I have probably thought about the topic of fertility almost every day over the last few years and, as a direct result of our own struggle, I have spent a lot of time reading about fertility treatments, watching videos and considering what a correct biblical response should be. Over the years, I have come to realise that the implications of what is happening with all of these different technologies are truly awful and that, unlike abortion, it seems to be a far less known reality to most people. 

The purpose of this post is simply to highlight a list of some of the issues that I believe need to be considered as Christians when we think about fertility technologies such as IVF, IUI and surrogacy and that this would help us to see the unbiblical nature of these treatments. This won’t be an exhaustive list of all of the related issues but I do hope that it helps to underline the seriousness of what we are partaking in when we choose to make use of fertility treatments but also to recognise the wickedness of the world that we live in. As with the Tower of Babel, I often wonder how long it will be before the Lord finally intervenes in our sinful pride.

1. Bypassing Sexual Union

The primary problem in using fertility technologies, such as IVF, surrogacy and IUI, is that they all bypass the act of sexual union within marriage which is the only place where procreation should take place (Genesis 2:24). In the case of IVF, the couple are actually absent when the baby is “conceived”. 

2. Thawing

In IVF, if several embryos have been created, then couples may have some frozen to be used at a future date. The idea of ‘giving every life a chance’ is not in reality something that is within our hands. The thawing out process itself can be the cause of death for some babies and they simply do not survive it. We are responsible for this.

3. Abortion

Sometimes in IVF several embryos can be implanted into a woman’s womb and, in the case of there being too many that ‘take’, there can be a ‘reduction’ to stop a dangerous pregnancy. The babies are killed. IVF is built on death and is more closely linked with abortion than most people know.

4. Human Error

There is the potential for people to make mistakes within the process of IVF. Just last year (2023) there was a news report from America where the embryos of a couple were dropped and therefore killed. This demonstrates just one of several potential problems that could happen when we create babies in an unnatural way.

5. Undermining Marriage

In using and remaining silent on fertility treatments we support the undermining of marriage and the family because these interventions are also used for homosexual couples and single parents. It allows reproduction without biblical marriage, sexual union and a biblical family unit. We don’t get to partake of something like this and then critique its use for those that shouldn’t be having children.

6. Wrenching from Family

What are the consequences of people being born into situations that deliberately don’t involve their biological father or mother or even both, particularly for homosexual couples? We assume that our biology has little to do with our identity and that removing people from it does not matter.

7. Death, Divorce & Illness

There is the potential that couples who go through IVF may separate, that there may be the death of a spouse or there may be illness which may mean a woman cannot carry a baby to term. Babies are then left indefinitely in freezers.

8. Frozen People

There are currently millions of babies frozen all over the world with many or maybe even most unlikely to ever get out. As the church we don’t seem to be grappling in any real way with the horror of this situation! We should be lamenting over this as we should be with abortion. What is going to happen to all these people? What might they potentially be used for? Who is going to speak for them?

9. Frozen in Time

We make an assumption that being ‘conceived’ in one year of history and then being born in a completely different year or even decade is of no significance whatsoever. Thinking of just recent history and the changes that have taken place since 2000 for example, it might be hard for someone to accept that they were born in the wrong year.

10. Embryo Adoption

While being given the chance to live, what are the implications of being born through surrogacy into another family who are not biologically your own, in a different year to your conception? Even for those who have the chance of life, they are going to potentially have difficulties accepting these realities.

11. Disasters

We only need to look at the covid lockdowns to see that fertility treatments are disrupted or stopped completely without being able to resume due to unforeseen events. Once again, babies get left in freezers. Other potential events could include wars, power cuts, and natural disasters.

12. The Will of God

In all fertility treatments we force conception to take place without considering if this is God’s will for our lives or even if it is the right time in our lives for children. We often assume that because the desire for a family is not sinful that it is therefore always right but we must be willing to ask ourselves difficult questions. Maybe God doesn’t want you to have children because He wants our lives for something else? Maybe He has prepared children for a time in the future? Maybe He wants you to foster/adopt? Are we willing to submit all these things before Him?

13. Willfulness

Related to the previous point: what are the implications of making something happen regardless of the cost? If we decide that we will have children and make use of these fertility technologies, what might the consequences of this be in our lives spiritually and physically?

14. The Future

As Christians we need to be discerning about what technology might be used for in an ongoing way and therefore if we really should make use of it. Already there have been human-animal embryos created using IVF which were then killed after a couple of weeks. It is absolutely horrifying to hear of technology being used in such an ungodly way and we should have no desire to be involved with such evil.

I have been saddened and horrified in equal measure by so much of the “Christian” advice that I have read and watched on social media that does not reflect the truth and wisdom that we find within the pages of Scripture. The truth is simple but it can be hard and I believe that this is very true for fertility related matters. Sometimes the life we had hoped for is not what God has planned for us. Nick and I had prayed for years for a family but the act of finally surrendering this desired hope to the Lord gave a truly deep and lasting peace that has never left us.

My prayer for you if you too are struggling with conception is that you will be able to take it to the Lord, to trust His sovereign goodness and to receive His peace that no number of children will ever be able to give you.

With love,

Mairi