Protestants and IVF - How to Explain?

[shelby2014]

This probably will seem like it belongs in another forum, but I am really looking for some Protestant perspective on this…

So I’m a recent convert, which means my family are all still Protestants. My sister is trying to get pregnant and giving us a play-by-play of the process (in itself a little disturbing). Yesterday she said that she and her husband have given IVF some serious thought and that they would be “responsible” (not create or destroy too many embryos).

Obviously I am incredibly opposed to this and surprised that they would think of it - especially when adoption is an option.

So I am trying to find scientific and religious articles to show her to make her consider all aspects of what she is doing. But the problem is that Protestants don’t have any kind of guiding authority for their morals. They just make them up as the go along. I could find an article by a Baptist against IVF, but it wouldn’t mean much to them. I can pull out Bible verses, but they could say they don’t interpret them the same way. I’m also trying to logically talk her through her thought-process because a lot of what she is saying doesn’t necessarily make sense.

Where does a Protestant go for deep moral and ethical dilemmas? And how will their conscience be swayed?

Oh, I also am trying to bring up questions to her about when life begins…because I don’t think she’s ever even considered what she thinks about it…

 

[JonNC]

This probably will seem like it belongs in another forum, but I am really looking for some Protestant perspective on this…

So I’m a recent convert, which means my family are all still Protestants. My sister is trying to get pregnant and giving us a play-by-play of the process (in itself a little disturbing). Yesterday she said that she and her husband have given IVF some serious thought and that they would be “responsible” (not create or destroy too many embryos).

Obviously I am incredibly opposed to this and surprised that they would think of it - especially when adoption is an option.

So I am trying to find scientific and religious articles to show her to make her consider all aspects of what she is doing. But the problem is that Protestants don’t have any kind of guiding authority for their morals. They just make them up as the go along. I could find an article by a Baptist against IVF, but it wouldn’t mean much to them. I can pull out Bible verses, but they could say they don’t interpret them the same way. I’m also trying to logically talk her through her thought-process because a lot of what she is saying doesn’t necessarily make sense.

Where does a Protestant go for deep moral and ethical dilemmas? And how will their conscience be swayed?

Oh, I also am trying to bring up questions to her about when life begins…because I don’t think she’s ever even considered what she thinks about it…

First, of course protestants have guiding authorities, depending on their communion.
For me as a Lutheran, I look to the synod, in my case, the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The following:

In Vitro Fertilization: Moral or Immoral?

Some of the moral issues involved with in vitro fertilization are the dilemma of leftover embryos, the loss of embryos that do not implant, the unmarried woman seeking pregnancy, the use of donor sperm or egg and, perhaps most importantly of all, the increasing separation of the biological from the relational inherent in reproductive technologies…If the number of embryos formed is limited, a couple is married, and donors are not used it does appear to overcome those particular moral issues, leaving us with the one issue of the separation of the biological from the relational…Various reproductive technologies reduce the bond of the biological and the relational to a greater or lesser degree…Spiritually, infertility is an opportunity to examine one’s understanding of the ways of God revealed in the Scriptures. It is a time to examine oneself and one’s faith as the willingness to deny self and take up one’s cross, rather than taking matters into one’s own hands.

lcms.hughes-stl.com/pages/internal.asp?NavID=8140

Jon

 

[Cat]

Try giving them this:

epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/4/what-do-you-think-about-invitro-fertilization-froz/

Dr. James Dobson is a “pope” to many evangelicals. He is more-or-less single-handedly responsible for getting Protestants to wake up and understand exactly what abortion is and why we need to oppose it as Christians. A great man! And he has endorsed Catholic Sen. Rick Santorum for President of the United States, so Dobson is NOT anti-Catholic!

This article states Dr. Dobson’s opinion, which may not be entirely in line with a Catholic’s thinking, but it is certainly a very somber alarm and should make any evangelical Protestant think long and hard about what exactly they are doing when the explore IVF.

 

[shelby2014]

Thank you for your responses. These teachings seem to fit with what my sister already believes - that “extra care” should be given to make sure embryos are not destroyed.

I am also (or perhaps more so) looking for information to give her about why we should not separate the creation of life from the marriage act, accepting God’s will and timing for her to have children, adopting, playing god, etc.

