My opinion regarding birth defects and abortion

Many pro-abortions think that the question of allowing parents to abort children with known severe genetic and birth defects is the strongest argument for abortion in their arsenal. And I agree that it is there that the strongest temptation and intellectual rationalism exists. That is one reason that I felt that the medical procedure of abortion should not be illegal because there are faith non-believers who have a right to obtain an abortion in a genuine situation like this. However, Roe v. Wade was not argued on this basis, and the number of abortions of children with conditions such as Down's syndrome, while known, is hardly proudly trumpeted by the pro-abortions. This is because not only do they know this is a slippery slope to be proud of (I personally would agree to it only with a gun to my head, and probably not even then) but because they also instinctively know that this is not the compassionate response to a birth defect pregnancy that either God or moral men and women intended. Moral liberals encourage diversity except when it means allowing a child with severe defects to live and be cared for during their entire life.

My expectations all those years ago for how society would have responded to human's increase knowledge to diagnose birth defect and severe genetic conditions in the womb is entirely different than how it has turned out over these past forty years. I had a different vision and I have to be honest, so did God. God leaves decisions and free will up to humans, and even though in his wisdom and perfect knowledge of the flaws of humans and what they are likely to do, God continues to also "hope for the best." God hopes and encourages, through the Holy Spirit, for humans to make the better and more moral positions. Sadly, they often don't, and certain deep societal flaws (such as addictions) have skewed society even farther from God's vision and "hopes" for them. God is not surprised, since he is all knowing, but he is always "hopeful."

I had envisioned a society where medical prescreening, where desired by the parents, reveals conditions to be planned for in a kind and charitable way. I had envisioned a child health insurance system where the government and insurers had lifetime care for the birth of children with such conditions fully covered, and so parents would never have to worry that allowing a child with a genetic or birth defect would bankrupt them. I had envisioned a society where instead of abortions there were generous and loving adoptions, so that parents who give birth to a child with severe genetic conditions or birth defects could give up their child for adoption, should they feel that they could not emotionally support their child's upbringing, even if the financial means were there through the system I envisioned. Further, I thought that there would be specialized programs of adoption for these children that focused on providing adoption to prospective parents who felt a calling to love and take in these children. And where individual children could not be adopted they could live their lives in loving care communities. I had envisioned that the Catholic Church would have had a growth in vocations and callings to the faith of brothers and sisters, many of whom would serve their call to Christ by carrying his cross in these communities, tending to children whose parents at least said "yes" to life. And I envisioned ethical research for mitigation treatment, cures, nutrition, medication and technology devices to enhance the quality of life for all these children as they grow into adults. But we know that medical research goes in certain directions and not others.

So my vision and hopes of what would happen over the past forty years to respond to the quandary of humans being intelligent enough to test for severe genetic conditions and birth defects has not come to pass one iota. Instead of babies with genetic conditions and birth defects being a call for great humanity and greater morality, it has become the "slam dunk" of reasons to abort and forget. Humans have robbed themselves because of this "choice" that they have made. And as I said, I do not blame the parents because it is the area where an individual decision is fraught with pressure and lack of support for making the choice "yes" to life. I wish it were totally different and closer to my vision as expressed above about how humans could have made real choices for real love of life and mutual support.