Thoughts on a Pro-Life Surge

The new Gallup numbers showing, for the first time since 1995, a majority of Americans consider themselves pro-life, are gratifying, but puzzling.

Gallup explains the results as a conversion within the group that calls itself Republican going from 60 percent pro-life to 70 percent. Democrats and "Democrat leaners," the study reports, are hanging tough at about 61 percent pro-choice.

But I'm not so sure. I think we may be seeing the first signs of a generational shift brought about by demographics: the "Me First" Baby Boomers and the generation that brought them into this world are starting to pass out of it.

I get somewhat irked by the continued focus of Gallup and other pollsters of emphasizing the divide of Americans along party lines because I don't think party identification is all that useful on most issues anymore. But I have to admit when it comes to life issues, the contrast between the Democrats and the Republicans is like night and day.

More useful, perhaps, are the numbers Gallup demonstrates on the upswing in pro-life views among those who consider themselves "moderate." Pro-lifers constitute about 45 percent of this group today, a 7 point swing upward in a single year.

Among those who consider themselves "liberal," pro-life sentiment is at 19 percent, about normal for this group. Big surprise there. Not.

Unfortunately there are too many "liberal" Catholics. Pro-life sentiment among Catholics is at 52 percent, a majority but not the overwhelming one it should be if the rank-and-file were faithful to the teachings of the Church. There are too many "cafeteria Catholics" who convince themselves that they can have their pro-choice cake and still eat the bread of salvation too -- the ultimate in intellectual self-deception. Please pray for these people to wake up before it is too late.

Saint Jude, patron of lost causes, intercede for us.