As I point out in my book Why ProLife?, not long ago, young people seemed so immersed in moral relativism and tolerance-driven postmodern culture that it appeared they would eventually become uniformly pro-choice. People used to think the prolife movement would die of old age. But something happened. Now, surprisingly, more young people than their parents oppose abortion.
A 2003 Gallup survey of teenagers found that 72 percent believed abortion was morally wrong. Only 19 percent believed abortion should be legal in all circumstances, compared to 26 percent of adults. About 32 percent of teens, compared to 17 percent of adults, thought abortion should never be permitted.
This was confirmed by a subsequent national poll, and evidenced by larger numbers of teenagers participating in the national March for Life. (One of my great delights each year is to look at the pictures of the annual March for Life, and see all the young faces in the crowd.) By 2010, Gallup updated their survey with the headline “The New Normal: Americans More Pro-Life” and in 2011 their polling revealed that by a 24 percent margin (61-37) Americans want most or all of abortions to be illegal.
Youth webzines such as The Advocate and youth-activist organizations have reported a sharp rise in teen/young adult opposition to abortion. They have also been very instrumental in informing the general public about the dangers associated with abortion. Contemporary websites such as Abort73 reach out to young women and men, encouraging them to choose life. Many young people are refusing to accept their culture’s defense of abortion.
Check out this well-done six-minute video from Students for Life about the growing number of college-aged prolife activists and leaders:
What an encouraging thing to see young people rising to the occasion to defend the unborn. Here’s a generation of postmoderns—people who supposedly have less of a regard for truth than previous generations—who have a heart for the underprivileged and the needy. And many of them are coming to see that the unborn qualify as an abused people group who need to be protected and defended.
Lord, may a growing number of young people serve You by looking out for and standing up for the weakest and most helpless children You have created. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Browse more prolife articles and resources, as well as see Randy's books Pro-Choice or Pro-Life: Examining 15 Pro-Choice Claims, Why ProLife? and ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments.
