Published on September 4, 2024, 1:07 am

While In Vitro Fertilization, commonly known as IVF, is often seen as a gift from modern medical science offering couples grappling with infertility a chance at becoming parents, it’s imperative to examine the moral and ethical aspects of this technology. A prevalent Christian worldview underscores that every life – born and unborn, bears the divine imprint of God. Each embryo represents a sanctified human life warranting respect and protection.

However, IVF blatantly disrespects this unequivocal faith-based reality. This process typically involves generating multiple embryos to boost pregnancy success rates, but not all these embryos find their way into a womb. A vast majority are discarded, frozen for undefined periods or used in scientific research leading to their premature termination.

This unfortunate truth equates IVF with abortion since it results in the intentional end of human lives violating the sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder.” Interestingly enough, while the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has faced challenges agreeing on robust anti-abortion measures, they have recognized critical ethical issues with IVF. This revelation lead them to pass a resolution opposing IVF in June 2024 – a much-needed stance aligning laudably with pro-life commitments towards upholding every life’s sanctity.

Contrarily though, certain segments within evangelicalism seem to disregard this stance towards maintaining moral consistency. Jeremiah J. Johnston, New Testament Scholar and pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church has openly opposed Southern Baptists and Christian moral teachings by being a public advocate for IVF through trusted news channels.

In trying to cushion his personal journey with infertility which led him to become a parent via IVF surgery as an emotionally charged story; he labels IVF as nothing short of a “medical miracle” encouraging even pro-lifers to avail it as a tool for procreation-through-assisted-reproduction fulfilling couples’ “God-given desire” for offspring.

Johnston’s contradistinctive views have unfortunately been supported by a significant part of the evangelical community. A recent Pew Research survey disclosed that around 63% white evangelical Protestants view IVF access favorably, a shockingly high percentage for those who also oppose abortion in principle.

His skewed narrative suggests that an embryo comes at par with a child only upon successful womb-implantation, relegating embryo’s location as the sole determinant of its human-lifecycle status and undermining pro-life ethos that life begins at conception irrespective of whether the embryo finds itself in a womb or a laboratory dish.

Such contradiction cannot be brushed off lightly since it highlights profound discord within the very same people who fervently condemn abortion but seem indifferent to similar embryonic destructions during IVF. It poses serious questions about their understanding or intended ignorance about on-the-ground realities associated with this reproductive technology.

Thus, Johnston’s erroneous position advocating for IVF not only amounts to his personal ethical blemish but may misguide countless Christians into signing up for an act considered absolutely against biblical standards. As a pastor himself, it’s crucial he revisits his responsibility steering his followers towards morality rooted deeply within scriptures rather than opposing them. This provides us with real news insight into how shifting faith-based paradigms are influencing currently debated cultural issues posing moral dilemmas significantly impacting Christian societies worldwide today.