But I guess the major Protestant denominations think it’s okay as long as you take that “extra care?”

 

[Lovesa]

I can’t speak for all Protestant denominations, or even for all Lutherans, but in my experience you’re right that a lot of people think IVF is all right as long as that “extra care” is there. All Lutherans I know are opposed to the idea of abortion, so pointing out that unused embryos are discarded tends to help to turn them against the idea.

The acceptance of God’s will is an interesting point, but a lot of Lutherans I know would just quote the old phrase “God helps those who help themselves” and thereby conclude that IVF is a gift of God to help couples that can’t have children by other means. That might be a more liberal view, but I’ve seen it a few times.

 

[shelby2014]

Lovesa - thanks for the perspective. I know that the Protestant perspective on sacrifice and mortification is much different than the Catholic one. I can’t just tell her to “give it up for the poor souls in Purgatory” and all. But accepting God’s will is a little more universal, and I am trying that approach but wondering if there is anything to back it up…

 

[Lovesa]

I’m pretty sure God’s will is a good way to go, but I’m not sure how one would use it, either. If there were a good related Bible story that would be great, but most I can think of involve childless couples being given children by miracles, which seems like it would only reinforce the IVF point of view. John the Baptist comes to mind.

Perhaps a quick relation of some story I’m forgetting about? Anything involving the bearing of a cross might help out a little, like perhaps…I’m blanking on stories here, but a quick query should help find one. Even Jesus in Gethsemane could be a good starter point–he prayed and prayed but the cup was not taken, because it was God’s will. I’m not sure if that’s overbearing, but it might be worth a shot. And hey, maybe the cup will be taken if they keep trying.

 

[Alix1912]

Thank you for your responses. These teachings seem to fit with what my sister already believes - that “extra care” should be given to make sure embryos are not destroyed.

I am also (or perhaps more so) looking for information to give her about why we should not separate the creation of life from the marriage act, accepting God’s will and timing for her to have children, adopting, playing god, etc.

But I guess the major Protestant denominations think it’s okay as long as you take that “extra care?”

You are correct about Protestants and the “extra care” idea. I’m not sure you are going to find Protestant literature out there about not seperating the creation of life from the marriage act, as this is not a tenant held by most protestant churches.

My mom was an infertility case and it was extremely painful for her, as I was about 10 at the time I remember her struggle, and how hard it was on her, and how emotional it was. Basically, to her her body was failing her and she felt like a failure because of it. We ended up getting my sister through IVF. It is often very hard for those who have no problem concieving to really understand the pain that women with infertility struggle with.

Also using Catholic doctrine to attempt to prove something is a sin to someone who is not Catholic isn’t going to work.

These things being said, and coupled with the fact that you are the convert and the rest of your family is not Catholic, you need to broach this subject with extreme caution and delicacy. You sister is most likely in a lot of emotional pain, and is hurting inside. If you start spouting off Catholic Doctrine, you will come off very negatively and only strain the relationship you have with her. I cannot tell you how to broach the topic or discuss it, but I can tell you that if they do use IVF and get pregnant, you should congratulate them and be happy for the new life that is coming into our world.

 

[icamay]

I learned 6 years ago that I will likely never have children of my own. I was whole-heartedly Protestant at that time, and in my heart of hearts, I knew that I did NOT want to pursue artificial means of reproduction. I was shocked at how many people were against me being against that! So, I searched high and low for Christian guidance on the matter - outside of the Catholic teachings, because for some reason, Protestants tend to shake those off. I had no success.

Fortunately, my husband (a cradle Catholic) did not agree with the people who kept telling me that I was not being fair to him. If we want children, we will adopt them, save a miracle from God.

I don’t understand that need to have a biological child when so many children are orphaned and begging to be adopted. Young children in America are old enough to dream of a family; infants in many foreign countries will never know the loving touch of a mother. And yet, we are so selfish that we MUST create our own? Joseph surely did not think any less of Jesus when he was growing up. Couldn’t the pharoah’s daughter just let Moses keep floating down the river if she didn’t want to love him as her own? Some of the greatest people in history were adopted, and to tell your child “I sought you out” is a great testimony of love.