Are the Battles of the 20th Century Really Over?

The linked commentary from National Review Online argues that the death of John Paul II marks the end of the 20th Century. The comment makes the point that the big battle of the 20th Century was against atheistic communism and that John Paul II helped to win that battle. The article further predicts that the moral battle of the 21st Century will involve issues surrounding the Culture of Life, specifically the "fight for the dignity of human life."

But is the battle of the 20th Century really over? One billion subjects of the Chinese dictatorship still live under religious oppression. Witness for example what has happened to Falun Gong believers in China.

The Culture of Life issues will be a major battle in the 21st Century. The advances in medicine and genetics ensure that. But a major field in that battle is China, precisely because the victory over communism in the 20th Century was not complete. China is moving full speed ahead away from a Culture of Life: forced abortions; forced organ transplants; cloning; you name it. All the horrors opposed by Culture of Life advocates happen in China and are legal.

The battle of the 20th Century against atheistic communism did not end with total victory. The consequences of that incomplete victory haunt us still. China is a growing threat against the West and its government opposes the Culture of Life espoused by John Paul II.

The experience of the Cold War has shown that communism could not be reformed to include democracy and freedom for its subjects. The experience of China today strongly suggests that communism must die before a Culture of Life can be born in that country.

-tdr