We Need a Children's March?

There was a Right-to-Life March in Washington (and other cities) again this year, calling for an end to abortion in this country.  On a different day was a different march, to celebrate “the Right to Choose” --- directly opposed to the Right-to-Life but afraid to call itself a Right-to-Death March.  We often cloud our mind with softer words when facing harsh realities.  It occurred to me, however, that both sides of “the issue” are not “THE issue”.  The right of a child to live is the issue --- or a blob of tissue to turn into a child, if you prefer other words --- so, shouldn’t there be a children’s march: “WE have a Right to Life”?

Now certainly this whole debate is clouded by a most basic disagreement:  who creates life.  Some say God; some say man.  The latter group will try to talk about scientific facts, but any biologist will tell you that man has never created life from nothing, and like the question “What was before the Big Bang?” the question of “What caused the first life form on earth?” has never been definitely answered by science.  Man has never created something out of nothing, and never will.  Man is not God.  Some auto workers say: “We create cars,” but all they really do is assemble cars from materials given to them.  Man and woman “making a baby” are no different.  The auto worker has no right to destroy a car because he assembled it, nor does a man or woman --- or the two in agreement --- have a right to destroy a baby.  They don’t own it.  They make a baby’s life possible, but they are not the creators of that life.

But enough of such philosophy and theology, what about “The Life”, the child?  Certainly, it seems fairest that the children, the ones who survived at any rate, should have the most say about “Rights to Die” --- or be killed.  But then I think about all the other things “modern man” is dumping on children: “You need to choose your sex, and your associated clothes, and your associated bathroom, and, and, and, and.  There are so many life-changing things we are telling children they must choose --- life changing!!

THEY ARE CHILDREN!!!

What part of those three words don’t “adults” understand?  We recognize the importance of maturity in some decisions and responsibilities:  You can’t drive; you can’t smoke; you can’t drink; you can’t vote; you can’t join the military (or be drafted), and you can’t run for elected office --- until you reach a certain age of maturity.  Yet the same adults who demand maturity in these important decisions say children should make even more important decisions, decisions which will impact their whole life.  Adults say children should make these decisions in their immature years, as if these decisions were less important than, for example, deciding to have a single glass of beer, or smoke a cigarette.

No, children shouldn’t be marching on Washington, choosing their sex, or deciding if they should live or die.  Mature decisions require maturity --- or at least they used to in this country.  But now it seems the “adult kids” want to see (and be) permanent kids, always playing games, making what used to be children’s make-believe stories their reality.

And, yet, these who make us consider such fantasies, can’t imagine there is a God.

When I was a child there used to be jokes about “the inmates running the asylum”, but no one ever wanted to be the inmates.  How (sadly) times change.

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In the state of Michigan, there has been much “news” about the 150 girls abused by their athletic physician.  Everyone seems shocked that it could go on, but I am not surprised.  When we teach kids in our public schools, at a very young age, that “it’s only sex”, why should we be surprised it is treated lightly as they grow up?  Why did so many girls not report this “only sex” action?  Why did many of their parents, of those who were informed, view the sexual activities less important than their daughter’s athletic success?

We used to view it the parent’s responsibility to raise their children to be Godly adults, now we view it the school’s responsibility to raise them as “successful” adults.  As a country, we used to believe that a life well-lived ended in heaven.  And now?

Now, I continue to pray for our country.  I don’t pontificate that I know answers to our situation, and I try not to judge, but I will pray, and trust. And hearing all the “news”, pray some more.