Is In Vitro fertilization wrong?

Question

I work for a Catholic organization and I design book covers and set up books (mostly religious books). I am setting up a book right now and was reading a paragraph that states that "In vitro fertilization depersonalizes sex, along with birth control, abortion, and various other sexual sins, is wrong." Well what about the people that have a hard time concieving? Could something like this really be wrong?

Answer 1

There are millions of children in the world right now who need someone to love them, nourish them, take care of them. Couples who cannot procreate the way God intended should, in my view, care for those who have had the misfortune to experience loss or to be cast aside.

Consider this passage from James 1:27:

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I think in vitro fertilization is a great evil because it affords couples an occasion to put their own selfish desires ahead of the needs of the unfortunate and downtrodden. It is pretty clear from my reading of the Bible that putting one's own needs ahead of the needs of others is sin.

Answer 2

well I can see 2 sides to this. Firstly in N.Ireland in the 70's the catholic church urged it's followers to have a child every year, to make it's numbers stronger. IVF would have been a way of catholics who were reproductively challenged to carry out these orders, as well as people being able to have the children they craved. Not everyone is lucky to have no problems concieving and IVF is a great gift for those who can afford it, without having to go on 4 year long waiting lists for the baby they will adore and be very good to.
BUT:

This world is already overpopulated, there are already too many of us here, which is why nature kills the weak and only the fittest survive. In IVF, we could be deliberately breeding weak genes that will only be kept alive thanks to the evolution of medical science, Those weak genes in turn breed with other genes and whole populations which are genetically weak will evolve, in turn using up more of the earth's resources which again, I don't really agree with as it goes against the laws of nature in that only the strong survive. We could end up breeding the strength out of humanity and in a few hundred generations could have a world full of medical dependents.
These are my arguments for and against, yet I can't decide EXACTLY where I stand on it. If IVF were the only way for me to have a baby..... well, I'd have to do some real heartwrenching decision making.

Answer 3

Okay, run this one by your local Catholic authority and see what he says. I've never asked a clergyman, but as I understand the Catholic position on sex, this may work:

1.) Engage in the sex act using a condom that has been punctured in several places as to render it's contraceptive properties useless.

2.) Collect the ejaculate from the condom.

3.) Proceed with normal in vitro procedure.

Answer 4

In Catholic teaching it is wrong for the reasons mentioned above and it also interferes with Gods plan for conception.

If a couple has difficulty conceiving, then perhaps they should try something called Natural Family Planning, it is proven to be at least as effective as in vitro when done properly.

A couple could also use this opportunity to adopt a child, or to realize that God has plans other than being a parent for them

Answer 5

For couples who are having a hard time conceiving a first or second final child, it is fine. People who use it to have additional children in today's world are ethically treading on thin ice. No couple should ever have more than two children. The only way we will be able to survive with any dignity is to reduce the population to two billion through attrition and good sense.

Answer 6

Not Catholic but I think it is more expensive than wrong...

Jesus healed a woman that had a flow of blood for twelve years maybe she wanted to conceive a child that that prevented her from having a baby!!

Answer 7

I don't believe it to be wrong. Myself, I could have chosen this option but instead I have decided to go the adoption route to having children. For those that for their own personal reasons want a biological child this sometimes is their only chance. How could that be wrong.

Answer 8

No, that's one of the more ridiculous man-made theologies that made me leave the church in the first place.

I mean, come on, which is it? No birth control or no abortion? Make up your mind already...