When a Professor
Justifies Infanticide
By Michael Brown , CP Op-Ed Contributor
Jul 24, 2017 | 4:37 PM
For years pro-lifers have argued that if it's acceptable
to kill a baby in the womb, it's acceptable to kill a baby outside the womb. And because it's clearly not
acceptable to kill a baby outside the womb, we shouldn't kill a baby inside the
womb. Now a university professor has turned this argument on its head, arguing
that since it is acceptable to kill a baby inside the womb, it's
acceptable to kill one outside the womb.
Such is the cold, deadly logic of Prof.
Jerry Coyne, who
teaches in the department of ecology and human evolution at the
University of
Chicago. In his words, "If you are allowed to abort a fetus
that has a severe genetic defect, microcephaly, spina bifida, or so on, then
why aren't you able to euthanize that same fetus just after it's born?"
But why stop there, Prof. Coyne? If you are allowed to
kill a baby in the womb because you didn't plan to have it or because it's not
the gender of your choosing or because you don't think you can adequately care
for it, then why not kill it once it's born? Where is the moral divide?
Surely Dr.
Kermit Gosnell would
agree with this kind of logic. And surely a strict application of
Darwinian naturalism
would agree with this too. Doesn't it all come down to survival of the fittest?
Some humans are just more fit than others, and if the
least fit have to be eliminated, so be it. And did I mention that Coyne
published these thoughts on his blogsite "Why Evolution Is True"?
But Prof. Coyne feels he has strong reasons to support
infanticide: "After all, newborn babies aren't aware of death, aren't
nearly as sentient as an older child or adult, and have no rational faculties
to make judgments (and if there's severe mental disability, would never develop
such faculties). It makes little sense to keep alive a suffering child who is
doomed to die or suffer life in a vegetative or horribly painful state."
This is moral madness, and it is chilling to imagine
where this kind of thinking leads.
Let me paraphrase the professor's argument: "Since
newborn babies are the picture of innocence and dependence, since they can't
figure out anything for themselves, and since they might suffer a lot in the
days or months or years they have, let's slaughter them now. The sooner the
better. After all, once they're a little older, they might be frightened when
they see us take a knife to their throats."
Note also Coyne's reference to a baby with a "severe
mental disability" who "would never develop [rational]
faculties." Perhaps such a baby could be killed as a child? Or maybe as a
teen or an adult? Really now, how much can they really understand?
As for his reference to "a suffering child who is
doomed to die," note that he speaks here of a child rather than a baby,
reminding us of how easy it is to extend his timeframe for euthanasia. How old
is too old? As for being doomed to die, that is the fate of every human being
who enters this world. Why kill a newborn if it might live only six months?
Again, who draws the line?
Prof. Coyne, however, is sensitive to the inevitable
charge of eugenics, and he tries to parry off the criticism before it is
lodged. He writes, "As for the 'slippery slope' argument — that this will
lead to Nazi-like eugenics — well, this hasn't come to pass in places where
assisted suicide or euthanasia of adults is legal."
But once again it is his own words that damn him.
First, the moment you start killing babies outside the
womb you have already taken a deep plunge down that slope.
Second, Coyne's kind of logic did lead to Nazi-like
eugenics in Nazi Germany, where some were deemed more fit to live than others.
Exterminate the rest!
Third, Coyne's strict evolutionary paradigm does not
provide him with an adequate framework for morality. (Ultimately, what makes
something right or wrong, ethical or unethical?)
Fourth, countries like Holland are seeing lots of
abuses in
their pro-euthanasia system, while, "
Politicians in
the
Netherlands
are discussing the possibility of legalizing euthanasia for healthy
people." ("The proposed 'Completed Life Bill' would allow any person
age 75 or over who decides their life is 'complete' to receive euthanasia. It
doesn't matter if they are otherwise perfectly healthy.")
The bottom line is that when you take God out of the
picture and deny that humans are created in his image, the human race becomes
little different than the animal kingdom. And if it's OK to kill an animal,
it's OK to kill a human. (For more on this, see the chapters, "Created in
the Image of God" and "From the
Walking Dead to a Culture
of Life" in
Saving a Sick America.)
To quote Coyne once more, "The reason we don't allow
euthanasia of newborns is because humans are seen as special, and I think this
comes from religion — in particular, the view that humans, unlike animals, are
endowed with a soul."
