Discussion questions by Joanna Felts
The Problem Is My Brother Norman by Pierre Gilbert
1. Pierre Gilbert states that there are basically two ways to look at human beings. The first is the view unique to the Judeo-Christian faith. Using the Scriptures given in the MB Confession of Faith, describe what it means to be a human being from God’s point of view.
2. Taking these results from God’s Word, summarize the differences seen in your answers to the previous question and Gilbert’s description of the second view of human beings.
3. As you read this article, how does the phrase, “culling the human herd” strike you?
a. How does it make you feel personally? How does it make you feel about others?
b. What passages, other than those given at the end of Article 14 in the MB Confession of Faith, can you find that help us understand that we are special to God, that humanity is not to be “culled”?
4. What one phrase in Genesis 1:27 establishes our worth as human beings? How does this phrase help us think about people who are not born with good health? Those born with Down syndrome? Those born with physical deformities?
5. What are some ways we can resist the changes being brought into our society by those who want to reduce humans, especially those with ongoing illnesses or those born with deformities, to the status of animals?
The Choices We Face by Jennifer L. Johnson
1. What does the author mean when she says, “These technologies should only be used to correct function rather than to augment it”? How does this align with Article 14 of the MB Confession of Faith?
2. What is the danger of choosing traits for children, as in the future possibility of a“designer baby”?
3. Describe how some machines/technologies respect God’s handiwork while others do not.
4. C.S. Lewis says, “Each new power won by man is a power over man. Each advance leaves him weaker as well as stronger.” How does this statement describe the tension we feel today over the advantages versus the disadvantages of technology on our health and/or lifestyle?
1. Shiphrah and Puah received a command they could not obey. What could have been the consequences in their lives for not obeying the King’s command? What could have been the consequences in the lives of the Israelites among whom they worked if they had obeyed the King’s command?
2. Have you ever received a command that went directly opposite to God’s spoken and revealed Word?
a. How did you choose to handle it?
b. What were the consequences in your life?
c. What were the consequences in the lives of those around you?
3. Why was it important that God chose to honor Shiphrah and Puah’s commitment to him immediately instead of later?
Celebrating Kenton’s Victories by Lori Belden Pope
Growing With Jacob by Amie Hardt
1. What are some physical or mental deformities that might cause a child to be labeled “useless” in a humanistic society?
2. How can parenting a child with special needs make a person stronger? How can parenting a child with special needs make a person bitter?
3. How can we, as a Christian community, surround and support parents who have biological or adopted children with special needs? How can we keep these supports in place for the long term?
Consider this question for:
The family of an infant with disabilities.
The family of an adolescent with disabilities.
The family of a teen with disabilities.
The family of an adult with disabilities.
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