Many worry China will soon replace the United States as the world’s largest economy. However, a strong demographic headwind is beginning to push hard against China’s economic ship, their economy starting to struggle due to a shortage of younger workers. This is because more than 330 million babies have been aborted since the implementation of China’s one-child policy in the 1970s. Many of these abortions were forced upon women by government authorities against their will.

A total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman is necessary to maintain a nation’s population. China’s fertility rate dropped below 2.0 by 1990, and the CIA currently estimates the rate at 1.55. It has become common for young Chinese couples to struggle while caring for both sets of elderly parents, because each spouse is their parents’ only child.

The majority of babies aborted in China are female due to a prejudice that favors sons, producing a ratio of 120 men for every 100 women. This gender imbalance may become an additional burden upon Chinese society. Large numbers of young unattached males are likely to produce increased social unrest and crime.

A generation ago many worried that Japan would overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy. Then it was buffeted by a similar demographic headwind to China’s. For the past 20 years Japan has suffered economic stagnation. Much of this can be blamed on its low fertility rate. The ratio of Japanese workers to elderly retirees has been declining for many years. Current CIA estimates show that Japan has a fertility rate of only 1.4 children per woman, which will result in continued population decline, senior citizens composing an ever greater percentage of the nation’s population, ever growing government expenditures for social programs and continuing economic stagnation.

Some may think Christian opposition to abortion is recent, but it is an ancient doctrine. The oldest Christian reference is contained in a 2,000-year-old writing called the Didache which states, “you shall not murder a child by means of abortion; and you shall not kill the baby once it is born.” Written between 50 and 100 A.D., the Didache was a catechism used to instruct new believers in the basics of the faith, including a strict prohibition against abortion and infanticide, both of which were practiced in the Roman Empire.

2,000 years ago, Jews and Christians had large families due to “pro-life” commands in scriptures. Many other residents of the Roman Empire practiced abortion and infanticide, limiting their families to a small size. As generations passed, Christian domination of the Empire became virtually inevitable due to the high fertility rate among Christians. Few things determine a nation’s (or an empire’s) future more than demographics.

Europe is experiencing a similar phenomenon today. The fertility rate among native Europeans is near those in China and Japan. Islamic immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East and Asia have flooded into European countries during recent decades. Muslims tend to have large families. As generations pass, Europe will become increasingly Muslim because of the high fertility rate among Islamic immigrants.

The United States currently has a fertility rate of 2.0. This is a higher rate than other developed industrial societies because Hispanic immigrants living in the US tend to have larger families than native born Americans. Even though this rate is higher than Europe, China and Japan, it is still below what would help produce and sustain a fast growing economy. The United States has a declining ratio of workers paying taxes, Social Security and Medicare, compared to disabled people, retirees and others drawing benefits. As a result, like Japan and Europe, our economy continues to struggle.

I hope we, as Americans, learn from the mistake of the Romans, Europeans, Chinese and Japanese. More than 55 million abortions have been performed in the United States during the past 40 years. If those people were alive today buying cars, houses, clothes and other consumer products, would the US economy still be struggling? I doubt it.

Children are a blessing. They are also the future. Nations that have low fertility rates are slowly committing cultural suicide, leaving the world to those value babies more highly. I pray that each American rediscovers what a blessing children truly are.