The Risk of Disability on Abortion
The goal is to identify how knowing a fetus that has a disability could increase the risk of
abortion. This will be looked at through a Christian ethical system and by ethical egoism. The
advancement in technology allows parents to get tests done to find out if the fetus to see if there
is anything wrong such as disease and disabilities. This advancement could lead to increased
abortions, especially knowing the fetus is not normal. Just because the baby has a disability does
not mean that they are any different from a normal baby.
“A Christian ethical system is about looking at the different types of ethical systems and
realizing that they do not stand alone, or together in relation only to one another.” 1 When we
look at them all together, we can piece together how they fit into the Christian ethical framework.
With Christian ethics, “we must reflect (ask what is the truth) and deliberate (we ask what we are
to do).” 2 Not only that, but one must make sure to live by the biblical framework that is laid out
for us within the words of the Bible. “Ethical Egoism is about making decisions that are based on
one’s self-interest.” 3 These people do not care about how their decisions will affect someone
else, only how it will affect what is best for them. When comparing these two ethical systems, it
would be best to choose the one that gives us the best possible outcome in not only our lives but
those of others. With the Christian ethical system, we think about ourselves, those around us, and
God. God wants us to live our lives out in the best possible way, to be able to reach our goals in
life. Now with egoism, we could live a good life, by only thinking about what is in our best
interest, but we aren’t taking what God wants for us into consideration, or how it may affect
those that are around us.
Abortion on the risk of disability is an important topic to consider. Over the years
technology has evolved to a great degree. This has let doctors be able to do tests to see if the
child has a disability and to what degree the disability is. There are MID (mild and moderate) and
PID (profound ID). “With MID people are still able to live a satisfying life but with PID they are
permanently stuck in the infantile stage.” 4 “In a study by Ji et al. (2021) it was found that
children born to mothers who have spontaneous abortions are at higher risk of intellectual
disabilities later in life.” 5 Not only may a mother get an abortion because of a disability, but her
child may have intellectual disabilities because of the choices the mother has made previously.
With a Christian ethical view, it is about seeing abortions as wrong, even in the case of
intellectual disabilities. Now if there were complications with the fetus and it could harm the
mother’s life, it may be morally acceptable to have the abortion, especially if the mother has
other children to care for. We must remember that parents, when finding out their child has a
disability, are not always properly informed. If it were a single mom with no husband and not
much family, would she have the resources to do this on her own. This is why Christians need to
help those around us they know that they may be in a difficult situation. Not only that, but
doctors should give information on how families could get help financially, where they can
get/look up information how to properly care for the child, let them now the child may need, and
if there are people in the community that may talk with them that has gone through this
experience. If a fetus were to have PID, would it be morally wrong to abort? Throughout the
Bible, we read that children are a gift from God and that he creates every one of us to his liking.
Now there was a girl, who was confined to a wheelchair, could not move around much, could not
talk, and had a feeding too. She required a lot of medical assistance for her daily living. When
you looked at her, she was always smiling and seemed so happy. Even though she required
constant care and was in the hospital quite a bit, her family adored her. She passed away after 6
years, but she left an everlasting impression on those around her. From a Christian ethical system,
even if a child would have PID it does not mean that they should be aborted. They are a precious
life, just like any other, and are put on this earth for a reason even if we do not know the reason.
If someone has an ethical egoist view, they may think it is okay to have an abortion, because they
would not have a substantial life and are doing what is in the best self-interest for themselves.
Luke 14:13-14 (2011) says, “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame,
the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the
resurrection the just.” 6 We know that these people may never be able to repay us in life, but it is
about giving and not receiving. In the Bible, it talks about Jesus healing the ill and even the blind.
