Christianity And Infertility.

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

Christianity And Infertility

In this coursework (essay) I will be talking about the Christian attitudes towards infertility treatments and explain that there are different views on this subject and why. But because there is nothing in the Bible specifically about these treatments, I will have to do some research about it and try to get different Christian views on this subject. However there some teachings in the Bible that can help us to understand Christian views on these treatments. I will try to get two different views on these treatments.

The Bible teaches Christians that all life is sacred, because it’s a gift from God. It also teaches the Christians that life should not be destroyed, that God has a plan for every human life, that life is God-given, that human life is gracious and that all life deserves respect. There isn’t anything in the Bible specifically about the subject of infertility, but it does have advice and examples of people who were also infertile. The first and foremost thing is that in the Old Testament children are seen as a gift of God and as a blessing, mostly as a gift of obedience. On the other hand, it is also seen as a curse and a cause of great pain and suffering. There is no specific teaching in the Bible about infertility treatments because at the time the Bible was written medical science and these treatments didn’t exist. If people are childless it’s because God wanted it to be that way. There was nothing that could be done about it and it had to be accepted – even though childlessness was looked upon with disfavor in Jewish society. Abraham asked of God, “What good will your rewards do me, since I have no children?” Rachel cried to her husband Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die.” The following sentence came from the Old Testament and shows how it describes the childlessness of one woman.

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“Hannah had no children… because the Lord had kept her from having children.” The Bible (1 Samuel 1.2,5)

These are some issues that Christians may be concerned about:

Using Donors – adultery?

Some Christians think that using a donor sperm or a donor egg is a violation of the marriage bond and there it is adultery.

Parent’s – who are they? Should children know? Confusion for child? Some Christian views on this (like the Roman Catholic) are that they believe that children have the right to know who their parents are and this ...

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“Hannah had no children… because the Lord had kept her from having children.” The Bible (1 Samuel 1.2,5)

These are some issues that Christians may be concerned about:

Using Donors – adultery?

Some Christians think that using a donor sperm or a donor egg is a violation of the marriage bond and there it is adultery.

Parent’s – who are they? Should children know? Confusion for child? Some Christian views on this (like the Roman Catholic) are that they believe that children have the right to know who their parents are and this is prevented in AID and surrogacy.
When does life begin? Is an embryo a life? What to do with ‘extra’ embryos etc? The Roman Catholics believe that IVF involves fertilizing several eggs some of which are thrown away or used for experimentation which is the same as abortion. Other Christian Churches allow IVF because the discarded embryos are not fetuses and their destruction can be justified by the doctrine of double effect. (The intention is to produce children for childless couples, not to kill embryos.)
Surrogacy? The Roman Catholics believe that surrogacy is not allowed, because it involves male masturbation and this has always been regarded by the Catholic Church as a grave moral sin.

“Masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994)

“From the time that the egg is fertilized, a life has begun which is neither that of the father nor of the mother. It is rather the life of a new human being with all its own growth. It would never be made human if it were not already human.” (From the Catholic Declaration on Procured Abortion, 1974)

“…at this earliest stage of their existence, embryos do not have the moral value of persons. They are to be treated with respect; but essentially they are no different from the product of early miscarriages, and the way these have been usually handled is the best guide to what to do.” (Lord Habgood, former Anglican Archbishop of York)

These two statements have completely opposite opinions. One says that an embryo is a human being as should be treated that way but the other is saying that , even though they are to be treated with respect, they don’t have moral values so should be dealt with as they use to.

In the end there are different views on this issue and mostly they are divided into two groups; the Roman Catholics; and the other Christian Churches. The Roman Catholics Church is opposed to all infertility treatment as it often involves the destruction of some embryos; it involves the activity of masturbation and denies the right of every child to know the identity of both parents, but most churches today accept IVF and AIH as being acceptable, because childlessness is no longer viewed as being God’s will. I believe that this is wrong because everything that happens is because of God’s will, which includes childlessness.

By: Hamza Abib 10BY