The Culture of Death Speaks — Is Anyone Listening?
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The Culture of Death Speaks — Is Anyone Listening?

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
July 28, 2005

The Times [London] reports today that the abortion rate in Great Britain has taken a significant upward turn. While some expressed dismay at this news, others took a very different view. Consider this section of the paper’s article:

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, Britain’s leading abortion provider, noted that the rate was highest for those aged 18 to 24, at 31.9 terminations per 1,000 women.

This is part of a growing trend for women in this age bracket opting to end unwanted pregnancies, she said. Most women are at least 29 before they have a child and the increase in abortion rates of women aged 20 to 24 reflects that.

“Women today want to plan their families and, when contraception fails, they are prepared to use abortion to get back in control of their lives,” Ms Furedi said.

“Motherhood is just one among many options open to women and it is not surprising that younger women want to prioritise other things. We should stop seeing abortion as a problem and start seeing it as a legitimate and sensible solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancy.” She added that nowadays women who do want children want fewer of them later in life. Marriage was decreasing in popularity and unmarried couples were more likely than married couples to end an unplanned pregnancy, even if they were living together.

Ms Furedi said that women, particularly those in the professional classes, were increasingly reluctant to take breaks that could hinder their careers.

Ms. Furedi wants people with modern sensitivities simply to accept abortion as “a legitimate and sensible solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancy.” She is simply saying what the “pro-choice” lobby usually will not admit — that abortion is “a legitmate and sensible solution” when pregnancy is not desired. Note carefully that Ms. Furedi did not even claim any kind of hardship or emergency as moral justification. In her opinion, no justification is needed, even when the abortion is performed for nothing more than professional advancement. The Culture of Death speaks. Is anyone listening?

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

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