Endowed with a soul we are, endowed by the One who
created us, and endowed by the One who gave us life. Leaving Him out, we
quickly destroy ourselves, beginning with the most vulnerable and innocent.
May Prof. Jerry Coyne have a life-changing encounter with
the God He does not know, and may his deadly ideas be exposed for what they
are.
University of Chicago
Byron D. Trott is
a trustee at the
University of Chicago,
a friend of
Warren E. Buffett, and a
member of the
Commercial Club of Chicago.
Note:
Warren E. Buffett
is a friend of
Byron D. Trott, an adviser
for the
Nuclear Threat Initiative (think
tank), a life trustee at the
Urban
Institute (think tank), and
Howard
G. Buffett &
Susan A. Buffett’s
father.
Michael Douglas
is a director at the
Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank), and a friend of
George Soros.
Jessica Tuchman Mathews is a director at the
Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank),
was the president of the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank), a director at the American Friends of
Bilderberg (think
tank), an honorary trustee at the
Brookings Institution (think tank),
and a 2008
Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Ed Griffin’s interview with
Norman Dodd in 1982
(The investigation into the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace uncovered the plans for population
control by involving the United States in war)
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank),
and the
Planned Parenthood Federation of
America.
George
Soros is the founder & chairman for the
Open Society Foundations, a friend of
Michael Douglas, and was the chairman for the
Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the
Urban
Institute (think tank),
the
Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank),
Brookings Institution (think tank),
the
International Rescue Committee, the
Aspen Institute (think tank), the
Millennium
Promise, and the
Robin Hood
Foundation.
Ted
Turner is a co-chairman for the
Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), the chairman for the
Turner Foundation, and the founder of
CNN.
Cecile Richards
was a grant overseer for the
Turner
Foundation, and is the president of the
Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
ONE Campaign is
a partner with the
International Rescue
Committee.
Condoleezza Rice is an overseer at the
International Rescue Committee, a
trustee at the
Aspen Institute (think tank), was a director at the
ONE Campaign, and a 2008
Bilderberg conference
participant (think tank).
Susan A. Buffett is Warren
E. Buffett’s daughter, and a director at the
ONE Campaign.
Michelle Obama
was an advocate for the
ONE Campaign,
a VP for the
University of Chicago,
a VO for the
University of Chicago
Medical Center, and a lawyer at
Sidley
Austin LLP.
Thomas A. Cole is
a trustee at the
University of Chicago,
a senior counsel at
Sidley Austin LLP,
and a member of the
Commercial Club of
Chicago.
Newton N. Minow
is a senior counsel at
Sidley Austin LLP,
and a member of the
Commercial Club of
Chicago.
Commercial Club of Chicago, Members Directory A-Z (Past
Research)
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Newton N. Minow
is a member of the
Commercial Club of
Chicago, and a senior counsel at
Sidley
Austin LLP.
William C. Harrop
was a U.S. ambassador for
Israel,
and a director for the
Population
Services International.
Dora Hughes is a
senior policy adviser for
Sidley Austin
LLP, and was a counselor at the
U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for
Kathleen Sebelius.
Margaret A.
Hamburg was an assistant secretary for the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a VP for the
Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank),
and is a trustee at the
Urban Institute
(think tank).
Warren E. Buffett
is an adviser for the
Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank), a life trustee at the
Urban Institute (think tank),
Howard
G. Buffett &
Susan A. Buffett’s
father, and a friend of
Byron D. Trott.
Byron D. Trott is
a friend of
Warren E. Buffett, a
trustee at the
University of Chicago,
and a member of the
Commercial Club of
Chicago.
Lester Crown
is a member of the
Commercial Club of Chicago, and was a lifetime
trustee at the
Aspen Institute (think tank).
James S.
Crown is a member of the
Commercial Club of Chicago, a trustee at
the
University of Chicago, and the
vice chairman for the
Aspen Institute (think tank).
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation, a co-chair for the
Risky
Business Project, and was an advocate for the
ONE Campaign.
Henry M. Paulson
Jr. is a director at the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation,
a
co-chair for the
Risky Business Project,
and the founder & chairman for the
Paulson
Institute (think tank).
Paulson
Institute (think tank) is a
partner with the
Risky Business Project,
and an affiliated think tank for the
University
of Chicago.
