The Pro-Life movement has moved so far beyond being merely 'against abortion' that abortion itself is merely the biggest insult to life, not the goal of pro-life. The Pro-Life movement, particularly in blue states and in the Catholic community, has moved into a state of open warfare against the notion that fewer children makes for a happier, more well-adjusted family, a more successful life, and more personal fulfillment.

They aren't fighting anymore the simple 'killing of the innocent' though this is often the easiest rallying cry. They are fighting the notion that more money = more happiness; that happiness is thus easiest achieved in childlessness; and that children are a luxury lifestyle accessory, like a McMansion and a Lexus, that lead to misery when acquired too early or using an adjustable rate mortgage.

Instead, they are moving to the idea that family and community is the point of living (not market and conspicuous consumption). In this rubric, children should ideally enter perfect homes - but a good home is one that welcomes children and raises them to have more children - a foster home, an adoptive home, even - and a home that creates families and marriages - leads to community, builds off of community, etc. The enemy is people who talk about mothers being 'punished with babies' or imagine the 'green' benefits of being barren.

Enter into a community like this and you'll find the change:

There is still a condemnation of unbridled lust and its consequences, but in an age of common contraception, a child isn't the common physical representation of this sin; and when a child comes, in these communities, it is time to band together and redeem the mother, support her, and make sure the child's suffering is minimized. Efforts are made to bring the Dad into the picture and form a family; this is not the time for blanket condemnation - which ideally should have come much sooner and been just as strong whether or not contraception was involved. This is the time to circle the wagons against the threats of economics and the unbridled destructive elements in the rest of the culture.

I've seen this in action with single mothers in otherwise very conservative evangelical churches. A church where a dating couple sleeping together would immediately lead to them being ostracized, a pregnant woman is given a central place, all the support that individuals and groups can muster, father-substitute 20 something and 30 somethings who take the kid to play sports or attend concerts or join group activities with the families. I was a bit surprised at first, but then it sort of made sense. Its the Evangelicals VS the DINKs, and the two have a very hard time communicating.

It also points to the heart of why Catholics and Evangelicals don't accept homosexuality. But that could be another long post.