Have you heard of the "Bro-Choice" movement? Its pledge asks men to be a "vocal advocate" for "reproductive justice" (the latest euphemism for abortion support). Here's an argument for their cause they may not have considered: "Your sex life is at stake. Can you think of anything that kills the vibe faster than a woman fearing a back-alley abortion? Making abortion inaccessible ... will add an anxiety to sex that will drastically undercut its joys. And don't be surprised if casual sex outside of relationships becomes far more difficult to come by."
Does this argument shock you? Here's another that may do the same: bans on abortion after 20 weeks are a bad idea because they will make it harder to abort babies with Down syndrome.
Such bans are becoming more common and controversial. Eight states now have such bans; North Dakota's is set to take effect next month. The House of Representatives recently passed such a ban as well, though it is unlikely to gain support in the Senate.
USA Today recently complained that these bans will make it difficult for women to know if they are carrying a baby with Down syndrome. One writer protested that "so many mistreated babies and kids with Downs live terrible lives. Instead of throwing resources at a nonviable fetus, why can't the church help children with Down syndrome that are already alive?"
Down syndrome advocates disagree strongly. One doctor testifies, "If you do a survey of families who have raised a Down syndrome individual, the overwhelming majority, over 90 percent plus, will say, 'yes, it's been challenging, but it's been rewarding.' If you do a survey of Down syndrome individuals, who have a capacity to respond, 100 percent of them will tell you life is worth living." More than 400,000 Americans are living with Down syndrome today. I wonder what USA Today would say to them.
Heath White fathered a child with Down syndrome. When prenatal testing revealed this fact, he pressured his wife to abort her. She refused. Heath rejected his daughter Paisley for several months, until the day she smiled at him. He says that he understood then how precious she is. He wants the world to know the same, so he has been running in road races while pushing her in a stroller. ESPN recently made his story part of their investigative journalism program, "E:60." The video is one of the most uplifting I've ever seen.
I recently visited the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., where I was inspired by this inscription: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever."
Jim Denison, Ph.D., is a subject matter expert on cultural and contemporary issues. He founded the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture, a nonsectarian "think tank" designed to engage contemporary issues with biblical truth in 2009 and is the author of seven books, including Radical Islam: What You Need to Know. For more information on the Denison Forum, visit www.denisonforum.org. To connect with Dr. Denison in social media, visit www.twitter.com/jimdenison or www.facebook.com/denisonforum.
Publication date: July 18, 2013