Are surrogacy and invitro-fertilization sinful?

Question:

Good morning sir,

I want to ask about the biblical principle on surrogacy and IVF. To me, since it involves the termination of an embryo, it seems wrong and more like a scientific abortion. I’ll be glad if you can shed more light on this, sir.

Thank you.

Answer:

Like many things, surrogacy and invitro-fertilization are things that can be used both in good ways and bad ways.

Some couples are infertile, but they want a child. If the problem is the mother's egg reaching the uterus, then eggs can be surgically harvested and combined with the father's sperm. Since the procedure is expensive and not guaranteed success, extra eggs are fertilized and then frozen to be available later. A few are planted into the mother's womb and if successful, a child or two develop. If unsuccessful, another attempt can be made with the extra eggs. The downside to this is that there may be leftover fertilized eggs that won't get used.

Other couples are unable to produce viable fertilized eggs. They can choose to adopt the unused eggs of another couple in an attempt to become pregnant. Fertilized eggs are children. Therefore, couples adopting children through surrogacy are preventing the death of a child.

Another form of surrogacy is where a woman allows her womb to be used to raise a child from fertilized egg to birth. The child is then raised by the parents or the adoptive parents. The surrogate mother is paid for her time and expenses.

Where things go wrong is when eggs are fertilized and then destroyed or where surrogacy is used to bypass God's intended family structure.

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