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| As people have less children and abortion continues to take its toll, the consequences for America include huge economic concerns and a birth rate below that needed to maintain the nation's population. |
On the last Sunday in January, 72,301 people jammed into the Super Dome in New Orleans to watch one of America's biggest sporting events -- the Super Bowl.
As each team scored, thousands of screaming fans raised the decibel levels inside the enclosed structure, and the seating sections of the dome became a huge, moving mosiac of color worn by spectators.
By their size alone, such crowds can be exhilirating or overwhelming, as anyone who's visited a large stadium knows. But imagine multiplying that crowd by 395!
The result would be 28.5 million people -- more than the population of some countries and enough to have a tremendous influence on the future of a nation as large as the United States.
Now imagine a catastrophe in which this many Americans were killed. It may be difficult, because wars and disasters such as hurricanes don't claim nearly as many lives. But this catastrophe is real. Its name is abortion, and it claimed these 28.5 million victims in a period of only 20 years. Even worse, it continues.
This is an average of 1.4 million abortions per year. But in his book, The Cost of Abortion, Lawrence F. Roberge says the number of annual abortions may be much higher.
"The data supplied counts only surgically induced abortions," Roberge explains, pointing to a study by Dr. Bogomir Kuhar, a pharmaceutical consultant and president of Pharmacists for Life.
Dr. Kuhar looked at all abortion methods: surgical (D&C, instillation); mechanical (intrauterine device); and chemical (oral contraceptives, "morning after" pill).
He estimated that there are between 9.6 and 13.4 million abortions each year.
One example is the U.S. fertility rate, which experienced no real, significant growth from 1973 to 1991. This occurred despite the growth of technology to improve fertility.
In addition, the U.S. fertility rate from 1973 to 1989 was less than 2.1 births per woman -- not enough to maintain the nation's population level.
"It has been stated that U.S. population growth has been assisted by immigration," Roberge says, pointing to an article by C.F. Westoff in the October 1986 issue of Science magazine.
"Westoff states that if it were not for immigration (under the present low fertility rate), the U.S. would stop growing and begin to see a decline in population by the middle of the next century."
Studies show Italy has the lowest birth rate in all of Europe: 1.21 births per woman.
As already noted, a rate of 2.1 is required to sustain a nation's population level. And in 1993, the number of children born in Italy was 5,265 less than the number of people who died.
"At this present rate," Roberge says, "within 100 years, the population of 57 million will shrink to 15 million with half of the population over 60 years of age."
As Italy's population becomes older, the burden of caring for the aged will become greater.
By 1992, the ratio had fallen to 3.5 contributors. And in the early 21st century, the ratio will be 2 contributors for every retiree drawing benefits.
Imagine what will happen when this small number of contributors tries to support the 30 million to 40 million baby boomers facing retirement in 2010.
Even worse, another 30 million people will be heading for retirement from 2020 to 2025.
Regarding U.S. schools, he says abortion already has eliminated 950,000 to 1.2 million potential teaching jobs.
In his book What Ever Happened to the American Dream, Larry Burkett says legalized abortion will have ended more than 40 million lives by the year 2000.
"What society can absorb the loss of 40 million consumers, not to mention taxpayers, and hope to remain economically viable?," Larry says. "Think of the millions of diapers, clothes, toys, and other consumable items that will never be produced and sold.
"Assuming this lost generation would have had an average annual consumption of $10,000 (a low-side figure) by 2010, the retirement decade for the baby boomers, the net annual loss to our economy will be at least $400 billion."
Along that line, Roberge says the U.S. government stands to lose a tremendous amount of taxes from aborted lives.
For example, 26.9 million children had been legally aborted by 1991, and during that year Americans' average total tax liability was $5,006. Multiplying that figure by 26.9 million results in tax revenues of $135 billion.
But chances are that, in the future, when all these children would have reached taxpaying age, the average total tax liability will be much higher than $5,006. Thus, the potential tax revenue loss will be even greater.
"There is a certain time and place for everyone," Roberge says, "and what happens is that, when you remove a life, it has a rippling effect throughout society. And it has an effect on the growth and future prosperity of that nation. Unless we take good care of [our] future and cultivate it instead of destroy it, we will have no future for this nation."
Chuck Thompson is editor of Money Matters magazine.
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