Is it Wrong to Abort a Child With a Serious Defect?

Q: My wife and I have two daughters and we love them dearly. We have just learned that we are expecting our third child, a girl, and we are told she has a serious defect. I desperately want a son but we cannot afford to keep having children. Why is it wrong to abort this child and spare her, and us, the terrible grief and expense of a lifetime of pain? — S.F.

A: While devastating to imagine, there are many reasons why people support abortion, but one form of abortion that applies a standard of systematic extermination is called gendercide. In many societies it affects girls more than boys. The traditional preference for boys in many cultures has combined with the trend for smaller families and the ability to determine the sex of a child while still in the womb. This practice has led to a serious imbalance of the sexes in China and North India, for example. Much to the dismay of many Americans, this procedure was actually being debated in the United States Congress in 2012, with strong support for allowing parents to rob the innocent of their right to life because they happen to be the wrong gender.

The widespread acceptance of abortion is symbolic of something deeper within our society that should also concern us greatly. This is the tendency to decide moral issues on the basis of whether or not they are convenient or bring pleasure to a person. In addition, many who are told their children will be born with defects end up delivering healthy babies. We have dismissed God, resulting in skewed thinking and consciences that are desensitized to right and wrong; making moral decisions solely on what “fits in” with our individual preferences. Encourage your heart by reading Psalm 119:16.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

(c)2018 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.