Embryo Adoptions
— Posted by John (February 8, 2006 at 3:50 pm)
It’s estimated that there are over 400,000 human embryos currently in cold storage at fertility clinics across the U. S.
These tiny human beings were conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) — an unnatural process that violates God’s intentions for how people should reproduce.
One very difficult question that pro-lifers now have to answer is: What should be done with these embryos?
One proposed solution is embryo adoption — sometimes also called “snowflake adoption”.
Evangelical pro-lifers tend to favor this idea. The Catholic Church hasn’t officially ruled whether embryo adoptions are morally acceptable, so Catholic pro-lifers are divided on the issue. Most, however, do seem to think that embryo adoptions are morally acceptable.
Annie, Eric, and I think so too.
Personally, I think that babies who are conceived through IVF are in some way similar to babies conceived through rape: in both cases, these babies were conceived through an act that is morally wrong.
But, the wrong action has already been done, and these new human beings now exist — and it seems to me that allowing them to be adopted is the most pro-life thing to do.
The Pontifical Academy for Life, a group of Catholic officials and theologians that clarifies issues related to the Church’s pro-life teachings, will be meeting in Rome later this month to discuss matters related to human embryos, and may address the issue of embryo adoptions. An article on LifeSite has more details.
(And, for more background on the ethical questions about embryo adoptions, read this article by Mary Beth Bonacci.)
I’m interested to hear your comments. Should pro-lifers encourage embryo adoption? If not, what should be done with all the frozen embryos currently in cold storage?
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ProLifeBlogs says:
Should pro-lifers encourage embryo adoption?
It is estimated that there are over 400,000 human embryos currently in cold storage at fertility clinics across the U. S. (Generations for Life) These tiny human beings were conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) — an unnatural process that vio…
Comment posted February 10th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Adam Graham says:
I think you’re exactly right. This, to me is the ultimate way to defeat Embryonic Stem Cell research as well. If there are less Embryos available for research due to adopting them out, the ability of the government to fund research as well as private companies ability to do them will be hindered.
The worst thing Pro-Lifers could do is get staunchly opposed to Embryo adoption. It adds fuel to the argument that these are “spare embryos”. My wife and I would never go through In-Vitro Fertilization, I’m not Catholic, but I don’t believe in that because of the Spare Embryo problem it creates, but we would do an Embryo adoption to give these little guys a chance to be born.
Comment posted February 11th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
sarah says:
“Personally, I think that babies who are conceived through IVF are in some way similar to babies conceived through rape: in both cases, these babies were conceived through an act that is morally wrong. ”
How could you possibly compare this to rape?!?!
Comment posted February 12th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
John says:
“My wife and I would never go through In-Vitro Fertilization, I’m not Catholic, but I don’t believe in that because of the Spare Embryo problem it creates, but we would do an Embryo adoption to give these little guys a chance to be born.”
Adam,
I commend you and your wife for your selflessness and your potential willingness to give life to an embryo.
Comment posted February 13th, 2006 at 10:02 am
John says:
“How could you possibly compare this to rape?!?!”
Sarah,
First, thank you for your comment, as it allows me to clarify what I originally wrote.
In my post, I wrote that babies conceived through IVF are “in some way similar” to babies conceived through rape.
The similarity is that they have both been conceived through an immoral act.
Certainly, rape is far worse than in-vitro fertilization. But that doesn’t change the fact that IVF is morally wrong.
Every child has a right to be conceived in the natural way by a husband and wife who give themselves to each other completely in the sexual act. Children conceived through IVF are deprived of this right.
Does this mean that the lives of children conceived through IVF have less value than the lives of children conceived naturally? Of course not. Their lives have just as much value as anyone else’s. (This is the reason why destroying embryos is morally wrong.)
To simplify the argument: embryos conceived through IVF aren’t responsible for the sinful procedure through which their parents conceived them.
Getting back to the IVF/rape comparison: the situation of babies conceived through rape is similar in that the baby isn’t responsible for her father’s sinful act, and it would be just as wrong to abort her as it would be to abort a baby for any other reason.
Clearly, there are many differences surrounding babies conceived through IVF and babies conceived through rape.
But a certain amount of similiarity is there too.
Comment posted February 13th, 2006 at 10:36 am
Andrea (Adam's wife) says:
Thank you, John. To give a child the chance to live would mean a great deal to me, the only thing really stopping us right now is finances.
Comment posted February 13th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Generations for Life » Blog Archive » A Strange Request says:
[…] My colleague John Jansen recently posted on so-called “snowflake adoptions,” whereby a couple seeks to save unwanted frozen embryos by having them implanted in the woman’s womb. There’s a great deal of controversy about this, with some saying it amounts to cooperation with the evil of ART, and other calling it an effort to undo some of that evil. […]
Comment posted March 29th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Colleen Barry says:
I have had fertility problems and the idea of embryo adoption is great to me. I am active in the pro-life community in NYC. I am catholic and a priest I conconfided in (that is VERY active in the prolife community) is completely behind me and see’s it as a positive for everyone involved.
Comment posted September 17th, 2006 at 8:54 pm