David F. Watson

President at @AsburySeminary. Opinions my own.

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

https://t.co/vodb9OmTTE

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

Eugenics and Down syndrome

Link below

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

@BasedMikeLee Compared to orthodox Christians, they have a different doctrine of God, different understanding of the person and work of Christ, different understanding of salvation, and have added a whole section to the Bible, but other than that, no good reason.

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

This is Sean. He has Down syndrome and autism. He’s awesome. His life is a blessing. The end.

[Matt Kennedy @lambeth981]

Charles DeGaul with his beautiful daughter Anne who had Down Syndrome

[Robert P. George @McCormickProf]

People with Down Syndrome are human beings. They are, as such, bearers of profound, inherent, and equal dignity and the right to life. To target them for extermination on the basis of their condition is as wicked as targeting people on account of their race, sex, or ethnicity.

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

A weak justification for eugenics.

[Jesse Ridgway @McJuggerNuggets]

This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21.

The choice was not made lightly. We really appreciate all of the personal stories that you guys shared with us, especially the unconditional support we received from fans with no matter what we decided.

I know some of you may be very disappointed to hear this news. We are devastated. This has been extremely traumatic for both of us, especially Ashley.

She underwent the procedure earlier this week and is on the mend. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, but emotionally we are drained.

Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome, is caused by an extra chromosome. It is caused by an error in cell division, like a glitch. The odds of a baby having it is 1 in 1000.

When I first confronted this news, I was shocked but optimistic. If they’re a little slow intellectually, then we’ll make it work. I signed on to be a parent, come what may…but I just didn’t fully understand what Down Syndrome entailed.

Once we made it public, it became clear that MOST people don’t know what Down Syndrome entails (and no, it’s not the same as Autism):

50% of babies with DS have heart defects. 75% will have hearing challenges. Over 50% will have vision problems. Impaired immune function, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, delayed physical development, poor muscle tone, structural issues with face, decreased lifespan, etc…Sadly, the list is long, feel free to look it up…Down Syndome isn’t a “blessing”, it is objectively shitty from a health perspective.

I didn’t realize just how rough it is for the child, let alone the family…more often than not, they would be fully dependent on others for the rest of their life.

The miscarriage risk is also close to 50%, which made matters worse…they may never see the light of day and it puts Ashley further at risk.

We spoke with doctors, friends, family and genetic counselors and learned that up to 90% of women terminate their pregnancy after learning the baby has Trisomy 21.

This was WAY higher than I expected, I thought it would be lower given that I hear so many say they kept or would keep the baby. I believe that’s because most terminations happen privately, it feels shameful. A lot of judgment being cast.

You never think you’d be in this type of situation until it happens to you and then things change.

To all of my fans who have weighed in on this topic who have Autism, Down Syndrome or any other conditions…we appreciate you. You matter a lot and we’re glad you’re here. I commend you and your families for having the strength and courage to push forward.

As for us, we made a difficult decision that we believe in the long-run will be beneficial for our family. Thankfully, we had a choice.

It will take a little time to move on, but we are excited to try again in the future and hopefully have a better outcome.

Love you guys & thank you for understanding. ❤️

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

Artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships, and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences. They may imitate or even simulate, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational, and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom. #MagnificaHumanitas

[Ed Stetzer @edstetzer]

"Gig Eva may well reshape significant parts of the Christian culture because it is so attuned to the pieties of the dominant expressive individualism of our day. Its advocates validate their personal authenticity by their constant iconoclasm, their decrying of anything that stands in their way, and their priority of disembodied, cost-free online engagement over the more expensive demands of service—and accountability—to real people in real time, in church and in homes. Big Eva had its problems. Gig Eva is set only to intensify them."

Carl Trueman's original article at @FirstThingsMag:
Goodbye “Big Eva,” Hello “Gig Eva”

Read the article at First Things and listen to the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast to hear more of the conversation with Trueman.

[Keith Mcilwain @KeithMcilwain]

A podcast episode in which @dfwatson3 refers to The Big Lebowski & discusses with @tesialee & Scott Kisker the nature of humanity’s sinful nature & the possibility of the goodness of human beings. #gmchurch https://t.co/daDhLZS2Rk

[Thomas S. Kidd @ThomasSKidd]

What automation once did to industrial workers, AI is doing to white collar tech.

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

@markdtooley That’s rich

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

@edstetzer @biolau Congratulations, Ed!

[Shane Raynor @ShaneRaynor]

Documents that comprise GMC doctrinal standards are:
(1) The Apostles’ Creed
(2) The Nicene Creed
(3) The Definition of Chalcedon
(4) Methodist Articles of Religion
(5) EUB Confession of Faith
(6) John Wesley’s 53 Standard Sermons
(7) Wesley’s NT Explanatory Notes
(8) General Rules of the United Societies

4 and 5 may be combined at General Conference this year. Whether either or both of them will be enshrined in the GMC Constitution (perhaps with a supersession clause) if that happens is unknown.

The point is, our doctrines and teachings are not limited to our articles of faith, so there’s no need to try to cover everything exhaustively in this new document.

[Andy Smarick @smarick]

In 10 years, we'll realize young adults can't read, write, or think as well as they should. We'll wonder how we allowed students to offload huge chunks of their learning to AI. Today we're just watching it happen. This is the most obvious unforced error of our time.

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

@KeithMcilwain Thanks, Keith

[Shane Raynor @ShaneRaynor]

Here's a new conversation between @mporeilly and @dfwatson3 on the proposed Articles of Faith for the Global Methodist Church. Lots of good information here. https://t.co/0dxmWyRpKT

[David F. Watson @dfwatson3]

@davidlowe76 @KeithMcilwain

[Keith Mcilwain @KeithMcilwain]

Liturgy as Defending the Faith
-by @tesialee #gmchurch
https://t.co/1WSdzpaVzC

[Ryan N. Danker @RyanNDanker]

"Wesley's grand depositum has a twenty-first century expression in this remarkable text." - Bill Ury, National Ambassador for Holiness, The Salvation Army USA

Order your copy today! Link below