2. Use Of Medical Technology Flashcards
Bible quotes to demonstrate that children + fertility = gods blessing
Psalms ‘children are a reward from him’
Genesis 1:28 ‘God blessed them and said to them “be fruitful and increase in number”’
What is fertility and children a sign of?
Plan for who?
God’s blessing + plan for married couples
Options if you can’t conceive naturally:
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Artificial insemination: place sperm in uterus of female to make her pregnant (without sexual intercourse)
Artificial insemination by husband: husbands sperm (no sex)
Artificial insemination by donor:
Known/unknown donor (man other than partner)
Christian responses to artificial insemination:
All forms of AI are wrong:
Children=gift from God + only God can make life; people have no ‘right’ to have children; new life only created through marriage (ie. AI involved technology, not loving relationship or man + wife)
Christian responses to artificial insemination:
AI with husband sperm = morally justified
- Correct nature
- CofE: okay if husband sperm used (help couple have child they wished for)
- help fulfil gods commandment “be fruitful and increase in number” genesis 1:28
Why is artificial insemination with donor sperm unacceptable? Who thinks this?
- brings another person into marriage = harms marriage
* child wouldn’t know biological father until age of 18 (when legally allowed)
Christian responses to artificial insemination:
With donor sperm is justified:
- certain circumstances: husband not want pass on degenerative disease BUT wants child genetically related to mother
- most loving thing to do
- if woman wants baby but no partner, can have a baby this way
What is IVF?
Ie. Process
In-vitro fertilisation:
•scientific method of making woman pregnant which doesn’t involve sex.
•conception occurs via sperm + egg placed in test tube
- woman ovaries stimulated produce multiple eggs
- each egg fertilised with sperm = fertilised embryos
- placed in womb/ frozen/ destroyed
What is Anglicans church view on IVF?
Use of embryos up until 14 days = acceptable
Catholic Church view on IVF:
Opposed
Arguments for IVF:
- couples have right to reproduce—humans made with ability to reproduce; illness prevents this; can be overcome
- infertility = illness — cause sadness+depression, we treat any other illness, why not this one
- Jesus was healer and relieved people of suffering — we have technology to do so and can follow his teachings
- Gods plan ‘go forth and multiply’. IVF using science to fulfil wishes—- Xians responsibility correct nature + allow gods wishes come true
- if no embryos destroyed, nothing wrong with IVF (ie only fertilise embryos you implant)
Arguments against IVF:
- very expensive
- only 15% attempts = successful
- children = gift from God. Not a ‘right’
- involves destruction of new life : “though shalt not kill” 10 commandments
- new life not through science (undermines marriage); through coming together husband + wife
- many children need adopting
Alternatives to IVF:
Why?
•fertility drugs
•ovulation patterns
Etc
- Don’t separate procreative act from sexual act
- no destruction embryos
Define surrogacy:
Form of fertility treatment in which woman’s egg fertilised artificially by another woman’s partner or an embryo from another couple created through IVF and implanted into host woman. Woman carries baby through pregnancy and gives back after birth
Why do people opt for surrogacy?
Can’t carry children
But want child to be genetically similar
