Jezebel writer Katie J.M. Baker slammed Virginia Catholic Priest Rev. Thomas Vander Woude for his offer to locate an adoptive family for a six-month pregnant mother of a Down’s Syndrome child. He offered it as an alternative to abortion.
Baker ridiculed Vander Woude:
“But abortion is sin!” the pastor said (we’re paraphrasing). “Let me pressure you into carrying to term by hastily crowdsourcing an adoptive family!”
When hundreds of people from around the world responded to Vander Woude’s plea, leading his church to narrow down the offer to three families who are being reviewed with the birth parents and an adoption agency, Baker remarked:
Lo and behold, hundreds of people from all over the world volunteered! The church narrowed down the offers to three families, which the parents are reviewing with the help of an adoption agency, according to the paper. It’s great that so many families were interested. But the woman in this story is still being coerced into carrying to term.
She said, “So many mistreated babies and kids with Down’s live terrible lives. Instead of throwing resources at a nonviable fetus, why can’t the church help children with Down syndrome that are already alive? Because anti-abortion folks care more about fetuses with fairytale narratives than actual babies.”
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website, in 2010, Catholic-related social services were provided to 2,251,442 people, with services to at-risk populations provided to 460,285 individuals. Counseling and mental health services were offered to 405,848, pregnancy services to 93,542, and adoption services to 38,829.
The USCCB report states that a total of 1,063,830 people received services that strengthen families from Catholic health and social service organizations in 2010.
Photo Source: Holy Trinity
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