MM over at Theology of the Body has posted some troubling information about In-vitro Fertilization (IVF) which I’m certain many (most?) people haven’t considered.  I think this is especially important for the Protestant Christian community, since we have no unified ethical voice, and as a result it seems as though many Protestant churches avoid confronting ethical issues that may be uncomfortable for their members or visitors (or, as I think may more often be the case, protestant pastors haven’t thought about the ethics involved in a variety of issues since there is nothing bringing it to their attention unless an astute seminary professor mentions it). 

I know that this is an important issue as it was brought home to me during a visit to a parish in my home town.  People were sharing reasons for praise and at one point an older gentleman in the congregation got up and shared his joy that his daughter and son-in-law had been able to conceive a child after many years of trying.  The thing was, they had conceived by way of IVF.  While I rejoiced with the man and his family for the new life in their midst, I couldn’t help but wonder if any consideration had been given to the morality of IVF, or the value of the lives that are routinely destroyed in the process.  To be fair, the happy grandfather may have been as conflicted about the process as I am, and was just sharing the joyous aspect–but I don’t know.  It’s still an issue Churches need to address, along with a host of other issues.  I thin I’ll be posting more about this in the future; until then, here’s a bit of what MM said:

The act of IVF affirms a wrong idea of children as a “right” or
“entitlement” to be engineered rather than as a precious *gift* to be
recieved from God.

{read it all}

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