"...it is precisely these so-called flaws that magnify the glory of God, science, and humanity"
National Right to Life
I recently read the obituary of a woman who sounded like a saint: An HIV social worker, a loving mother to three young sons who valiantly fought the cancer that finally took her life, a valued coworker, friend, and beloved wife. And then I came to this sentence: “She was a strong supporter of abortion rights.”
It initially seemed out of place with the tone of the piece, which was otherwise apolitical, uplifting and loving. But I realized that this was an indication of how the deceased wanted to be remembered, as someone who was on the forefront of progressive causes and reproductive rights. So be it, we all have the right to compose our own final codas.
Reading that obituary convinced me, though, of two things: (1) I would give clear instructions that my own obituary would include the line “She was a strong supporter of human rights, including and especially those of the unborn” and (2) the manipulation of words by the pro-choice movement extends to even epitaphs.
It initially seemed out of place with the tone of the piece, which was otherwise apolitical, uplifting and loving. But I realized that this was an indication of how the deceased wanted to be remembered, as someone who was on the forefront of progressive causes and reproductive rights. So be it, we all have the right to compose our own final codas.
Reading that obituary convinced me, though, of two things: (1) I would give clear instructions that my own obituary would include the line “She was a strong supporter of human rights, including and especially those of the unborn” and (2) the manipulation of words by the pro-choice movement extends to even epitaphs.
Calling abortion a “right” is technically correct, but it deflects attention from the true nature of the act. “Right” generally means something desirable and good, as in the “right to free speech” or the “right to bear arms” or the “right to … life.” So framing abortion as a “right,” which it is since Roe v. Wade, is a tidy way of insulating us from the reality of the thing done, and that is the termination of human life.And it gets worse. We are not only concerned with the snuffing out of random lives any longer. We have become very specific about the things that we want to eliminate, and that is the perceived imperfections that are manifested in God’s creations. I say “perceived,” because it is precisely these so-called flaws that magnify the glory of God, science, and humanity.
I am really talking about a beautiful young woman named Chloe Kondrich. Chloe is a child so beloved that her father and mother have spent her lifetime bringing her story to strangers, and trying to teach us that she is the most perfect creature possible. Her story is an important one, and I can only tell it with the help of her father.
Kurt Kondrich and his wife Margie were given very little support when, during her pregnancy, they were pressured to have the prenatal test for Down syndrome but refused. When they asked what their options were if the test came back positive, they were told they could decide if they wanted to keep the baby.Shortly after Chloe’s birth they were told that the baby had Down syndrome. Kurt has said that they were told much more about what Chloe would not be able to do (her disability), than what she could actually accomplish (her abilities).
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