This verse teaches us to be like Jesus, to be generous to those around us, and to treat people as
equal human beings. Just because someone is different does not mean that we should exclude
them from experiences in life. From a Christian view, we see these people as human beings, like
everyone else, and they are sometimes the greatest gifts that God has given us. Those with ID
were created uniquely by God, what if they were meant to do great things in this world? Some
people with disabilities, especially autism, could be just as smart, if not smarter, than those
without a disability. Thinking of the show The Good Doctor, Shawn is a guy with autism. Some
people treated him differently at first, did not think that he could live up to the standards of a
normal person, and thought that he would fail. He proved them wrong, becoming a great doctor
because those who truly believed in him stood by his side and helped him through the difficult
times. This is exactly what someone with a Christian ethical system would do, they would stand
up for those with a disability, even if it is just a fetus. Parents need to know that there are people
out there who will stand by them, support them, and help them through caring for a child with
disabilities, no matter to what degree. “Authors tend to write about the work that parents will
have to put in towards caring for a child with a disability, the sacrifices they will have to make
(careers, social lives, interests, etc.), the loss of time they will have with family, and increased
financial strains.” 7 Not only that, but “there is an assumption found in the medical, social
science, and bioethical literature that raising a disabled child does not benefit the parents and that
they cannot give the same reward that a non-disabled child could.” 8 If someone were to read that
information, it could lead to them wanting to have an abortion. They are only thinking about all
the negative things because that is what they are reading about. Those with not only a Christian
view but also those who have raised children with disabilities need to stand up, give healthy
advice to these parents, and let them know they are not alone. “It is proven that those with
disabilities do have a satisfying life and a good quality of life.” 9 If medical professionals not
only give negative information but give positive information as well, the mother may not even
think abortion is an option. Medical professionals should also tell them there is help for the
families and support groups. Some mothers even want to abort because of what those around
them think, which if we lived in a Christian worldview, this would never be an issue. We live in a
world where because of sin, no one is perfect, and people can be cruel. It is up to Christians to
stand up for one another, to let the world know that just because someone is different, does not
mean they should be treated differently. Allison (2021) said it best when he said “God also
personally creates each and every individual. He is intimately engaged in each and every aspect,
the minute and large details, of embodied creation. 10 We must remember that families may
think that someone around them may judge them, so we must be the living proof that there are
nice sincere people in this world. People that will not judge someone just because they have a
disability or judge a family because they let a child with a disability be born. People do not want
to be judged or let their children be judged with normal families let alone a family where there is
a disability involved. People do not take the time to understand what others may go through, the
hardship of it all.
If someone were to have an egoism point of view, they may get the abortion because they
thought it was in their best interest for themselves. If they believed that they could not handle the
child or care for the child the way they needed, they would get an abortion. Looking at it from
that point of view, why not just give the child up for adoption, instead of aborting the child?
There are many families out there that cannot have a child and are willing to adopt one, even if it
does have a disability. By only thinking about what is best for themselves, mothers do not realize
that there are programs and assistance out there to help families deal with the situation. There are
even group homes out there that will take in the mentally disabled and help them with their
everyday lives, take them places, take them to appointments, and help them get involved in the
community.
Abortion no matter if a child has a disability or not, is never appropriate within Christian
ethics. We must stop to think about how this could have had a positive impact on the lives
around them. As in the examples above, it could open more doors than close behind them. These
children were uniquely created by God. He makes us all different so that we are not all the same,
to show the world that just because someone is different does not make them less human. When
taking the proper steps, parents can find all the information that they need to help them take care
of a child with disabilities. The community must stand together to support these families and not
give is to the prejudice of others. When families know that there is help, they are more prepared
to have the child and care for them properly.
Footnotes
1. Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids,
MI: Kregel Academics, 2020), 45.
2. Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics, 49.
3. Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics, 26.
4. James B. Gould, “Epistemic Virtue, Prospective Parents and Disability Abortion,” Springer 16, (August
2019): 389.
5. Honglei Ji, Yongfu Yu, Maohua Miao, Xu Quian, Wei Yuan, Yi Lin, Hong Liang, and Jiong Li, “Risk of
intellectual disability and maternal history of spontaneous abortion: a nationwide cohort study 63,” no. 7
(July 2021): 831.
6. Bible Gateway, ESV, Luke 14:13-14.
7. Heloise Robinson, “Abortion on the Babis of a Risk of Disability: The Parents’ Interests and Shared
Interests,” (November 2019): 217.
8. Robinson, “Abortion on the basis, 217-218.
9. Robinson, “Abortion on the basis,” 219.
10. Gregg R. Allison, “Embodied: Living as Whole People in a Fractured World” (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 2021), 29.
Allison, Gregg R. Embodied: Living as Whole People in a Fractured World. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2021.
Gould, James B. “Epistemic Virtue, Prospective Parents and Disability Abortion.” Journal of
Bioethical Inquiry 16, no. 3 (August 1, 2019): 389–404.
Ji, Honglei, Yongfu Yu, Maohua Miao, Xu Qian, Wei Yuan, Yi Lin, Hong Liang, and Jiong Li. “Risk
of Intellectual Disability and Maternal History of Spontaneous Abortion: A Nationwide Cohort
Study.” Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 63, no. 7 (February 13, 2021): 831–
838.
Luke 14:13-14 ESV - - Bible Gateway. Accessed March 8, 2024.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2B14%3A13-14&version=ESV.
Magnuson, Ken. Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. Grand
Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020.
Robinson, Heloise. “Abortion on the Basis of a Risk of Disability.” Philosophical Foundations of
Medical Law (November 21, 2019): 214–227.
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