Is Embryo Adoption Immoral?
— Monday, February 22nd, 2010 —
I received an email from a man who was upset about a couple in his extended family who are pursuing a so-called “snowflake adoption,” the adoption of a “frozen embryo” (to use, for clarity’s purpose only, the satanically clinical lingo of the current era). This couple had been led to do this after reading Adopted for Life, so he wanted to correspond.
How, he wondered, could I support this kind of adoption when I am opposed (and I am, strongly) to in vitro fertilization (IVF), donor assisted reproduction, and other technologies that violate the one-flesh union and the relationship between love and procreation. The same thing, he argued, is going on here with a donor embryo being implanted in an adopting mother’s womb.
First of all, there is no such thing as a “donor embryo.”
Someone can donate sperm or ovum or even a heart or a liver, but no one can “donate” an “embryo.” No one can “own” an “embryo.” An “embryo” isn’t a thing; he or she is a “who.” Our Lord Jesus is the pinnacle of the image of God (Heb. 1:1-3). He was an “embryo” (Luke 1:42-43). The “embryonic” John responded to our Lord’s “embryonic” presence in precisely the same way he responded to his adult presence on the banks of the Jordan River.
These so-called “snowflakes” are brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus are stored in cryogenic containers in fertility clinics as the “extras” of IVF projects. They already exist, and they already exist as persons created in the image of God.
And there are Christians called to adopt them, to bring them to birth through pregnancy, and to raise them in love. To be sure, the numbers of children who can be adopted in this way are a microscopic percentage of the whole. And the numbers even of those who can be safely brought to birth is even smaller.
Isn’t this simply an embrace of the kind of “Brave New World” Frankenstein technology we elsewhere lament?
No.
Adopting parents are not complicit in the “production” (I shudder to type such a horrible word in reference to a human creature) of these children. Again, the children are already conceived. The adopting parents are no more endorsing the technologies involved than parents adopting from an unwed mother are endorsing fornication or adultery.
Embryo adoption also doesn’t carry with it the violence to the one-flesh union that comes with surrogacy or sperm donation, in which one spouse’s genetic material is joined with a stranger’s.
Embryo adoption would be problematic if the adoptions themselves became a further commodity in the buying and selling transactions of the reproductive technology business or if these adoptions were a widespread incentive for couples to justify the decision to “create” and freeze additional embryos. This is not, though, presently the case and doesn’t appear to be likely to become so anytime soon.
14 Responses to “Is Embryo Adoption Immoral?”
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- Taking Heaven By Storm » Interesting Reads – February 22, 2010
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- Snowflake Adoption | Redeeming Orphans
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Thanks, Dr. Moore. As one who is about to wake up my now 6 year old “snowflake” son for school, I’m grateful for your thoughts on this issue, as I was when I read them in your book.
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One of 5 frozen embryos my husband and I adopted for life, is the song of my heart. She reminds me (and others) every day of God’s grace, love and faithfulness…according to “His” will and in “His” perfect time. Some call frozen embryos “leftover”; trust me, there is nothing leftover about my daughter…she is made in the image of God and He has a plan for her life. I pray continued blessings for the family who selflessly gave their embryos to us…they are the two most generous people we have never met. I thank God every day that out of all the mommie’s in the world, He chose me to bring Piper into the world. To God be the glory…
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Thank you Dr. Moore, for your posting, and for Wes and Rhonda’s postings as well, they were so encouraging. My husband and I were told a year ago we would only be able to conceive through in vitro, which we did not know a lot about. After researching in vitro we were broken-hearted and burdened for the half a million frozen embryos in the country. After a lot of prayer and seeking God’s word, we decided to adopt embryos. We are now in the “matching” process with a family and while it has been a tough journey, I have seen God’s hand work in amazing ways. While most practices of in vitro are sad and biblically wrong, that to me does not remove my responsibility to care for the orphan- even at the embryo stage of life. Some scripture I was so impacted by is actually in Job, which speaks to God’s care and purpose for the embryo:
“Your hands fashioned and made me altogether, and would you destroy me? Remember now, that you have made me as clay, and would you turn me into dust again? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, knit me together with bones and sinews? You have granted me life and lovingkindness; and your care has preserved my spirit.” Job 10:8-14
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Dr. Moore,
Thank you for addressing this issue. I appreciate you respect for human life and your thoughtful treatment of IVF. Thanks.
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Dr. Moore,
I am pro-life and I cherish the inspired Scriptures. I have four children and my wife and I are seeking God’s wisdom regarding more. I am also a church planter and SBC pastor, and a PhD student.
I spent much of last week researching this very issue from a pastoral perspective to respond to a question from a young married couple regarding “abortifacient” forms of birth control and the controversy over the labeling of the pill and IUD as such. As you know, those methods work a secondary way by preventing implantation to the uterine wall. I discovered that there is quite a disagreement regarding the theological question of when life begins: at fertilization or implantation a few days later. For this young couple, this was a serious ethical and theological question.
Some have stated that since the scripture teaches the “life of the flesh is in the blood”, that life actually begins at implantation when blood is introduced. Like you, I have always believed that life begins at conception, but the issue of frozen embryos does confuse me. How can a “living soul” be frozen and cryogenically preserved indefinitely? This has raised a great scientific and theological quandary for me, and because I have great respect for you, I would appreciate any help you can offer.
(Dobson, Piper, Alcorn were not very helpful to me on the specifics of this question.)
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Thank you so much for sharing this. A lot of these topics are very difficult to discuss because it takes educating yourself about the truth of what is happening, which most people do not like to do. Once you see what is happening, it is quite obvious what is right and what is wrong.
There are so many children waiting to be adopted all around the world, at every age, whether while an embryo, or infant, or child, or young adult. As Christians, we just need to take heed of our command to care for the orphans and see what part we can do to impact the lives of many!
I am very happy for you continually speaking truth according to God’s word, and I am very excited about the upcoming adoption conference!
-Ashley
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Thank you for taking the time to write and post a response to this question of embryo adoption being immoral. My husband and I are currently in the embryo adoption process, and some people are having a hard time understanding why embryo adoption is different than egg/sperm donation. This post is so biblical and thorough that now all we have to do is send them this link!
Jennifer
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Dr. Moore,
Thank you for touching on the subject of violation of the one-flesh relationship…I am wrestling with whether sperm/egg ‘donation’ is permissible or a violation of the principle of marriage. While I lean toward it being a violation, I want to be careful that I don’t place a burden of sin on a situation where there is no sin, yet don’t want to sweep it under the rug if it is sin, either. I’m actually working on a post about this subject for my blog, and praying for wisdom on this matter.
Stephanie
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Dr. Moore- Thank you so much for bringing this subject to light.
We are both mothers to adopted embryos and adopted children. One of us giving birth to twin girls recently and one of us currently 22 weeks pregnant with another miracle girl! Embryo adoption is so beautiful. Although egg/sperm donation was not a path either of us or our husbands were comfortable with, embryo donation “JUST MADE SENSE.” Like you said, “They already exist, and they already exist as persons created in the image of God.”
We have dedicated our blog and our lives to raising awareness about embryo adoption-God’s miracle.
2 Jens
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