David Ancell / Sunday June 20, 2004
This makes me sick. The New York Times published this with very little mention of the true moral implications of it. It was an article about couples who had genetic tests done on their children with the intent of aborting if they were “defective.” The “defects” range from Down’s syndrome and cystic fibrosis to having an extra digit that can be surgically removed.
Per the CCC (2271): Sine the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion.
Got that?? Every abortion, without exception, is a moral evil. In paragraph 2274, the Cathechism explicitly says that prenatal diagnosis done with “the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending on the results” is “gravely opposed to the moral law.”
It seems that we as Americans have gotten so attached to our lifestyle that we don’t want it interfered with, even if it means killing someone, as long as we “get away with it” (see the references to those words in the article). Perhaps instead we think that those who cannot live the life that we think everyone should have are unworthy of life.
I know that having a child with a debilitating disease is heartbreaking. However, that child is just as precious in God’s eyes as are other children. Let us not forget that our lives and the lives of children are not our own. The God who entrusted this person to you will give you the grace. Please don’t refuse it.
There are some practical concerns about this as well:
1. As the article mentioned, there are parents out there who will abort anyone who will be any kind of inconvenience to them (as in the child with the extra digit).
2. Aborting children with debilitating diseases can very well stop the development of treatments for such diseases.
3. Health insurance companies will no doubt seize this as an opportunity to save a buck. Why should they pay for the child’s treatment if the parents could have just aborted? Don’t think it won’t happen. I predict that the insurance-mandated abortions are to be found in the not-too-distant future.
I know that some people will read this and say “Who are you to tell us this?” Leave aside the fact that it isn’t I who made the decision, and we still have one question. Who are you to decide who does or does not have the right to live? I would urge you to read this instead.
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