Medicine’s growing ability to recognize problems in unborn babies is turning prenatal screening into a “search-and-destroy mission,” says George F. Will.

Statistics show the vast majority of pregnancies in which Down syndrome is diagnosed are terminated. At least 85 percent of these unborn babies end up being aborted (Newsweek, January 29). Screening for Down syndrome—which American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines now recommend for all pregnant women—enables parents to choose to reject babies they deem unworthy to live. Indeed, because doctors are unable to treat unborn babies with Down syndrome, the testing essentially has no other purpose.

The stance obstetricians and gynecologists take on prenatal screening, added to what appears to be a growing belief among parents that they have a “right” to a perfect baby, suggests that screening for Down syndrome is only the beginning. As doctors learn more about how to detect other unwanted congenital conditions, the “search-and-destroy missions” will multiply.

Are these doctors really providing a service to humanity? Are there cases where abortion is the “moral” thing to do? These are questions that cannot be adequately answered without understanding the purpose of life as God created it. Read “The Missing Dimension in the Abortion Issue” to learn why abortion is indeed murder.