By Michael Cook Eugenics with assisted reproduction technology is not new. Francis Galton, Charles Darwin’s cousin, devised schemes for making higher and lower humans without the assistance of DNA or Petri dishes. Eugenics was an important theme in early 20th century social science. One of the most extraordinary stories about the heyday of eugenics comes from, …
Continue reading "Driven mad by eugenics: a true crime drama from Spain"
By Michael Cook Eugenics is not a word to be trifled with. It evokes the horror of Nazi atrocities during World War II as well as widespread human rights violations in the early part of the 20th Century in the United States, Canada and some European countries. But, contend the authors of a special issue …
Continue reading "Is killing the disabled ‘eugenics’, or just a merciful release"
Even today, some bioethicists insist that parents should ‘improve the stock’ By Christopher M. Reilly Advocates for abortion rights are claiming that a recent legal opinion of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, which described abortion as a tool of eugenics, is merely an incoherent “rant.” They argue that his well-researched, 20-page document conflates the free …
Continue reading "Yes, abortion is historically linked to eugenics"
By John Stonestreet with G. Shane Morris Eugenics is a bad idea, a bad idea that, like all bad ideas, has victims. Efforts to keep those deemed inferior from reproducing or even existing were a central part of the Nazi experiment in Germany, which upended the entire world and led to the extermination of millions …
Continue reading "Eugenics Is Still with Us: Death in the Name of ‘Best Interests’"
By Dave Andrusko About once a week my search for “Today in History” turns up a reminder, positive or negative, of something that pro-lifers should carefully ponder. Ninety two years ago today, in the infamous Buck v. Bell, the United States Supreme Court upheld a Virginia law that allowed the forced sterilization of people to …
Continue reading "Carrie Buck and the old eugenics, the new eugenics and Alfie Evans"
By Wesley J. Smith We’ve seen it happen: A new assault on the sanctity of human life appears—say, infanticide being promoted in a major bioethics journal, or officials in Iceland bragging that no children with Down syndrome are born there, thanks to prenatal genetic screening—and some horrified opponents respond in horror, “That’s what the Nazis …
Continue reading "Eugenics’ Deadly Legacy"
By Wesley J. Smith Ruth Marcus has boldly declared that if she were pregnant and discovered her baby had Down syndrome, that child would never see the light of day. From her column: Down syndrome is life-altering for the entire family. I’m going to be blunt here: That was not the child I wanted. That …
Continue reading "Abortion, Eugenics, and the corrosion of unconditional parental love"
But sprinkling the pixie dust of Christianity won’t change its dark public image By Michael Cook Peter Singer has been called the world’s most influential living philosopher — but not everyone agrees that his influence has been benign. Last year he participated in an event which showcased all the contractions in the public image of …
Continue reading "Utilitarianism goes on a charm offensive"
By Wesley J. Smith We’ve seen it happen: A new assault on the sanctity of human life appears—say, infanticide being promoted in a major bioethics journal, or officials in Iceland bragging that no children with Down syndrome are born there, thanks to prenatal genetic screening—and some horrified opponents respond in horror, “That’s what the Nazis …
Continue reading "The Deadly Legacy of Eugenics"Why Buck v. Bell still matters By Eric Metaxas with Roberto Rivera 2017 is a year of milestone anniversaries for events that shaped our world: the Reformation, the Russian Revolution, and one horrible Supreme Court decision. As John Stonestreet often says, “ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims.” One such victim was Carrie Buck. …
Continue reading "Eugenics and Its Victims"By Dave Andrusko Editor’s note. October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time, according to The Jerome Lejeune Foundation, when “we applaud caregivers, families, and medical professionals — but most of all, we applaud all the wonderful people with Down syndrome.” All during October we will be running new and previously published stories. More than …
Continue reading "The lexicon of eugenics is used to describe babies with Down Syndrome"By Dave Andrusko In an interview with the Gosc Niedzielny Catholic weekly, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo signaled her strong support for a draft law that would ban eugenic abortions. “I am sure that the bill will find great support in our parliamentary group, and of course I will vote for its adoption. I oppose …
Continue reading "Polish Prime Minister supports ban on eugenic abortions"