Church Saves Fetus With Downs, Everyone Lives Happily Ever After

Here’s a heartwarming story about a Reverend who learned of a young couple planning to abort because their child, if carried to term, would have Down syndrome. “But abortion is sin!” the pastor said (we’re paraphrasing). “Let me pressure you into carrying to term by hastily crowdsourcing an adoptive family!”

The woman was nearly six months pregnant, so Rev. Thomas Vander Woude had, the Washington Times reports, “a short time to find a family willing to make a lifelong commitment.” (We smell a Christian Network reality TV series!) The church’s social media manager (hashtag #unbornangel) posted a plea on Facebook:

“There is a couple in another state who have contacted an adoption agency looking for a family to adopt their Down Syndrome unborn baby. If a couple has not been found by today they plan to abort the baby. If you are interested in adopting this baby please contact Fr. VW IMMEDIATELY. We are asking all to pray for this baby and the wisdom that this couple realize the importance of human life and do not abort this beautiful gift from God.”

[Note: According to the Washington Times, the Rev. reached out to a couple he heard was planning to abort; they hadn’t considered adoption before and his offer was unsolicited. So the Facebook message isn’t exactly truthful.]

Lo and behold, hundreds of people from all over the world volunteered! The church narrowed down the offers to three families, which the parents are reviewing with the help of an adoption agency, according to the paper. It’s great that so many families were interested. But the woman in this story is still being coerced into carrying to term.

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 who are already alive? Because anti-abortion folks care more about fetuses with fairytale narratives than actual babies.