THE YOUNG CHRISTIANS

I saw a group of young people on CNN, all between the ages of 16 and 30, the same ages as the flower children of years ago. These young people, rather than being dressed in flower children garb, were dressed in the short skirts or jeans and skimpy t-shirt tops of today's world, but there were similarities in their behavior.

These young people were Christians, swaying and praying, and some of them looked as though they were out of it, their eyes closed in homage, sweat on their brows, completely cut off from reality. They seemed to be in some kind of religious fugue, their minds up in the clouds somewhere, contemplating the beauties of Heaven.

The idol of this group used to be George Bush, or so Anderson Cooper said, although recent events are changing their opinions and Bush is losing favor with this crowd. A generation or so ago, the young people gathered to speak out, loudly, against an unnecessary and useless war. This generation is doing the same thing, in a different way.

We all know that, other than the incident in the temple, Jesus Christ was the kindest, most compassionate individual in history. He was the son of God, born of a virgin birth, and he walked the country in his sandals and robes, preaching love and mercy and forgiveness. As a group, these young people are turning their backs on war.

Their main purpose is to do away with abortions and this might be a lofty purpose, if they also favor helping thousands of poor children get food and medical care. Surprisingly enough, the plight of the poor is high on their list of interests.

It is one thing to destroy the Unborn, who are, after all, only undifferentiated cells at the beginning of their trip toward existence. It is quite another to turn one's back on the Already Born and allow them a slow death from starvation and lack of care.

Last week, George Bush cut funding for Children's Health Care in the United States. This event passed with very little notice, yet thousands...perhaps millions....of children received a hearty kick in the pants and a thumb to the nose from the leader of our country, no less.

Why should we worry about the health and welfare of children, when we can rant about abortion, calling it murder. What would you call a sick child who cannot find help for his ailment? What would you call the lack of health care for a child with cancer, leukemia, multiple schlerosis, diabetes....any insufferable disease or condition? Is that not murder?

No one really likes abortion, but it seems to me that there are times when abortion is necessary, even when it is tragic. I don't believe a twelve year old girl should be condemned to carry her father's baby. I do believe a pregnant woman with cancer should be given choice. Nor do I believe that a rape victim should be forced to carry her rapist's child.

I have heard all of the stories of the glorious relationships women have had with the children of their rapists, the beautiful bond of love between mother and child. This could be, because mothers are capable of tremendous love for their offspring, but that love would still be clouded with the memory of pain and humiliation and ugliness.

The best way to avoid abortion in this country is with Birth Control and the recent addition, the Morning After pill. Ironically, the Republican devotees disapprove birth control, also, and want to subjugate women into lives of physical bondage, tied to the dictates of their female organs. They want women to return to the kitchen, playing Pregnant Pollyannas, while the men are free to do what they want. The Bible says the Good Little Wife should do this, while the men "sit with the Elders." Well, unless the Elders are congregated at the local bar, there is slim chance any man will find them these days.

The truth is, the Southern States, the Red States, have the highest statistics on divorce in the country. I believe this "supremacy of males" ideology is the reason for this.

According to the Bible, women do not qualify to sit with the Elders, but must breed. In Biblical times, a barren wife was discarded, or at least dismissed. The husband then took up with the handmaiden, who usually provided him with a son or two. I never saw such a collection of barren women as in the Bible! I suspect some kind of skullduggery somewhere, with men aching for the pretty, young handmaiden, but this isn't mentioned at all.

Today, we have damned few handmaidens. I could have used a few myself, back in the days when my five boys were growing up and the laundry looked like Mt. Everest. The only helper I ever had was a woman I hired named Bernice, whom my boys called Bertha Butt, and I am not sure my husband would have welcomed her into our bed.

Anyway, it seems to me that Sex Education is sorely needed in this country. Somehow our young people are confused and frightened, and know very little about sex. They are hesitant to ask questions of their parents, because thoughts of parents and sex are difficult for the mind to comprehend. They should get this information at school....basic, factual information...but somehow, they do not. They are failing Sex Education in droves. All E's.

The group of flower children nee Christian dancers who were swaying and praying at that large meeting shown on CNN are old enough to vote, for the most part. This means that they will select the next person to occupy the White House. After years of trying to control the young, they will finally control us. They will select our presidents and form our laws. They will rule the country. Somehow, that is a scary thought.

However, I have great regard for the mental abilities of our youth. It is time for fresh ideas and new faces. It's just hard for an aged old duffer to hand over the reins. After all, if Plato grumbled about the misdeeds of the younger crowd, who am I to be any different?