Should Christian Couples Use IVF?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Psalm 139

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--should-christian-couples-use-ivf
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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well first of all the UPC C has a very clear stand that's pro-life and against abortion so we do believe that life begins with conception in the womb human life that God as for example Psalm 139 God forms the human in the womb uh there are examples for as U Jeremiah spoke of God but for God said I've called you formed you in the womb and so forth so we definitely stand against abortion in all forms and we have a clear statement on that uh we do not oppose birth control although there are some methods that may involve in effect abortion so we would not be in favor of that and we do not have a statement uh regarding invitro fertilization um and there again we're not opposed to the concept or the principle so the idea that uh if someone's having trouble conceiving naturally that um you would take the uh the husband and wife of course we would see it's appropriate within marriage and we would have problems using uh some uh you know the egg or sperm from third party that that would raise other questions uh but if you're talking about a husband or wife trying to conceive we don't oppose methods that would help them be successful in cons receiving and bearing their child um but as you mentioned the problem is not so much the technique but in order to increase the odds of success many times multiple embryos are created and then if they're not needed they're discarded so we'd be opposed to that aspect but if it's possible and even though this may would May decrease the odds and therefore increase the expense but if the couple would make sure that whatever embryos are conceived that they would be implanted so if they're going to just do one or if they are willing to have the possibility of multiple births they could do two or three uh the chances are when you use this process that not all the eggs will be fertilized and even if they are fertilized not all of them will survive so it's kind of a playing the odds that you you start with a process of mult mulle eggs but you end up with maybe much fewer conceptions and embryos so I think a couple so I to summarize we are not opposed to the concept to the principle of helping a husband and wife conceive their own child and if they have a medical issue or physical issue finding some workaround to successfully achieve that I think that's fine U but the challenge is in talking to the doctors what processes being used and Will are are we committed that EMB any embryos that are conceived will be implanted uh and if for some reason there is a discrepancy then you know sometimes embryos are frozen for a later use and there are some Christians who actually adopt Frozen embryos uh so that's that's again another issue but that's a consideration that um that perhaps adoption of course is a biblical option I think so adopting a child that's been born uh but maybe even adopting an embryo that has been frozen that might be another alternative for Christian adoption uh so I think a couple that is not able to conceive they they could consider this medical option under limited circumstances with pro-life um with a pro-life uh mentality or pro-life philosophy but they could also consider adoption and finally uh we have many examples where God has touched someone miraculously and they're able to conceive so we certainly believe in the power of God so I would I would say that a couple should consider all options um including trusting God and asking God to do a miracle uh if they want to consider IVF then take to consideration our belief that life begins at conception and they could consider adoption we do have an endorsed Adoption Agency New Beginnings and we also have a children's home endorsed Children's Home tpit old Children's Mansion that often has children that they're able to place so we have a variety of options for families today I think they should look at all of those options and seek God and ask God for direction in their particular case and I'd like to add you mentioned our statement on uh sanctity of human life you can find that on our website upci.org and if you just and search for statement archive you can find all of our statements there's also a drop down menu you can select that option and see that statement as well as all of our other official statements and I will add we amended our articles of Faith to have a few key phrases to Anchor some of these position papers so one of the things we added is that uh we believe in life both uh unborn you know in the womb uh and so that was an attempt to say we are pro-life and for more so it's in our articles of faith but if you want more detail you go to our position paper