Whenever I read or listen to Al Mohler, I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 16:"When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
One of the things I love about Mohler is that not only he is a great interpreter of the Scriptures, but he is an excellent interpreter of the times. In this article, he powerfully expresses his concern about the decrease in the number of babies being born with Down Syndrome.
Mohler's conclusion:
The fact that 92 percent of women who are told that their unborn child carries the high risk of Down syndrome choose to abort the baby should shock us all. What does that say about our devaluation of human life and human dignity? This can only mean that these women see a child with Down syndrome as not worth having — and the baby as a life not worth living.
Dr. Skotko points to the new tests just around the corner and sees a collision coming. Given his important research, we had better see a moral crisis looming. The Culture of Death is gaining momentum before our eyes. Who will be next in line to be considered unworthy of life?
Larry,
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for bringing up this important issue. My heart grieves along with yours for the unborn, which includes a disproportionate number of "unwanted" children with Down Syndrome.
Anyone who is of child-bearing age needs to read this statement from Dr. Mohler's article:
"[H]ealth care providers have historically operated under the assumption that if a woman consents to prenatal screening or diagnosing, she must believe that having a child with DS [Down Syndrome] would be an undesired outcome and wish to terminate her pregnancy if such a diagnosis were made prenatally."
As a health care provider myself, I know that is exactly true. The problem is that, in the helter-skelter world of a medical office visit, the OB doctor may not make it abundantly clear what all the tests are being done for. Presently, OB's do a "quad screen" early in pregnancy. It is a very imperfect test whose job is to screen for Down syndrome and/or spina bifida. I am sure most Christians would not choose to abort such children. So, there is no reason to do the test. The OB may say, "Well, we like to know if it may be a high-risk delivery." But, these disorders will become apparent later in pregnancy with an ultrasound. The only advantage of such early detection is to allow the option to terminate the pregnancy, i.e., kill the unborn baby. (Sorry -- I have to call it what it is, right??)
So, my advice is this:
If you are an expectant parent or anticipate becoming one in the future, ask the questions, and let the OB know where you stand on the sanctity of human life. That's what Jenny and I did. We didn't get the quad screen for either of our biological children, and the OB was very respectful of our decision.
Thanks again, Larry.
(Dr.) Jim W
P.S. As a pediatrician, I am privileged to care for a number of children with Down Syndrome. I love every one of them. They are precious, precious individuals. I come home from the office and often tell my family of my encounters with them. I feel that every moment I spend with them is a special gift.
ReplyDeleteThey fill their parents' lives with joy, and I know for certain that their devoted parents are absolutely thrilled to have them in their families. Are they easy children to take care of? Yes and no.
They are happy and easy-going.
But, they frequently have quite severe medical issues.
But they are a gift of God to this world, and there is so much we can learn from them.
Jim W