By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

It was my first trip to the beautiful land of Ireland. I was attending with a group from Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and studying the Celtic (pronounced "kell' tic") Christianity of the 5th Century.

Ireland, roughly the size of the state of Georgia, is a nation of some five million people, with one and a half million of those living in the city of Dublin. It is a friendly, vibrant land.

One night, those of us in the group were set free in Dublin to see the sights, shop, or simply wander. Several hours later, we reassembled at the bus and one of the members of the group said, "Is it just me or is everyone in this city 19 years old?"

She was right. I, too, was struck by the fact that so many people in Dublin were young. Everywhere one looked, in fact, there were people in their twenties, dressed in suits and carrying briefcases and cell phone, going to and from destinations and meetings. In fact, I had never seen so many young adults who seemed to be in responsible positions conducting the affairs of business and commerce.

A few nights later, I returned to Dublin, purchased a couple of scones and a diet drink, and parked myself at a table outside of a café to watch the masses of people streaming by. Again, young people were everywhere. The city was alive with excitement, optimism, and energy. In recent days, I have been in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, San Antonio, Tampa, and Jacksonville and I have not had the experience of being overwhelmed by the young age of the population that I had in Dublin.

The next day, acting on a hunch, I inquired of the tour leader, "What are the laws regarding abortion in Ireland?" My hunch was correct. Due to the predominance of the Catholic Church and a strong love of children among the Irish, abortion is practically unknown. Abortion laws are quite restrictive in Ireland; hence, there are young people everywhere.

Since 1973, there have been some 1.5 million legal abortions annually in the United States. I estimated that, because of America's abortion laws, there are some 15 million young people in their 20's who should, like the Irish young adults, be taking their place in society, but who simply do not exist in America today.

If one look at the whole period, America has killed 40 million of its own young. That's 10 million more than the current population of Canada. Unlike the Irish, who value youth and children, Americans value convenience and selfishness.

Today, in the United States, 4,000 children will perish in America's clinic and hospitals because their parents condemned them to die. There is one abortion in this nation for every three live births and, lest one think that convenience is not the dominating factor, it is a fact that less than 5 percent of abortions are done because of rape, incest, or the health of the mother.

In the U.S., nearly 2,000 abortions a year are performed after the fifth month of pregnancy and it is legal to have an abortion right through the ninth month of pregnancy! By age 45, over 43 percent of all American women will have had an abortion. More alarming is that among evangelical, "born-again" women, one out of fourteen will have an abortion.

Children in America are seen as disposable, if they are inconvenient. Is it any wonder that insecurity, low self-esteem, and feelings of loneliness plague U.S. children? Is it any surprise that American kids who survive the womb are becoming ever violent and destructive?

Not so in Ireland, if my brief observations are the norm. There, according to those Irish with whom I spoke, children feel secure, happy, and loved. One generally walks the streets of Dublin without fear, even at night.

And what of the 40 million children conceived by American parents who found them inconvenient? What of those who have not and will never take their place among us? "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15).

[Father David Epps is rector at Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the south metro area of Atlanta. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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