Nothing forces thinking about life and values like the birth or conception of a child with Down syndrome. For most of our lives we can go on our merry ways, carefully avoiding those nagging questions of “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” and “What is the meaning of all this?” But, faced with a child whose very existence is opposed to most cultural values, we must decide if we buy those values for ourselves or not.
The world values brains, strength and beauty, and money with the power it brings. argues that a child who has an extra 21st chromosome will bring none of this. She itemizes handicap, sorrow, damaged families, life of frustration, dissappointment, poverty, illness, hardship, and sexual frustration. For these reasons, she argues that abortion of the child is wholly justified. Marrin seems to argue that the meaning of all this is to eat, drink, and be merry.
When I entered into this world of disability and Down syndrome I had not yet experienced much of the part of life that Marrin itemizes. My life had been fairly easy and full of happiness. However my daughter’s birth opened my eyes to another world, a world full of sorrow, frustration, hardship and pain. It isn’t Down syndrome which brings this. It is life. I’ve come to realize that all lives have stuff. Difficulties. Hardships. Emotional trauma. Some have entered into this already and some haven’t— yet.
But sooner or later everyone has to deal with hardship, frustration, handicap, and finally death. It is coming. It is part of who we are. Aborting a child with DS will not avoid the hardship. It simply changes it.
And out there, somewhere, is God. Marrin doesn’t mention him, and neither do most of her commenters. He has answers to the meaning of all this. It is all about having a relationship with God.
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Elizabeth Scalia has written a poignant article about walking humbly with God through her brother’s illness and death. Those who have done so understand. Life, even in hardship, is good. Not some syruppy emotional “good”, but a wholesome, desirable, fully understandable good.
Hot Air quotes Marrin’s lament about a fetus with DS being condemned to a life of frustration, disappointment, dependence, serious illness and poverty. Yeah. Ok. My daughter shares fully in life and life brings its stuff with it. But there is much more to life. I hope you don’t get tired of me quoting this verse:
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. [Jeremiah 9:23]
Filed under: Down Syndrome, Positive attitude, Spiritual, Trisomy 21, abortion, attitudes | Tagged: abortion, Down Syndrome
Miriam,
I enjoyed this particular entry for a number of reasons, but one in particular. The story is about a special needs boy who is playing baseball – you know the story where they let him hit, and allow him to hit a “grand slam” home run.
While the story is good, a statement by the father will be my reply to many people such as Ms. Marrin. The statement goes like this: I believe,” the father answered, “that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is in the way people react to this child.”
It’s not about us. Things would be better were we to get ahold of that concept. Thanks for blogging.