Why Are Millennials More Pro-Life Than Their Parents' Generation?
Millennials are increasingly more pro-life and supportive of restrictions on abortion than their parents' generation, according to polling data taken over the last decade, and pro-life leaders credit medical technology for this growing trend.
Lila Rose, president of the pro-life group Live Action, told The Christian Post in a recent interview that advances in ultrasound technology is just one of the many reasons why teenagers and people in their 20s are joining the movement.
"There's a window into the womb with ultrasound. Just having the look into the womb you can see, even in the first trimester, the early development of the child — you can see the humanity of the child," Rose said. "Now that we have that imagery and it's more prevalent, people are having that personal encounter with the child, so it's easier to recognize their human rights."
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She continued: "And there are stories that have emerged about how abortion doesn't help women, but it actually hurts them. This has been shared in the testimonies of women who've spoken out against it afterwards. And there's the emergence of evidence about the abuses and the illegal practices at Planned Parenthood that are coming more to light.
"All of these factors are inspiring to younger people who see it as a human rights abuse and an attack against women and children, and they want to join the movement," Rose added.
Kathryn Brown, a Benedictine College student who was among 400 of her classmates who traveled from Kansas to Washington in January to lead the 41st annual March for Life demonstration, told CP that her generation is more pro-life than past generations because they've been greatly impacted by abortion.
"I think one big reason is because our generation is the one that's missing so many people because of abortion," Brown commented. "There are many people, college aged, who have siblings who were aborted. There are people missing in our lives because they were never given the chance to live — siblings, friends, maybe even people we would have married. We mourn them and we resolve to stand up for their God-given right to life so that others will not share that same fate."
Jeanne Monahan, president of March for Life, shared Rose's observation when she told CP earlier this year that among the reasons why people, especially those in millennial generation, are witnessing a cultural shift toward supporting the pro-life movement opposed to advocating for abortion, are the advances in technology and the human aspect — the personal stories of men and women who've been harmed by the aftermath of abortion.
"Years ago, it was the case that advocates for abortion would talk about the 'thing' growing in a woman's womb as a lifeless blob of tissue," Monahan explained. "And I think our advances in sonography and ultrasounds, and even our understanding of fetal development has dispelled those myths."
She continued: "We know that, from the moment of conception, a baby has all of its DNA that it needs for the rest of its life. It has everything inherent that it will need for later on. Really, the only difference [between the preborn and adults] is in size and development."
Next year's March for Life will focus on preserving the lives of babies who receive a poor prenatal prognosis under the theme of "every child is a gift."
"We're focusing on a group of children who are much more likely to be killed in the womb than healthy children," Rose said in a statement shared with CP.
Now through Dec. 24 Rose's organization, Live Action, is offering a giveaway trip for two supporters who want to attend the 42nd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
Winners of the "Take Flight for Life" giveaway at LiveAction.org will receive free airfare and hotel accomodations and will get to walk with Live Action president Lila Rose in the March for Life, the largest pro-life event in the world, which has been held every year since 1973 on the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision.
