Social media often gives us too much information about the lives of strangers worldwide. Much of it is inane or annoying, but every so often it gives us startling insight into our cultural rot.
For example, imagine a social media post like the following going viral in the ancient world:
This is difficult to write, but we are devastated to announce we have lost one of our children. Given this current drought, we had to make the traumatic decision to sacrifice our child to Molech. By letting him burn on the altar, the gods should soon send rain, so we can grow food and be in a better situation.
We signed up to be parents, come what may, but we just didn’t fully understand what life would be like having a child suffer in poverty.
Thankfully the procedure went smoothly, but we are drained emotionally.
Most people don’t understand what it’s like for a child to be malnourished, or for a family to struggle. We spoke with friends, family, and religious leaders and learned that up to 90% of families in our situation choose child sacrifice. This was WAY higher than I expected, and I believe it’s because most child sacrifice happens privately. It feels shameful, and a lot of judgment is being cast.
Thankfully, we had a choice.
It will take a little time to move on, but we are excited to try again for more children once the gods smile upon us.
Shocking? It should be. Child sacrifice is evil, whether burning children to Molech, sending them to the gas chamber to purify bloodlines, or aborting them on the altar of our own convenience.
Yet if you swap out some of the terms and sanitize the language, the above paragraphs are similar to a post created by an influencer named Jesse Ridgway. Almost halfway through their first pregnancy, Jesse and his wife Ashley received test results indicating their child had Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome. These influencers have monetized their pregnancy from the beginning, posting announcements, ultrasounds, and a gender reveal. In retrospect, it’s devastating to watch the ultrasound of their tiny child waving his limbs, an image which fully acknowledges and celebrates the personhood of their child. Make no mistake, the Ridgways have no sanitized concept of this child being “a clump of cells,” yet they made the selfish, awful decision to kill him because of the Down Syndrome diagnosis.
The Ridgways’ post tries to qualify their decision as a heart-wrenching gesture to alleviate the baby’s suffering, but the response has been swift and condemning. They should be ashamed – and condemned – as the only suffering they were considering was their own.
This is also tragic when we consider that testing can often be wrong. While I was in the womb, for instance, my own mother was informed I could have Downs or cerebral palsy. The doctors were wrong. The internet is also full of accounts such as this where parents are told to abort because of alleged health issues, only to later deliver perfectly healthy children.
But whether the test was right or wrong on the Down Syndrome diagnosis, the Ridgways’ decision also failed to consider the many happy, healthy and productive members of our society with Down Syndrome. They also seem to have overlooked the fact that many of the medical effects they list as reasons for killing their son are manageable.
It’s also interesting to observe the public responses to this decision. One advocate for people with Down Syndrome posted about how devastating she found this choice … yet she also assured her audience that she was DEFINITELY pro-choice. Cognitive dissonance, anyone? Apparently she believes anyone should have the option to abort, but when a famous influencer makes that very decision because of the disability she advocates for, suddenly she’s horrified. Does she realize that thousands make this exact same choice – discarding perfectly healthy children like garbage – only for much dumber reasons? Her selective sensibilities were offended, and this, too, is evidence of our societal rot. The value of life is not determined by our feelings.
In other recent baby-killing news, an Ohio doctor pleaded no contest to charges brought against him for forcing abortion pills on his girlfriend. She wanted the baby, he didn’t, so he crushed the pills into her hot chocolate, later holding her down and forcing the pills into her mouth. Racing to the hospital, she helplessly suffered the loss of her child.
This man may only get a slap on the wrist, but the cognitive dissonance arises once again. His choice is only horrific in society’s mind because the mother of the baby wanted her child.
The worth of both children was entirely dictated by their parents’ feelings. Two fathers made the same decision to kill their babies. One is celebrated for “breaking taboos” and “shining light on a difficult topic.” The other appears in court and may go to jail for his crimes. Both were wrong for murdering their children. These children had the right to life, and a genetic difference does not change anything.
In spite of such horrific news, many wonderful people are rising to the occasion. Indeed, I have been spammed with the most precious Down Syndrome babies for days on my timeline, and I am here for it.
The Ridgways may have exploited their dead child for clicks, yet I believe this situation affords us an opportunity to truly see sin and evil for what it is. Let’s make child sacrifice evil again.
Hannah Sorrell is a wife, a mom of two daughters and a realtor. She is a former special needs teacher and has a Master's degree in Communication. She is married to State Auditor Andrew Sorrell.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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