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 [email protected] or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]