As many individuals, churches, and organizations recognized Sanctity of Human Life Day on Sunday, January 20, news reports reminded us of the horrendous death toll of 50 million lives taken in the United States since Roe v. Wade in 1973. At the same time we have recently heard that the number of abortions is declining, and both pro-life and pro-choice voices are claiming credit – the former because of the reduction of abortion outlets, the increase of pregnancy resource centers, broader use of ultrasound technology, and persistent emphasis on abstinence, and the latter because of sex education and the ready availability of various forms of birth control.

Another piece of recent news is that, after fourteen years of steady decline, the birth rate for American teenagers grew by 3 percent between 2005 and 2006. Again the two sides pin the responsibility on different factors: pro-choice proponents blame abstinence-only programs which, they claim, fail to provide “common-sense solutions,” and pro-life advocates blame conventional sex education programs that focus on condom and contraceptive use, addressing symptoms rather than underlying causes. Click to continue »

After a Christmas holiday break from blogging, I’m delighted to be back at it. Happy New Year!

Some of you may have seen the November 11 60 Minutes, a program entitled “The ‘Millennials’ Are Coming.” Host Morley Safer took his viewers on a quick tour of the rising generation often referred to as millennials:

They were raised by doting parents who told them they are special, played in little leagues with no winners or losers, or all winners. They are laden with trophies just for participating and they think your business-as-usual ethic is for the birds. And if you persist in the belief you can take your job and shove it.

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