Eradicating Difference: Down Syndrome, Personhood, and the Church’s Prophetic Response

Voxology

Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2018

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Challenging cultural norms around abortion and disability, Mike Erre shares a poignant, personal, and theological response to a Washington Post op-ed that argued for the right to abort children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Drawing from Scripture, bioethical insights, and his own experience as the father of a child with Down syndrome, Mike explores how society’s functional view of human value opens the door to eugenics, exclusion, and societal decay. This episode reflects on what it means to be made in the image of God and how the Church must embody a radically inclusive ethic that protects and honors all human life—regardless of ability.

Key Takeaways:
• Theological Foundations of Personhood – Why human value must be rooted in being image-bearers of God, not in cognitive function or contribution to society.
• The Dangers of Functionalism – Exploring how history’s most destructive ideologies—eugenics, the Holocaust, infant exposure—mirror modern arguments for selective abortion.
• A Church That Welcomes All – The call for spiritual communities that model true inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities, not as a separate ministry but as core to the body.
• The Cost of Consumeristic Faith – Reflecting on how the mindset of “this is not the child I want” threatens both societal and spiritual integrity.
• Historical and Medical Echoes – Comparing today’s dilemmas with ancient practices of infant exposure, modern genetic testing concerns, and bioethical debates.

Resources Mentioned:
• Washington Post Opinion Article: “I Would Have Aborted a Fetus with Down Syndrome. Women Need That Right.” – [Link]
• CBS Report on Iceland and Down Syndrome – [Link]
• Down Syndrome Awareness Day (March 21) – [Link]
• Bioethical Readings on Personhood and Functionalism – [Recommended sources]

Bonus Q&A:
Mike also answers thought-provoking listener questions, including:
• If death and disease are consequences of the Fall, why is the immune system so intricately designed to fight disease?
• Did Jesus offer animal sacrifices under the Mosaic Law—and if not, why didn’t the Pharisees confront him for it?

Join the conversation as we reflect on what it means to be a pro-life community beyond politics—rooted in love, justice, and a vision of human dignity shaped by Jesus.

As always, we encourage and welcome your questions and feedback. Email us at [email protected], and continue the conversation with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Learn more about the Voxology Podcast – voxologypodcast.com

Subscribe to Voxology on iTunes or Spotify

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Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford
Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, everybody, Mike here coming at you from a flu ravage central suburban Ohio.
0:18.6	It is, um, Ohio has shown us her true colors. It was 60 degrees, I don't know,
0:25.0	a couple weeks ago, and then it snowed in two days. I mean, we had a row of like 50 degree
0:29.3	weather. I thought, okay, the eries, we've made it through, we've survived the flu,
0:34.1	we've made it through the first winter, we're all good, right?
0:39.2	And Ohio's answer was no.
0:46.1	No, there's more winter, and because of all the craziness, you will all be stricken with the flu.
0:49.1	So forgive the phlegm on my end.
0:54.7	It's just that that's how committed we are to getting this to you that even in the midst of flu the Vox podcast rolls on. I want to remind you, we've launched a Revelation podcast for
1:03.2	our Patreon supporters. And so you can find out more about that on patreon.com and then type in Mike Erie or Vox podcast. And you can
1:14.7	become a supporter that way and have access to a number of things. But our Facebook group is
1:21.7	really one of the more fun. But we just launched a Revelation podcast if you're interested in that.
1:27.1	Also, if you would consider
1:29.0	liking and rating our podcast on iTunes, that would be amazing. And then lastly, thanks for all the
1:38.8	feedback you send in. As I've apologized many times before, we have loads and loads.
1:44.5	We're just backlogged on questions.
1:47.4	And so we'll try to get to a couple today.
1:49.5	But I want to start by just reading bits and pieces of an article that was published in the Washington Post.
1:57.3	It was a columnist who argues that the title of the, it's on the opinion page or section,
2:04.8	the title is, I would have aborted a fetus with Down syndrome. Women need that right.
2:12.5	And so she says, there is a new push in anti-abortion circles to pass state laws aimed at barring women from
2:20.0	terminating their pregnancies after the fetus has been determined to have Down syndrome.
	...

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