Why The Young Are More Upset About Abortion?

 

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Rehoboam and Josiah. Two kings of Israel. Two descendants of King David.

These guys give us insight into the debate between the mainstream pro-life movement and the rising abolitionist movement.

There has been a lot of posting over the last couple of weeks by the mainstream pro-life camp about how the Abolish Abortion Australia crowd need to soften their approach, change their focus, not be so keen to come after pro-life advocates. And I understand why, I think some Abolitionists have even admitted they said some things they should not. Everyone, especially the passionate, make mistakes. However, I think, overall, this attempt to seek to tone down the abolitionist crowd is misplaced.

Why?

The younger generation rising up are just more rhetorically vocal than the older generations. Not simply because of age, but also because of a difference of culture and what happened to them. For many Gen Xers or older Millennials, abortion is an afront to God, a terrible thing that is happening, and something we will talk about. Some experienced it even from a host of angles.

But for Gen Z'ers, it is all those things, plus they are literally survivors of the greatest holocaust in history. Nearly a third, 28%, of generation Z was wiped out in the womb. Those who survived managed to survive the worst attack on children in the womb known to mankind, the worst slaughter of innocents known to mankind, and the worst crime in our day and maybe for two thousand years. Of course, they are not going to be as nice as the older generations on this issue. They can't afford to be, they barely managed to get past the womb, in comparison to the rest of us.

Hence, those who are aware of this, are more vocally opposed to abortion as a generation. How can they not be? For similar reasons they would be more vocally upset about housing policy, immigration policy, tax policy, and more. Not only were nearly a third of them killed in the womb, but the older generations have also given away their inheritance, their nations, their prosperity, in countless ways. Many young men are looking at the prospect of never being able to afford to have a wife and family, and many young women are looking at the prospect of being chained to a desk rather than raising a family as they would prefer. And the marriage and birth rates bear this out, this is not theoretical. They cannot afford to be as nice as we are, were, or think they should be.

So, the younger generation is rising up, and they are more upset about this than any of the other living generations. This might bring to mind for many older Christians how Rehoboam, Solomon's son, listened to the young passionate men in his early reign and ended up making a massive mistake, leading to the splitting of the nation of Israel into two warring kingdoms. Many older heads would like to moderate the passion of the young, and this passage would be part of that consideration. In fact, it would be a decisive passage, making their case for them.

But for every Rehoboam, who was foolish in challenging the older generation in his situation, I think it is wise to hold up a Josiah, another young ruler, who challenged the older generations, and was right to do so in his generation. He is not remembered as a fool, but as one of Israel's greatest kings.

I think the only way to change the culture on this issue is peaceful, but prophetic gospel presentation, that changes the culture. As an older Millennial, I am nearly Gen X, I am probably going to find some of this younger crowd's rhetoric to be too harsh, or too far, or too critical. But they are determined to see the culture changed through gospel proclamation, even on the hardest of issues. They are not so concerned about upsetting people as the cultural leaders, both inside the church and outside, were in our generation.  

So, I have no intention at this point about agreeing with those who are seeking to reign in the abolitionist crowd. They are being peaceful, this is necessary. Their approach is changing things up, this is also necessary. I will happily, and respectfully work with any anti-abortion advocate, on either side of the debate. But I think the generation that faced the worst holocaust in history has earned the right to seek to make the case their way. That will be hard for many older advocates, who are more tempered, to accept. I understand why, I actually genuinely sympathize with them. But a third of our generations were not annihilated, and that was only the start of how their world turned against them.