Abortion, Genetics and Guilt

It is great to see Dr. Al Mohler blogging again and even better to see that he agrees with my post on the news that the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada recommends all pregnant women have their babies screened for Down Syndrome and other genetic problems through amniocentesis.

Mohler writes: "This is a "search and destroy mission" aimed at the elimination of Down syndrome births. The screening is not value-neutral. America has seen a radical drop in Down syndrome births -- not because the syndrome has disappeared, but because the babies are being aborted."

When you combine this testing with the (so-called) neutral advice of the genetic counsellors, one begins to see the real agenda.

Related Items:

Joe Carter posted on the guilt women feel after abortion.

JT has a link to a free resource to pastors.

The Dangers of Genetic “Counseling”

In an earlier post expressing my displeasure for amniocentesis, I was engaged in the comments by Joe Carter who suggested the following:

“Third, your ethical objection is unsound. If a parent is opposed to abortion on moral grounds then they should never be tempted to kill their child. Saying that parents should remain ignorant about the genetic defects a child might possess since it might lead them to kill their baby is a perverse view of the moral situation.”

My ethical objection to which Joe was responding was this:

“I reject this proposal for widespread testing on ethical grounds. These tests are not perfect and they place the parent in an impossible situation. To be told that your child has a certain percentage likelihood of a genetic defect is too much. Parents are at their most vulnerable at this time.”

In the comment string, after noting the high number of false positives, I promised to flesh out these ethical objections more clearly. That is what this post is about.

A True Story

When my wife was pregnant with our son, we were advised to seek “genetic counseling” due to some statistical abnormalities that appeared during routine blood work. We made an appointment at the Credit Valley Hospital and met with a genetic counselor.

We were told that there was a small percentage that our son would be born with Down Syndrome and advised to have an amniocentesis. The counselor spoke in hushed tones with a very serious look on her face then left us to watch a video.

The video showed two boys of equal age playing in a living room. One of the boys was cute and active and bright. The other was drooling on himself, with a disfigured face, frumpy clothes and awkward small motor skills.

The video asked us: Is this what you want?

I was outraged.

The Point

For my wife and I there was no question that we were going to keep our baby. But we had a game plan going in to this. The point of the graphic video was clear – you don’t want to give birth to a kid like this! Think of the hardship and disappointment and mess and frustration.... just “terminate the pregnancy.”

Parents are placed under enormous pressure when they walk in to medical establishments that pop off lots of statistics, show propaganda and use the power of suggestion. In our situation, I can identify all three of those things.

And to be honest, in the whirlwind of the moment, it was a little hard to think straight. Once we got out of the office and prayed and talked, the truth came into greater focus and it was a no-brainer what to do.

How This Relates to Amniocentesis

Besides being an invasive procedure that can cause miscarriage, amniocentesis is being used as a test to weed out unwanted children – whether for their sex, genetic make-up or something else. This was expressly stated in the original article I quoted. I say it is unethical to subject parents to that kind of pressure.

Go Ahead, Get an Abortion... Just as Long as You're Happy

Canadian Ob/Gyn's Promote Genetic Screening

"Yes, it's going to lead to more termination, but it's going to be fair to these women who are 24 who say, 'How come I have to raise an infant with Down's syndrome, whereas my cousin who was 35 didn't have to?' " Dr. Lalonde said. "We have to be fair to give women a choice."

Such is the profound wisdom of Dr. Andre Lalonde, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Ottawa and the executive vice president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

The National Post is reporting that amniocentesis, a test routinely performed on pregnant women over 35 to test for genetic defect, will be recommended by the SOGC for all pregnant women in Canada.

I strongly reject this suggestion.

I reject it first of all on medical grounds. Amniocentesis is an invasive procedure into the womb where a small sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is removed then examined. There have been studies to suggest that the procedure can cause death to the child though miscarriage. The SOGC is suggesting that new studies refute this claim, however, this makes no difference in my mind.

The sole purpose of the test, as is clear from the quote above, is to determine if a baby is "worth giving birth to." I reject that such a question can be answered in the negative since worth is never determined by role or contribution to society - it is determined by man being made in the image of God. To terminate a pregnancy for suspected genetic defect is, in my opinion, pure selfishness on the part of the parent.

I reject this proposal for widespread testing on ethical grounds. These tests are not perfect and they place the parent in an impossible situation. To be told that your child has a certain percentage likelihood of a genetic defect is too much. Parents are at their most vulnerable at this time.

I reject this proposal from personal experience. Although we rejected amniocentesis as an option in our son's pregnancy (for the simple reason it might have killed him), we were given indicators through non-invasive testing that there might be a genetic problem. Readers of my blog will know that my son was born with a genetic defect labelled Williams Syndrome - a full-orbed physical and mental disability.

Is my son an accident? A faltering of the progressive cycle of evolution? A drain on society and its money? A thing not as valuable as a fully-functioning "normal" person?

My son is my flesh and blood and his worth is bound up in the fact he was made in the image and likeness of God, knit together in his mother's womb and held together by the grace and power of Jesus Christ right now. If he never moved a muscle, never spoke a word, never made my life happier at any point, he would be no less valuable to the One who made Him. And no less valuable to me.

Dr. Andre Lalonde disgraces the medical profession and ought to be ashamed of himself.