Down's Syndrome & The Fall

[Philosoft]

So, us evolution-minded folk are sometimes told that diseases, injuries, etc. are all consequences of the big, bad Fall. Let's have a look at one that I recently learned more about.

Down's Syndrome, or Trisomy-21, occurs when one of the parent gametes carries an extra copy of chromosome 21. Further examination shows us that most instances of non-disjunction occur during maternal meiosis I. That is an interesting, yet unsurprising discovery. During maternal meiosis (gamete formation), the ovum undergoes a partial prophase I - the chromosomes replicate and connect to form dyads, which then connect again (syapse), at a point called the chiasmata, to form tetrads. This happens to every potential ovum (oocyte) a female possesses. The oocytes then remain in this state until released during ovulation. Many cases of Trisomy-21 are associated with non-disjunction at the chiasmata during the completion of meiosis at ovulation.

Now, it is commonly known that the chance of having a Down's child increases as a function of maternal age. The precise cause of non-disjunction is unknown, but it is plausibly related to the fact that oocytes remain in mid-prophase I until the female undergoes ovulation or menopause. Thus, a 35-year-old female is ovulating with oocytes that have been in synapsis for 35 years.

So, if we try to square this with Genesis, we are apparently to believe that the Fall caused Eve's oocytes to progress forward in meiosis just enough to synapse - for apparently no good reason except to facilitate the development of trisomic offspring.

Yikes.

 

[Raterus]

Maybe that post would prove something in the Ph.D community, but some of us dummies would rather just believe in God than have to understand that blabble.

In the end it really doesn't matter one way or another what causes down syndrome, it matters what you've done with Christ.

 

[Mike Flynn]

Maybe that post would prove something in the Ph.D community, but some of us dummies would rather just believe in God than have to understand that blabble.

In the end it really doesn't matter one way or another what causes down syndrome, it matters what you've done with Christ.

Yes, but the question of pain and suffering causes alot of people to stumble Raterus. And so as a Christian its not the right attitude to just brush such important issues aside when someone is questionning.

IMO, the fall does not translate into the beginnings of physical death. Rather, the decay, death, experienced after our disconnect with God is a *spiritual one*.

God made humans *good*, not perfect, not physically immortal, etc. According to science, we would have certainly experienced physical death and pain and suffering *before* the fall. In fact, these are neither 'good' or 'bad' things from God's perspective. Often God *redeems* us through suffering and how we treat others who suffer. However, our spiritual health and immortality are now on the line after the fall....and this is the realm that God's love and caring is expressed in full.

Down syndrome, then, is not a result of the fall. And God does not measure the quality of life with a physical measuring stick, neither should we.