Medicine’s growing ability to recognize problems in unborn babies is turning prenatal screening into a “search-and-destroy mission,” says columnist George Will. At least 85 percent of unborn babies who are diagnosed with Down syndrome end up being aborted (Newsweek, January 29).
Screening for Down syndrome—which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines now recommend for all pregnant women—enables parents 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.
Screening for Down syndrome is no doubt only the beginning. As doctors learn more about how to detect other unwanted congenital conditions, the “search-and-destroy missions” will likely 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. For more, request a free copy of The Incredible Human Potential.