Conservative Christian brothers David and Jason Benham are calling on people to show love and support for children born with Down syndrome and trisomy, saying these special kids are loved by God Who created them.
The Benham brothers posted a video on their Facebook page on Tuesday showing them with two such "special' children named Luke and Emma, and their mothers.
"Luke is loved by God, and is created by God and is special," David said in the video. "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."
The brothers posted the video on the occasion of Down Syndrome Day, which was Tuesday, and Trisomy Awareness Month, which is March.
Down syndrome, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), results from "having an extra chromosome 21 or an extra piece of that chromosome." The disorder causes mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. People with Down syndrome have flat-looking face and face risks of having other health conditions, it says.
On the other hand, people with trisomy also have an extra chromosome that can cause various health problems, including mild intellectual and developmental disability, according to the NICHD.
In their Facebook video, the Benham brothers also blasted countries like Iceland that reportedly allow the abortion of children with such disorders.
"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," said David who, together with his twin brother Jason, has spoken out and marched in several pro-life rallies in America.
"Even in America, 90 percent of Down syndrome babies, and other babies with trisomy are aborted," David added.
Meanwhile, Tom Lothamer, president of Life Matters Worldwide, also denounced the abortion of babies with Down syndrome, saying it is "unconscionable" and "unthinkable," 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.
"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," Lothamer said.
