Earlier today after reading Dr. Mohler's clarification post concerning his statements from two weeks ago, I asked this question:
"what is the difference between finding a biological basis & "treatment", and genetic therapies?"
It didn't occur to me that there would be much of a difference, if any real difference at all. It also appeared to me that Dr. Mohler's statements posted today contradicted his statement from 2 weeks ago since then he said he would support testing and treatment if a biological basis could be determined to isolate a gay gene in a baby in utero, but today he said that he would not support genetic therapy or any other treatment of this kind.
Clearly, there must be a difference between the prenatal testing & treatment Dr. Mohler says he would advocate, and the genetic therapies he says he would not advocate. He did mention a type of hormonal patch worn by the mother, so I'm going to speculate that it would only be some type of non-invasive treatment Dr. Mohler would advocate.
Okay then, we've got that all cleared up, more or less.
Of course, this does open up a wide field of speculative scenarios that I do think it's important to consider. Some might write this off as one of those waste of time subjects full of what ifs, but I propose that this is just the very edge of where our medical & scientific communities are headed, and will be working diligently by the time our children and their children after them, are old enough to have children of their own, and be in the position to make decisions about prenatal health care. In conversation with a friend about this last night, I mentioned that I do believe where we stand in our time on this issue, will make a difference in how the generation coming after us, will make the decisions they're faced with. I think it's critically important that we seriously consider the possible implications of such a potential Pandora's Box, when it comes to any kind of genetic or biological testing and treatment of the unborn.
Ultimately however, I believe it's crucial that we line up all of these speculative theories and opinions (yep, mine included) with the sovereignty of God. We've all heard the old saying that "God doesn't make mistakes" but I honestly don't think many people believe that - even the ones who say it. The proof in that is the lengths that people will go to, to "correct" or improve (in their opinions) babies who are born that aren't "normal", or with an illness, or some kind of handicap. If God doesn't make mistakes, and we we are each born exactly as He created us, then why go to such lengths to improve His work? This is a tough question that is incredibly personal for each believer. I'm not even prepared to answer it.
I was born with a hernia, and with severe nerve & muscle damage in one side of my face that causes uncontrollable "winking" when I move my jaw a certain way (or even say certain words) and what also appears to be a "lazy eye". My mom has told me that the hernia caused me so much pain that all I did for the first 18 months of my life was cry and moan from the pain. For whatever reason God has been pleased with, I can remember bits and pieces of my life from that age, and do remember little flashes of feelings of anxiety and pain, and the sense of wanting my mommy to make the pain go away - but knowing somehow that she couldn't. I remember parts of the day of the surgery and while far too little to understand most of what was happening, understanding very clearly that I was going to a place where they would make the pain stop. The hernia was surgically corrected when I was 18 months old, and to celebrate I routinely pulled up my shirt and showed off my 6 inch abdominal scar to people at Safeway (and anywhere else my mom took me) and informed them that "doctor fixit my tummy!" (Yes I'm sure my mom told me to stop it, but I was so excited I thought everyone else wanted to be excited too.)
The hernia and the pain with it were gone but the nerve damage was inoperable, as far as I understand. It would be with me for the rest of my life (but has become less noticable the older I get). As a child growing up, I dealt with constant teasing and mockery due to the nerve damage. Children are brutal when it comes to this. I was angry for a very long time as a result, but one day (somewhere in my late teens) it occured to me that it was an opportunity to simply explain why my eye is the way it is, and answer questions if folks really wanted to know more. With each one of my children, right around the age of 3 for each of them, they've all asked "mom, why does your eye do that?". It's been an opportunity for me to give them a lesson on how God made us all different, even if in little ways, but also in big ways. But that each of us is His creation, and should never be made fun of or teased due to those differences. It's an opportunity for me to tell them how when I was a little girl and other boys and girls made faces and mocked me, how much it hurt my feelings to be treated that way. Because I lived through it, it gave me a compassionate viewpoint to share with them in hopes that they would never treat others in that way.
So what then, if my nerve damage had been repairable by surgery or even detected in utero and treated somehow, prior to my birth? I can only speculate that such an opportunity would be lost to me. I can only speculate that I wouldn't really have the understanding of what it means to say "this IS the way God made me". It took me a long time to come to that place but eventually I did get there, and have since becoming a Christian, made every effort to point back to God's sovereignty in all things, including handicapped babies. Since I was one. It's a very delicate and personal issue, but it's one we have to really take the time to think through.
I am certainly not without compassion toward those who's children are born with illnesses or deformities, or some type of mild to severe handicap. I have two family members that are in that very situation, so I understand it at least a little bit. I was one of those babies, so I understand it from that perspective as well.
There are so many variables that play into this, and also so much emotional reaction. Ultimately however, we have to find a place where God's sovereignty over these things helps us to think through them, rather than relying on speculation or emotion, or subjective personal experiences - and that's NOT easy to do.
Just a few more thoughts on this topic. It's a hard one, no mistake about that.
