Recently, a heated debate raged in response to a popular YouTuber’s public announcement that he and his wife terminated their pregnancy due to a prenatal diagnosis of Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Many critics of theirs have noted that false positives can occur, where babies have been born without Down syndrome after having been given a Down syndrome diagnosis in utero. Others have extolled the blessings that having a child with Down syndrome has brought into their lives despite the child having health problems. Additionally, some have noted the inconsistency of the YouTube couple’s going to great medical lengths to keep their dog alive while electing to terminate the life of a human who may have medical issues in the future. In response, the YouTube influencer noted how merciless critics have been for two people grieving the loss of their unborn child.¹ Since the couple is willing to admit there was a child in the womb, then does that not acknowledge personhood to the unborn? Does it not imply it is murder to terminate the life of the unborn?
In 2014, popular atheist Richard Dawkins sparked controversy on Twitter by stating that it is immoral to bring a child with Down syndrome into the world.² While Dawkins later tempered his stance due to the reaction it caused, he still maintained this moral judgment based on the ethical principle of reducing suffering and increasing human happiness. This vague ethical principle is specious. It is a very subjective measure for the proper course of action that many times turns out to be wrong. Many people with Down syndrome dramatically increase human happiness because of their own happiness and pleasant disposition. But human happiness is not the ultimate measure of morality. The fact that this faulty criterion was used to advocate killing a baby in the womb brings to mind Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
God’s nature is the basis of morality. This does not mean that those who do not believe in God will automatically be immoral; they simply do not recognize the source or objective morality. Every human in the womb is valuable because humans are made in the image of God. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:26, 27). Consider the inspired words of David:
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psa. 139:13-16.)
Verse 13 says God skillfully wove together David in his mother’s womb. The word translated “reins” comes from a Hebrew word which literally means kidneys. A baby in the womb develops vital organs very soon after conception. However, the Bible often uses words for organs and inward parts to describe the soul or spirit of a person. Think of the way in which the word heart is used in the Scriptures in this way not to describe the organ which pumps blood throughout the body but rather than inward person’s will (Gen. 6:5), intellect (1 Kgs. 3:9), and desires (Rom. 10:1).
God forms the spirit of man within him (Zech. 12:1). God is the “Father of spirits” (Heb. 12:9). When we die, our existence is not over. Our body and spirit separate (James 2:26), and our spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc. 12:7). That the Bible consistently lists “man and beast” as two distinct categories shows we are not merely more advanced animals (Gen. 1:26; 9:5, 6; Ex. 9:9, 19; Psa. 36:6; et al.). What makes us more valuable than many sparrows (Matt. 10:31; Luke 12:7) is the fact that we have an eternal soul made in the image of God. Man is the image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:7). What we do to our fellow humans displays our attitude toward God (Jas. 3:9). To destroy an innocent human life is an affront to Our Creator; it is a crime worthy of the death penalty (Gen. 9:6). Proverbs 22:2 says, “The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.” All people have common bond. A human has rights regardless of economic status, because God has made each person in His image.
God had a plan for David while David was still in his mother’s womb. God had a plan for Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5), Samson (Judges 13:5, 7), Paul (Gal. 1:15), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17) even His own Son Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:20, 21) while they were still in the womb. John’s mother, Elizabeth, did not conceive merely a mass of tissue; she conceived a son in her old age (Luke 1:36). The Greek word for small child is used for the baby John inside the womb (Luke 1:41, 44) and the baby Jesus outside the womb (Luke 2:12, 16). They are both human; there is no difference in their respective value. That John leaped in the womb of His mother Elizabeth when the salutation of Mary was heard shows he registered something from the salutation (Luke 1:41-44). He was filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:36). Mary must have been in the early stages of pregnancy during her visit to Elizabeth. Regarding Jesus, Elizabeth said “blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42) and even called Jesus “my Lord” (Luke 1:43). Though the body of Jesus still in the earliest stages of development in Mary, proper respect and personhood were acknowledged. He was named Jesus “before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21). We should think of an unborn child as a person from the moment of conception. We should give the unborn child the same legal protection as all other people in society.
No artificial human standard can be erected to determine that an innocent human life must be extinguished. God is the author of life (Acts 17:25). To actively terminate human life without endorsement from our Creator is murder. The Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood (Prov. 6:17).
Yet, Jesus voluntarily died even for murderers so that they might receive the grace of God (Heb. 2:9). Barabbas, a murderer (Luke 23:25), was released (Matt. 27:15-25) and Jesus was put on middle the cross where the murderer would have been (Luke 23:32). Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4; Heb. 7:26; 2 Cor. 5:21). By His blood even those guilty of murder may be forgiven (Eph. 1:7; Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).
————————————————————————————
¹https://www.fox13news.com/news/youtuber-criticized-ending-pregnancy-after-down-syndrome-diagnosis
²https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-ouch-28879659
–Mark Day