Chuck Colson makes an interesting connection between a celebrated young man and a trend in Western society.

WeÂ’ve all been moved by the striking success of Jason McElwain, the autistic boy from upstate New York whose phenomenal basketball play won a game for his team when hope seemed gone.

But will there be more shining stars like Jason? Not if current trends continue.

While watching the news reports, I felt great for Jason and his family. As the grandfather of an autistic child, it was wonderful to see a reminder that these wonderful kids can be helped and can exceed our expectations.

But, as a Christian, I was struck by a savage irony: At the same time that Americans were touched by one disabled child, countless disabled children in the West face annihilation.

For example, in the Netherlands, medical protocols allow for the killing of disabled infants. As Wesley Smith points out, “disabled” includes Down syndrome, hemophilia, and other conditions that don’t prevent people from living happy lives. All that matters is that the child’s death “serves the interests of their families.”

Here in the United States, children with Down syndrome have been systematically “targeted for elimination.” A combination of amniocentesis, abortion, and pressure from physicians has made bearing a child with Down syndrome an heroic act.

Given this track record, can anyone seriously doubt what will happen as more disabilities can be detected through genetic screening? The pressures to abort children with possible disabilities will be immense. Just last Sunday, the New York Times Magazine had a chilling story about doctors being sued for “wrongful birth” because they have failed to warn the mother of defects in time for her to get an abortion.

It would be a shame if the sentimentality over the Jason story blinded us to the most important lessons we can learn from kids like Jason: What makes their lives worth celebrating is not what they do; itÂ’s who they are. For me, what really mattered most was the love and respect shown to Jason by both his teammates and the crowd.

ItÂ’s a model for how all life should be treated, and anything less is missing the point altogether.

I spent a year working to provide educational and vocational services for developmentally disabled adults, and consider it to be one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. That year taught me more about what matters in life than any of the other 40+ years I have lived. As a result, I can only add a hearty “amen” to Colson’s observations.

Posted by: Greg at 12:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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