Washington D.C., Mar 21, 2020 / 13:00 pm
Catholic author and commentator Ross Douthat said that a "decadent society" plays a role in declining birth rates, as cultures and couples lose a sense of hope in the future.
Discussing his new book, "The Decadent Society: How We Became Victims of Our Own Success," the New York Times columnist said, in an interview Thursday on EWTN Pro-Life Weekly, that a "decadent" society is marked by "stagnation, repetition, and sterility," but also "a high level of wealth and technological development."
Douthat argued that the United States and parts of Europe are experiencing "a sort of loss of the sense of possibility, hope for the future," and that this shows itself in slowing economies, gridlocked politics, and declining birth rates.
In his book, Douthat wrote that "amid all of our society's material plenty, one resource is conspicuously scarce. That resource is babies."