I've left my journal at home today so maybe it is a day for a rant instead of journal! (and in the process I might lose my entire readership of 2 or 3!).
In Melbourne's Herald Sun this morning is a story with the headline "Mums want compo over Downs". "TWO Victorian couples are suing doctors for failing to diagnose Down syndrome in their unborn babies, denying them the chance to terminate the pregnancies."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/two-couples-suing-doctors-for-failing-to-diagnose-down-syndrome/story-e6frf7kx-1225894768423
This comment from the father grabbed my attention "Don't get us wrong: we love our daughter. She's part of our family, and we treat her like gold," . Maybe he left out, But... if we had known we would never have allowed her to be born. Now, I have to be careful here because I don't know the couple and I do know that newspapers print only the bits that suit their agenda. And also, the little girl has quite severe disabilities. However, this stuff really challenges my values.
Is an unborn child of lesser value than a born child? Somehow, we seem to differentiate between a life dependant upon whether it is born or unborn. People who would have no qualms ending the life of an unborn child would be horrified at doing so for one that has been born.
The ethics of life and ending life, be it abortion or euthanasia are sometimes a real struggle for Christians. And what of our response to those families who choose, legally, to abort a baby or illegally, to kill a person whom they love who has a horrific terminal illness?
Is it possible to have both outrage at the ending of an innocent person's life but also compassion for those involved in the act of ending a life? The work of our chaplains in court and prison ministries suggests that we can. But, I have to admit I find it very hard to do at times.
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