While the abortion debate often revolves around the many difficulties a pregnant woman might face, one of the most effective ways to prevent such difficulties is to educate young people in self-control.
Modern culture has a tendency to link personal happiness to instant gratification and particularly, sexual satisfaction, promoting the idea that the only way to fulfillment is through engaging our sexual impulses.
However, St. John Paul II repeatedly explained throughout his life that true happiness is found in authentic love. He mentioned this in an Angelus message reflecting on the life of St. Maria Goretti.
This same truth is explored in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, pointing to chastity as the path to lasting happiness.
Self-control is certainly not easy, and is a lifelong endeavor.
This type of self-mastery is a virtue that is not held up in popular culture and is not often taught to young men, who are in most need of resisting their sexual impulses.
If we want to reach a future where abortion is never considered, the first step is forming young people in true authentic sexual freedom, which recognizes the "theology of the body" and the proper place of sexuality in married life.
