Creating a culture of belonging
Rebecca Hagelin
August 1, 2006

Pat Fagan's demeanor was characteristically calm, thoughtful and reflective, adding even more power to his soul-penetrating words.

“We have become a Culture of Rejection,” he said. “In 1950, for every 100 babies born, only 12 experienced the rejection of their parents -- either through out-of-wedlock birth and their parents left, or because their parents divorced. In 2000, for every 100 born, it’s 60.

“On top of that, we’ve added another form of rejection that’s not in the figures -- and that’s abortion. For every 100 children conceived in the United States today, only 28 are going to reach 18 with mom and dad [still married]. The rest are going to experience rejection -- either the rejection of abortion or the rejection of their parents leaving. And we get weaker and weaker and weaker. America is no longer a 'Culture of Belonging'". the rest