In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

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Dave_Noonan

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I live nearly next door to an IVF clinic. From my understanding the Catholic Church opposes IVF because human embryos are destroyed in the process. Since life begins at conception in the Catholic view, IVF is tantamount to murder and constitutes an act that is in many ways similar to (or maybe exactly the same as?) abortion.

I also live not so far from a Planned Parenthood clinic and have often seen Catholic protestors there on Saturdays–at least I assume they are Catholic because of their association with the rosary: on signs and in their hands.

Here’s my question: Why do I never see any protestors (Catholic or otherwise) at the IVF clinic? Am I missing something in the theological logic here? Is abortion considered “worse” somehow by the Catholic Church, and if so, why? Are there any Catholic sources that distinguish between these two acts?
 
I personally consider abortion slightly worse because they are seeking no end -other- than the destruction of a human life, where as with IVF they are seeking a child, just doing it in a bad way.

However, as to Catholic theology, I do not believe there is a difference. The reason you see picketers in front of Planned Parenthood is because abortion kills far, far more children each year then IVF, so it is a more pressing issue. I imagine that, given limitless resources and time, we would pray outside of both.
 
Dave_Noonan said:
I live nearly next door to an IVF clinic. From my understanding the Catholic Church opposes IVF because human embryos are destroyed in the process. Since life begins at conception in the Catholic view, IVF is tantamount to murder and constitutes an act that is in many ways similar to (or maybe exactly the same as?) abortion.

I also live not so far from a Planned Parenthood clinic and have often seen Catholic protestors there on Saturdays–at least I assume they are Catholic because of their association with the rosary: on signs and in their hands.

Here’s my question: Why do I never see any protestors (Catholic or otherwise) at the IVF clinic? Am I missing something in the theological logic here? Is abortion considered “worse” somehow by the Catholic Church, and if so, why? Are there any Catholic sources that distinguish between these two acts?
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Actually, a main objection that the Church has to IVF is the fact that the creating act of procreation has been rather carelessly removed from the uniting act of sex (CCC2377). It takes the creation of life as a result of the total self-giving of two people and turns it into a manifestation of a person’s (or a couple’s) desire for the family unit, rather than to walk the path God has laid out for us. As to whyvthere isn’t such a Church outcry in the way we see political opposition to abortion? That probably has to do with complacency and a lack of a full understanding of the Church’s teaching.

Abortion, on the other hand, is a violent homocide. And the Church has done very well educating the faithful about the morality of it.
 
edwest2 said:
From the National Catholic Bioethics Center:

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=278

Hope this helps,
Ed
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Not really. I certainly understand his theological point about the IVF being outside the conjugal union (etc.), but the priest also seems somewhat dismissive of the destruction of embryos–certainly realizing that it’s “serious,” but his tone–which is maybe even a little flippant regarding that issue–doesn’t make it seem like destroying embryos is “up there” with abortion. If destroying embryos were murder, wouldn’t that be the more serious matter, even if it were a secondary consequence of the procedure?
 
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