle that the Illinois FOCA has passed out of committee and will move on to the next step.

Which is better, to win the laws, or win the hearts? Ultimately the choice is up to the woman, so changing hearts is critical. However, the laws need to be changed to reflect those changes as well as help influence others to side with life. Let’s keep praying!