Who Are the Happiest Among Us? And Yet, Why Don't We Want Them?

“The American Journal of Medical Genetics documents the results of remarkable study of a particular people group that is not generally characterized by worry: ‘Among those surveyed, nearly 99%...indicated that they were happy with their lives, 97% like who they are, and 96% liked how they look. Nearly 99%... expressed a love for their families, and 97% like their brothers and sisters.’ 

Who are these extraordinary people? The answer: those with Down syndrome.

‘A slew of recent studies has shown that people with Down syndrome report happier lives than us ‘normal’ folk. Even happier than rich, good looking, and intelligent people.’

Wouldn’t you suppose we’d want more people of any group characterized by such happiness? Tragically, however, studies show that of mothers who receive a positive diagnosis of Down syndrome during the prenatal period, 89 to 97% choose to get abortions. This means that the children most likely to be happy are also most likely to be killed before birth.” (Randy Alcorn, Happiness, page 377)