Ask Your Preacher - Archives
“Apples Of Our Eyes”
Categories: CHILDREN, GRAB BAG, RELATIONSHIPSI understand the Bible stands opposed to abortion. However, does that same stance apply to egg or sperm donation or receiving a donation of that sort? Adoption is always an answer to infertility, but could this be one as well, or it is changing God's natural order too much?
Sincerely,
In-Vitro Inquirer
Dear In-Vitro Inquirer,
The sanctity of life must be observed at all times because all new life is made after the image of God (Gen. 1:26). It is not the in-vitro fertilization that is wrong. The wrong is in any purpose of man that does not treat a new life as a person in God’s own image. Technology is constantly changing, and technological advances are not inherently bad… as long as they are used in a way that respects God’s laws. God gave mankind dominion over the world to subdue it and use it in whatever way we see fit (Gen 1:28). Automobiles, computers, cell phones, the internet, nuclear power, etc. are all wonderful things if used in a godly way… and potentially horrible things if used immorally. Medical advances are no different.
A husband and wife seeking infertility treatment so that they may bear children is a perfectly appropriate use of the technological advancement that we now have. Where we see things going wrong is when fertility treatments, in-vitro fertilization, “test tube babies”, etc. are used to further things like homosexual couples having children, organ farming (where they grow babies to dissect them for stem cells or body parts), cloning/human testing, and other malicious and immoral behavior. Oftentimes, clinics will fertilize multiple eggs and then destroy the ones that are not used – this is no different than abortion. Ultimately, artificial fertilization procedures must be undertaken with extreme caution and regard for the lives that will be created. These lives are children and deserve the future, homes, parents, and opportunities that God intended for all children to have.
Medical science has gotten itself into a lot of trouble because mankind does not value human life the way God does. Every child – even as early as the moment of fertilization – should be treated with the utmost care and devotion. Children are to be cherished. Technology does not cause sin; sin is caused when people use technology in an immoral way.