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Questions about Disabilities, Prenatal Testing, the Church, and MoreAn interview with Jonathan Merritt's blog on Faith and Culture at Religion News Service.

What have been the most difficult moments or conversations for you as a parent of a child with a disability?

How do you see the Church responding to people with disabilities and how can the Church improve?

On your blog, you've welcomed a variety of voices to contribute. Which topics have generated the most vibrant conversations and why?

You've written most recently on prenatal testing. What are some of the most common misperceptions about prenatal testing? What do you want more people to understand?

A woman who has just received a prenatal diagnosis of Downs Syndrome from her doctor turns to you for counsel. What counsel would you give her?

I had the chance to answer these questions for Jonathan Merrit over at Religion News Service yesterday. Here's a sneak peek at my favorite answer, to the church question:

In general, I think most churches have very kind postures toward people with disabilities. I think the motives are good. But I think the Church is lacking a theology of disability that enables real transformative and reciprocal work that benefits both people with disabilities and the Body of Christ as a whole.

In general, the Church tends to see people with disabilities as those in need. But people with disabilities are not only those in need. They are also those with particular gifts to offer. According to 1 Corinithians 12, every member of the Body of Christ is vital to the working of the whole. If we see people with disabilities as passive recipients of care rather than as participants in the work of the kingdom, then we fail to understand the radical nature of God's work in the world.

To read more, visit Loving People with Disabilities

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