Professor backs killing severely ill babies

Newborn babies should be killed if they have a severely life-limiting condition, a university professor has claimed.

Professor Jerry Coyne predicted that infanticide, the killing of newborn babies, will someday become “widespread” and “it will be for the better”.

Coyne believes that the practice will be morally acceptable “when religion vanishes”.

Euthanise

The professor at the University of Chicago made the comments on his personal blog.

Professor Coyne said: “If you are allowed to abort a fetus that has a severe genetic defect, microcephaly, spina bifida, or so on, then why aren’t you able to euthanize that same fetus just after it’s born?

“I see no substantive difference that would make the former act moral and the latter immoral.”

Religion

He added that the reason why the practice is not currently allowed comes from “religion” because “humans are seen as special”.

“It’s the same mindset that, in many places, won’t allow abortion of fetuses that have severe deformities. When religion vanishes, as it will, so will much of the opposition to both adult and newborn euthanasia.”

The professor, who teaches in the university’s Ecology and Evolution Department, went on to say: “It’s time to add to the discussion the euthanasia of new-borns, who have no ability or faculties to decide whether to end their lives.”

‘Shocking beliefs’

A Christian Institute spokesman said: “Prof Coyne’s shocking beliefs push the logic of allowing abortion to a horrific conclusion.

“Over the past 50 years, almost nine million unborn babies have been aborted in Britain.

“It’s vital that protection is restored to unborn children and that people recognise that all humans are made in the image of God.”

Choose life

The Institute has produced a series of videos with stories of people who decided to choose life.

To watch their stories, visit

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