Bearing false witness against thy neighbor (with Down syndrome)

By Kurt Kondrich

The 9th Commandment God handed down to mankind through Moses states, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

I was thinking of how this mandate from God pertains to the misinformation being given to parents who have a child diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome. I have heard story after story of parents being told that their child is defective, will require a lifetime of intensive care, and the best possible medical action is to terminate the child. People want to trust the medical professionals who are charged with ensuring their family's health — and for a beautiful, priceless member of a family to be targeted and eliminated is a reality that is almost impossible to comprehend.

I have made myself available to pregnancy resource centers and health professionals in my community, so they can connect expectant parents to me for the TRUTH and the FACTS about a child with an extra chromosome. I was recently contacted by a couple from an affluent area who were told several times by a prominent medical specialist to terminate their "defective" unborn child with Down syndrome. Here is an excerpt from the note I received from the mother, and they were leaning toward termination when they were connected to me. I had just made myself available as a resource for this pregnancy resource center, and I don't believe in coincidences when we allow God to use us as instruments for His work:

"Kurt: When we received the results, I contacted Pastor John. He forwarded me the below e-mail that he had just received that same day. I called them. They asked if they could give my contact info to you. I said yes and you called me."

I spoke to this mother for some time about what an unbelievable gift our Chloe has been, and I sent her pictures and videos of Chloe's ABILITIES. After this long conversation and much prayer, the couple decided to bring their child "Tim" into the light of the world, and we met with them. Chloe spoke to baby "Tim" in the womb, telling him she loved him, and that was the best Christmas gift I have ever received! Chloe saved a life that day, and there is no telling how many precious children like Chloe and "Tim" have been eliminated because of the lies spread by a culture of death — James 3:9: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness."

In the story "A Christmas Carol," it was tiny Tim, the child with the disability, who changed the most wretched, selfish person in town, which led to a transformation of the whole community. I have seen this transforming power and light in my daughter Chloe, and children like her are human beings this lost world desperately needs.

During this Christmas season as we remember the Greatest Treasure ever to enter this world, the Baby Jesus, let us pray for an end to the deception and falsehoods being delivered to families expecting children with Down syndrome.

© Kurt Kondrich