People, demonstrate! – but not for the protection of the unborn please

In this short article Dennis Riehle, a German psychologist and blogger, discusses how people will take to the streets for anything, except for one of the greatest problems in German society, as they fail to see the immense consequences of the current ‘culture of death’.

By Dennis Riehle

One can hardly believe it these days: Germany is returning to a usage, that good citizens seemed to have forgotten for twenty years. It is trendy again to demonstrate; to go on the street and make ones position clear. We see demonstrations everywhere these days: Against health care reform and subway stations, against bonuses for bankers and against nuclear power plants. And then there were some 1500 others that showed their colours: People often made fun of and poor people in many respects, that protested in support of God’s greatest gift. As every year they marched through the capital and they met the – meanwhile also traditional – feminists and those, that see baby’s rather as a burden than as a miracle.


All the media covered the new protest groups. But not much was heard of those who stood up, for the protection of the mothers who choose for their offspring. In the Christian media the number of participants was celebrated as a success – and yet a population that takes to the streets in thousands to show their indignation on all sorts of problems, but does not think a minute on the foundation of the continued existence of our nation, should be ashamed.

On top of that many church leaders, especially on the protestant side, have astonishingly withdrawn silently, when they could have supported the initiatives that aim to break the automatisms that surround the daily praxis in many hospitals, where abortions are tolerated. And this is especially maddening, when such a retreat, of those who specifically talk of values and moral, occurs at the same time as a trend that is arising in public life: “This crying annoys me!”, “This buggy is in my way!” or “Give him his bottle so he will be quiet!” – typical expressions that make clear: Obviously they are no longer tolerated, those who are supposed one day to pay for the retirements of those, who mock them today. When it comes to reforming the welfare state and environmental protection, people demonstrate for carefulness and understanding – when it comes to “annoying little ones”, they demonstrate ignorance and cold-heartedness.