On Holy Thursday, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a Republican, signed a bill that bans abortions motivated by fetal genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome. The bill also prohibits abortions motivated by the race or gender of the fetus. It also mandates that the only way to dispose of an aborted fetus is through burial or cremation.

Pence called the bill “a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life” and said “I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable – the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn.”

Indiana Right to Life President Mike Fichter, said: “By signing the dignity for the unborn bill, Gov. Pence has again signified his commitment to protecting life” and “(We) are pleased that our state values life no matter an individual’s potential disability, gender or race.”

And, of course, Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky has already begun efforts to block the bill, now signed into law, which is set to take effect in July.

We thank God for a bill in our country that protects the weakest and most defenseless members of our society. Every life has value; every human being is created in the image and likeness of God, and human dignity needs to be recognized in the disabled.