Walter Isaacson
is a director at the
Bloomberg Family
Foundation, the president & CEO for the
Aspen Institute (think tank),
and was the chairman & CEO for
CNN.
Ted
Turner is the founder of
CNN, a
co-chairman for the
Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank), and the chairman for the
Turner Foundation,
Warren E. Buffett
is an adviser for the
Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank), a friend of
Byron
D. Trott, a life trustee at the
Urban
Institute (think tank), and
Howard
G. Buffett &
Susan A. Buffett’s
father.
Byron D. Trott is
a friend of
Warren E. Buffett, a
member of the
Commercial Club of Chicago,
and a trustee at the
University of
Chicago.
Cecile Richards
was a grant overseer for the
Turner
Foundation, the founder & president for
America Votes, is the president of the
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the president of the
Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Michael R.
Bloomberg was a contributor for the
Americans
for Responsible Solutions, an advocate for the
ONE Campaign, is the founder of the
Bloomberg Family Foundation, and a co-chair for the
Risky Business Project.
Henry M. Paulson
Jr. is a director at the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation, a co-chair for the
Risky
Business Project, and the founder & chairman for the
Paulson Institute (think tank).
Paulson
Institute (think tank) is a
partner with the
Risky Business Project,
and an affiliated think tank for the
University
of Chicago.
ONE Campaign is
a partner with the
International Rescue
Committee.
John C. Whitehead
was an overseer at the
International
Rescue Committee, and an advisory board member for
Christie's Inc.
Clifford M. Sobel
is an advisory board member for
Christie's
Inc., was a director at the
Millennium
Promise, and a
Netherlands
ambassador.
Amy Robbins
Towers was a director at the
Millennium
Promise, married to
Larry Robbins,
and a board member for the
CDC
Foundation.
Larry Robbins
was married to
Amy Robbins Towers, and
is the chairman for the
Robin Hood
Foundation.
Emma Bloomberg was
the chief of staff for the
Robin Hood
Foundation, is a director at the
Robin
Hood Foundation, a director at the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation, and
Michael R.
Bloomberg’s daughter.
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation,
Emma Bloomberg’s
father, a co-chair for the
Risky
Business Project, was a donor for the
Robin
Hood Foundation, an advocate for the
ONE
Campaign, and a contributor for the
Americans
for Responsible Solutions.
Henry M. Paulson
Jr. is a director at the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation, a co-chair for the
Risky
Business Project, and the founder & chairman for the
Paulson Institute (think tank).
Paulson
Institute (think tank) is a
partner with the
Risky Business Project,
and an affiliated think tank for the
University
of Chicago.
Cecile Richards
was the founder & president for
America
Votes, a grant overseer for the
Turner
Foundation, is the president of the
Planned
Parenthood Action Fund, and the president of the
Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Cory A. Booker
was a director at the
Bloomberg Family
Foundation, and an
Oxford University
Rhodes scholar.
Ruth
Padel is a professor at
Oxford
University, and
Charles Darwin’s
great-great-granddaughter.
David L. Boren was
an
Oxford University Rhodes scholar,
is a director at the
Bloomberg Family
Foundation, and an advisory board member for
Everytown for Gun Safety.
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the
Bloomberg
Family Foundation, and the founder of
Everytown
for Gun Safety.
Warren E. Buffett
is an advisory board member for
Everytown
for Gun Safety, a friend of
Byron D.
Trott, and an adviser for the
Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank).
Byron D. Trott is
a friend of
Warren E. Buffett, a
member of the
Commercial Club of Chicago,
and a trustee at the
University of
Chicago.
Ted
Turner is a co-chairman for the
Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), the founder of
CNN, and the chairman for the
Turner
Foundation.
Walter Isaacson was
the chairman & CEO for
CNN, an
Oxford University Rhodes scholar, is a
director at the
Bloomberg Family
Foundation, and the president & CEO for the
Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Ruth
Padel is a professor at
Oxford
University, and
Charles Darwin’s
great-great-granddaughter.
Richard N. Haass
was an
Oxford University Rhodes
scholar, and a senior associate at the
Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
William W. Bradley
was an
Oxford University Rhodes
scholar, and is a trustee at the
Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Ted
Turner is a co-chairman for the
Nuclear
Threat Initiative (think tank), the chairman for the
Turner Foundation, and the founder of
CNN.
Cecile Richards
was a grant overseer for the
Turner
Foundation, and is the president of the
Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
