By Laura Kizior
An oft-quoted anecdote says that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, he will jump out. But if you put a frog into a pot of cool water and raise the temperature slowly, the frog will remain in the pot and boil to death. Whether or not the actual science behind this statement is true, this frog can teach us something about our society.
Modern society has enthusiastically embraced the culture of death, especially threats against the life of a human being like abortion, euthanasia, and population control. As we look back over the past 100 years, we see the shocking move from a complete ban on the distribution of any information about contraceptives to allowing abortion through all nine months of pregnancy. How did this happen?
Slow death
The founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, began her career in New York City encouraging women to “take control” of their bodies by using birth control to keep unwanted babies from being born at all costs—whether that meant using contraceptive devices or practicing early abortions.
As time passed, Margaret Sanger discovered that public support of abortion was too radical for American society in the early 1900s. In order to make her message of birth control more palatable, Sanger began to denounce abortion in public, while at the same time offering contraceptives as an acceptable substitute.
Her tactics worked. By 1930, almost all Christian denominations (except Catholics) started accepting contraception as a moral alternative to abortion. In 1973, abortion was officially decriminalized by the United States Supreme Court. Like the frog in the pot of water, we have been slowly overcome by the culture of death, one step at a time.
Is there any hope for recovery?
A way out
It has been over 40 years since the Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in our country. Sexual promiscuity has only increased. Although we have seen many small victories that support the sacredness of the life of a human being, the culture of death continues to gain momentum. Over one million American babies die every year from surgical abortions, and 3.2 million girls have at least one sexually transmitted disease.
The good news is that we can take action to combat this decline in morality. By working together, we can restore the value of the life of a human being and undo the damage wrought by Margaret Sanger and her progeny.
Last week, American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program released a trailer for a new video series that exposes the agenda of Margaret Sanger and explains how she changed America’s mind about birth control. The videos will be offered as a multimedia course for high school students. Follow the official Who Was the Real Margaret Sanger? Facebook page for updates on our kickstarter campaign and news about when we will release the series.
The Greek philosopher Plato once wrote: “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” If we choose to do nothing and stand by while evil takes over our country, we should not be surprised when our society embraces a culture of death.
We cannot stand idly by any longer. Join us today to help stop this culture of death and restore a culture of life.
Laura Kizior is a content developer for American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program, which stresses the culture of life as an integral part of every academic discipline. CLSP is dedicated to helping students become effective communicators of the pro-life message. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter to find how we can help you foster a culture of life at home and in school.