Youtuber, Jesse Ridgway, who reportedly has 4 million viewers, broadcast to his followers that he and his wife aborted their baby who has Down syndrome. Supposedly, he said he was racked with emotion, but not enough to defend his unborn child from his murderous hand.
On his X account, he explained the thought process that led him and his wife to their horrible decision. According to Ridgway, his wife had a procedure and found out the baby in her womb had Down Syndrome. He said when he first heard the news, he was shocked but optimistic. He went on to say this:” If they’re a little slow intellectually, then we’ll make it work. I signed on to be a parent, come what may…but I just didn’t fully understand what Down Syndrome entailed.”
What turned the tide was when he perceived the many health issues a child with Down syndrome may encounter in his life. He claims he did not know how difficult it is for the child, and 50% of those women suffer miscarriages. He then sought counsel from pro-choice health professionals and learned that 90% of women in a similar situation abort their child. He concludes his rationalization by saying that, in the long run, it will benefit his family. His cold-hearted message ends with a thankfulness for the right to kill his baby, and he is excited to try again with a better outcome.
In his own words, Ridgway and his wife are a young couple who have a distorted or nonexistent moral compass. As with all who are pro-choice, the insistence on self completely overrides any concern for the unborn child. Notice how he reasons. A child with Down syndrome isn’t worth bringing to term because of the possibility of future health concerns. Who can be sure of what health issues may crop up in his life? Should he have been aborted by his mother so as not to suffer any medical issues? Further, when he made his marriage vows to his wife to be with her in sickness and in health, did he or his wife do a comprehensive medical screening beforehand? The killing of their baby was, first and foremost, a decision not to be inconvenienced by a life that might need more help than one without the condition. There aren’t many sentiments that smack of selfishness that do this one.
Somewhere along the line, Ridgway learned that approximately 50% of unborn children with Down Syndrome naturally miscarry. Since half or slightly less of these children do not come to term, why not let God’s will and nature take their course? Did Ridgway and his wife think a miscarriage was far more traumatic than outright killing their baby? It seems this couple wanted to control the situation rather than be open to what God had in mind for them. Control and selfishness are emblematic of those who see nothing wrong with the culture of death that allows them to continue to lead their self-indulgent lives.
What is also apparent with those who would kill an innocent child is an arrogance of their abilities. The hubris of eliminating God from the equation leads to an erroneous belief that they have the power to create when they choose. This is the big lie of Pro-choice: reproduction is in the hands of humans without the need for God. The monstrous response of excitement to conceive a ‘perfect’ child he can live with and be proud of is right out of the 1940’s handbook published in Berlin, Germany.
However, the public announcement of this YouTuber’s sin drew substantial online backlash. Dr. Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood executive, converted to Pro-Life, commented. “Your baby was brutally and torturously murdered in his mother’s womb… the place that should have been the safest. I hope you think about his fear as he was torn apart. I hope you think about his pain. Meanwhile, you’re saving your dog with cancer. What a monster of a man you are.” Many have followed suit in their righteous condemnation of this YouTuber’s heartless announcement, trying to justify this couple’s murder.
Christians must pray for these lost souls and know that the fight to defend the most vulnerable is a battle that needs to be constantly waged. It is only by bringing to light these horrible stories of murder that we can ever hope to change minds and hearts.
Of course, we need God’s grace, too.