Concerns for the Respect of Human Life

A friend of mine recently published a note on his Facebook account concerning Gianna Jenssen and pro-choice advocates. One of the comments to his note was an intelligent response to a difficult subject that raised some serious ethical questions for pro-life advocates. Here is part of that response:

"What happened to this woman was horrible. This is why partial birth abortions, along with all late term abortions should be illegal - these are babies. In the first couple of months, however, there is definitely an intelligent debate whether it's a baby at that point or not. Believe it or not, some people genuinely don't believe an embryo is a human being any more than they believe they're buying baby chickens when they buy a dozen eggs from the grocery store.Consider fertility treatments. They are performed by fertilizing hundreds of eggs in hope that one might become a baby. Since no one has hundreds of babies, you must consider what happens to the other fertilized eggs (they're frozen indefinitely). If you think they're babies, then fertilization treatments are unthinkable massacres that must be stopped. If you believe life begins at conception, you have to be anti-fertility treatments. There is no way around it."

Is there any ethical way around being anti-fertility treatments? This was his strongest point, and one that I agree poses a challenge to Christians. We need to know what we believe, and why we believe it. What I want to do is share some thoughts from a book called God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas J. Kostenberger. Kostenberger is a New Testament scholar, and director of PhD/ThM studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, he also serves as editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. In his book the challenge of artificial reproductive technologies are explored.

First we are presented with descriptions of the methods. These methods include iintrauterine insemination (IUI) also known as artificial insemination (AI), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and surrogacy or surrogate motherhood.

Simple description of the procedures:

1. IUI or AI: "Involves the collection and accumulation of male sperm and then the injection of that sperm into the female uterus during the most fertile part of the woman's cycle."

2. GIFT: "Female eggs are harvested through the use of super-ovulatory hormonal drugs stimulating the maturation and release of several eggs. These eggs are then harvested by means of a minor surgical procedure utilizing ultrasound guidance in the vagina. The male sperm...(along with eggs) are then placed together in the woman's fallopian tubes." Once in the fallopian tubes the hope is that fertilization will happen naturally.

3. IVF: Similar in nature to GIFT except, "the fertilization takes place in an artificial environment ("in vitro" literally means "in glass," referring to the test tube or petri dish where conception occurs.)" The first successful IVF treatment in the US took place in 1981, and there have been 45,000 babies born with the aid of IVF treatment since then. (See http://www.doctorslounge.com/fertility/procedures/ivf.htm)

4. Surrogacy or surrogate motherhood: "refers to the procedure in which the gestation and birth of a baby occur in a woman who is either not the child's biological mother or who is willing to donate her egg and carry a child but relinquishes parenting rights to those contracting with her to carry the child."

For the Christian there are clear principles we need to consider when approaching this subject. The first of these principles is respect for the sanctity of human life. "For example, it is common practice in certain methods of artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization to fertilize 5 or 6 ova at a time. Each of the resulting conceptions is a child waiting to be placed in a woman's uterus in order to grow toward birth. Unfortunately, it is also common practice for the doctors to select only 1 or 2 of these eggs for implantation, leaving the others to be 'destroyed'" (p.144). The problem with not believing that these fertilized eggs are human life is the difficulty of then deciding at what point human life does begin, and its easy to see how at this point multiple opinions arise. But who is right? We know from a simple argument of logic that two opposing idea's cannot both be true at the same time in the same place. I would argue that because the potential now exists of "growing toward birth" then the fertilized egg is a life.

Another concern with the technique of artificial insemination that can also ethically pose a problem for the sanctity of human life is that of "selective reduction". The procedure of AI often results in "a multi-child pregnancy". A woman could potentially be carrying 4-5 children in her womb. "Because there is a greater risk of miscarrying under these conditions, it is often the case that reproductive specialists will recommend [selective reduction a procedure] that is nothing more than a form of abortion in which one or more of the children are killed in order to increase the odds of the others proceeding to live birth" (p.145).

It is best in these procedures that a couple be willing to have all "conceptions implanted and carried to full term in order for this technology to meet the biblical standards with regards to sanctity of human life" (p. 145-6). In other words Christians, don't allow more embryos to be formed than you are willing to parent, recognize beforehand the chances of a multiple child birth, and understand that selective reduction is not a biblical option.

The second principle that Christians must consider is that of respect for all human beings as image bearers (Gen. 1:27). "Because all humans bear the image of God, it is wrong to use or treat another as a means to an end only, or purposely to put them in harm's way when they have not incurred guilt and there is no other reason than convenience for such a choice." The common practice of freezing fertilized eggs is one of convenience. Couples can have them frozen for an indefinite period of time only to be used or discarded if the couple doesn't want to have more children. This is a disrespectful act toward the child and life in general. These children are not a means to an end, or "to a parents' chosen goals" and these practices must be discarded by Christians. (for more on the ethic's of this see: http://www.doctorslounge.com/fertility/procedures/ivf.htm)

The third principle is in respect to the fidelity of the marital bond. Gen 2:24 (the two become one flesh). Within this context God said to be fruitful and multiply, and in various places in scripture God clearly condemns adultery. "One could easily argue that using donor eggs or sperm is tantamount to adultery or at the very least an inappropriate intrusion upon the exclusive nature of marital fidelity and sexuality. As Scott Rae rightly points out, 'the weight of biblical teaching suggests that third-party contributors are not the norm for procreation'...technologies such as donor insemination, egg donation, and surrogate motherhood are morally problematic" (p. 147).

The last principle I want to share concerning this topic is that of the heart of the one wanting to use these technologies. We should never cross the bounds of placing our hope or worth in the ability to have children. Our hope and worth must always rest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the grace that He grants to us.

In conclusion "While the use of reproductive technology may be generally permissible, one should not make the further assumption that every form of reproductive technology is therefore biblically and morally acceptable" (p. 147). We as Christians must trust even this area to God's sovereignty remembering that children are a gift from him. Something he gives, not a procedure that we need to try and manipulate according to our desires. "Indeed, once one considers the rather large ethical uncertainty and 'gray areas' regarding many of these technologies perhaps wisdom would suggest limiting one's efforts in this direction in favor of pursuing adoption" (p. 147). Is there any ethical way around being anti-fertility treatments? This is a question of wisdom. These principles should help guide the Christian as he or she thinks through the options.