Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had a beautiful baby - blue-eyed and dark-haired - and are reveling in the joy of parenthood and unprecedented media attention. The story of Suri Cruise has set a new record for public interest and in the weeks, if not months, prior to her delivery, global newspapers and talk shows debated issues and controversies surrounding her birth.
We’re happy for them; delighted by the value the couple placed on their baby both before and after her birth. As the offspring of two movie stars, Suri has the media image of the perfect child, destined to receive love and international adoration.
However, I wonder what would have happened if Suri was not "perfect". What if she didn’t meet her parent’s expectations early in the pregnancy or was conceived with trisomy-21? I’d like to believe that the public at large would find the presence of a birth defect or genetic disorder immaterial to this baby’s dignity and continue its celebration of her conception and birth.
But I’m realistic and note with alarm that 89% of Down Syndrome babies in Canada, and 90% in U.S. are killed before birth (Source: LifeSite).
As a society, we prioritize characteristics and attributes beyond the fact that a child is a human, created in the image of God. It seems somewhat irrational. On one hand we deplore discrimination on the basis of skin color, age and gender but readily suggest that a baby who isn’t wanted, or has a disability, is not worthy of life.
In a recent development, a group of bloggers report that Johnson & Johnson and its BabyCenter.com website are (apparently) allowing people to degrade parents who welcome their Down Syndrome babies into the world. In doing so, they insult disabled children and promote an abhorrent utilitarian valuation of human life. [note: there is a petition drive you can participate in].
We can do something constructive about this by simply speaking up for the disabled, the oppressed and the down trodden, who don’t have the same privileges as Suri Cruise but are equal in dignity and worth.
Pray for Suri. As the child of a family suffused with Scientology she needs God's own hands.