Benham Brothers Say Down Syndrome Children 'Created by God,' Slam Iceland's 100 Percent Abortion Rate
Conservative Christian brothers David and Jason Benham expressed their love and support for children born with Down syndrome and trisomy on Tuesday, while slamming countries like Iceland which reportedly abort all such children.
The brothers, who have spoken out and marched in several pro-life rallies in America, made a Facebook video with two families, explaining that Down Syndrome Day, which was Tuesday, and Trisomy Awareness Month, which is March, are very special to them.
"Luke is loved by God, and is created by God and and is special," David Benham said in the video, referencing one of the children with them. "And Emma is loved by God and is special. The church really needs to lead the way on this because we love these kids and we love these families."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Jason Benham pointed out that in many countries around the world, parents abort their children once they find out they have Down syndrome.
"In Iceland, since 2008 there hasn't been one Down syndrome baby that's been born. In the U.K., there are more Down syndrome babies that are aborted than there are born," he said.
"Even in America, 90 percent of Down syndrome babies, and other babies with Trisomy are aborted," David added.
Tom Lothamer, president of Life Matters Worldwide, called it "unconscionable" and "unthinkable" to abort babies with Down syndrome, according to Mission Network News.
"We know that many Down Syndrome children, in fact most, are an absolute delight to their families. They have much to offer our cultures and much to offer our communities and neighborhoods," he said.
"What they have done in Iceland is taken, what we might even call in a worldly sense, an easy way out," Lothamer added.
Lothamer suggested that many have turned away from God, which is leading parents to simply abort children with problems.
"We believe that every person — no matter their physical, emotional, or mental condition — are created in the image of God. For us to make light of that is a tremendous offense to God, and the problem with the people like in this case, they don't particularly care about God or they don't even recognize God or whatever the case might be," he noted.
"And then to just arbitrarily say we're going to take care of the hard situation of Down syndrome by just killing them is just a tremendous offense."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America says that Down syndrome continues to be the most common chromosomal disorder, with 6,000 babies born with the condition in the U.S. each year, which is one in every 700 births.
While the CDC did not provide abortion numbers, it says that health care is helping people with the genetic disorder live longer. In 1960, the life expectancy for a person with the disorder was only 10 years, whereas in 2007, life expectancy rose to 47 years.
According to BBC News, 750 babies with Down syndrome are born every year in the U.K., but 90 percent of women who receive a positive Down syndrome diagnosis choose to have an abortion.
In their Facebook video, the Benhams called on viewers who have loved ones with a genetic disorder to post pictures of them, to "honor them, and tell them how much God loves them."
"It's one thing to be against abortion, but it's another thing to be pro-life," Jason Benham stated.
Watch the Facebook video below:
