Session 21: What About IVF (in vitro fertilization)?

Welcome to Apologetics and the Gospel. My name is Pastor Jonathan White, and I am the Lead Pastor at CrossPointe Family Church in Winfield, WV as well as a practicing Emergency Medicine Physician.

Question for Today: What About IVF (in vitro fertilization)?

This has become a hot button issue when the Alabama supreme court ruling that was passed down earlier this year declaring all embryos babies. This sent shock waves throughout the IVF community as many physicians and clinics began to refuse to perform IVF out of fear of being convicted for murder should an embryo be discarded or dropped.

A new law was passed and signed into that provided legal protection for the unintentional death or damage to an embryo earlier this month.

This controversial series of events has led to a renewed interest in the understanding of IVF and what is ethically and not ethically appropriate. Many in the church have been confused on this topic as well. I hope that today’s podcast will clarify what exactly IVF is and what the moral, ethical, and frankly Biblical issues that need to be addressed are as we seek to understand this complex issue.

Before getting started, I think it is important for us to pause and consider those who struggle with infertility in prayer. Infertility is an incredibly difficult experience for married couples. It is estimated that around 10-15% of married couples suffer from some form of infertility according to the NIH.

We see women of the Bible struggle mightily with infertility. Hannah, so broken by her desire for children is praying so intensely that Eli the Priest mistakens her to be drunk in 1 Samuel 1! Rachel is so broken in the presence of her husband Jacob that she demands that he give her children lest she die (Genesis 30:1).

Those who suffer from infertility must be shown grace and mercy and love by the church. If you are someone suffering from infertility, remember that Christ hears your cries. He loves you and cares for you. He understands suffering more than anyone. Go to Him for comfort.

And although this may sound cliche or tone deaf - it is the truth - Listen to Isaiah 54:1:

Isaiah 54:1 ESV

“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.

Isaiah, looking forward to the coming Messiah, reminds us that there is reason for us to sing. Even more precious than a newborn baby is the Savior who provides salvation. Even the barren one can sing because of the hope that is in Christ.

With all of that said, I think we should start by describing the actual procedure of what IVF is.

IVF - The Procedure

Although there are variations, the general steps of IVF are as follows:

1. Women are given fertility medicines which help the ovaries produce somewhere around 10-15 eggs.

2. Once the doctor sees that the eggs are mature, a final shot is given to stimulate the final maturation of eggs.

3. Then a surgical procedure is preformed which removes the eggs from the ovary using an ultrasound, needle, and suction device.

4. The eggs that were removed are then taken to the lab. Each egg is placed in a separate petri dish and many sperm are added. These are then left in the lab to fertilize and grow.

5. Around 1/2 of fertilized eggs will become embryos that can be transferred into the mother’s uterus. However, in many cases, some embryos are frozen for future transfer.

6. Then one or most often multiple embryos are implanted into the uterus hoping that at least one of these will implant.

Next, let’s discuss the success rates of this procedure.

IVF - Success Rates

According to the National Summary Report by SART Member Clinics the success rates are:

Under age 35- 44.5%

Ages 35-37 - 32.4%

Ages 38-40 - 20.2%

Ages 41-42 - 9.6%

Over age 42 - 2.9%

https://sartcorsonline.com/Csr/Public?ClinicPKID=0&reportingYear=2021&newReport=True (Accessed 3/18/24)

As we can see, the success falls greatly as a mother moves closer to her late 30’s and into her 40’s.

The next question that most people ask is how much is IVF?

IVF - The Cost

According to Infertility Resources, the average cost for IVF ranges between $12,000 and $15,000 per cycle.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the procedure and what it entails, we need to address the Biblical concerns regarding IVF.

There is a large chasm among evangelicals regarding IVF and whether it is Biblically approvable or not. Many Christians have successfully used IVF to have children. Some of these couples may even be in our churches. So we must be gracious as we address such a sensitive issue.

Yet, we must also look at the Scriptures in order to address this issue truthfully.

I am going to address multiple issues that come up when considering IVF. I hope that this helps you work through this very complex issue.

Is this playing God? Isn’t this unnatural?

For many, they struggle with the idea of IVF because it appears that we, as humans, are playing God. We are trying to create life. This is a debated topic amongst conservative theologians. This becomes more of a conscience issue instead of a directly Biblical issue. God is still the one creating the life despite man attempting to. God has to allow the embryo to form and then to implant and God has to sustain the life throughout the entire process. However, there are many reasons that one might struggle with the concept of IVF, and we should respect those concerns.

The strongest argument against IVF in Scripture would come from Psalm 139:13:

Psalm 139:13 ESV

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

Obviously, IVF does not completely occur in the mother’s womb. However, one could argue that the majority of growth happens after implantation. Again, this appears as more of a conscience issue. There is certainly grounds for pause and reflection as one considers the gravity of this procedure.

Next, some might ask:

Does this break the one flesh mandate in Scripture?

Genesis 2:24 describes the coming together of the man and woman to form one flesh through sexual intercourse. Through this union, children may be born.

This is also a debated topic with no clear answer other than conscience. For some this violates this mandate and for others, it does not. In a marriage that struggles with infertility, the two still become one flesh, however, children are not the result of their consummation.

After these two conscience issues, we come to some non-negotiable issues with IVF that must be dealt with in order for a Christian married couple to pursue IVF.

Embryo Storage and Adoption

Most people do not even know this exists today. However, there are approximately 1 million embryos waiting to be implanted into a mother’s womb. These embryos have been donated by other couples who have chosen not to have more children for one reason or another.

This is an incredibly complex situation that would likely need its own podcast to discuss all of the intricacies involved.

Clearly, it would wrong for a couple to have multiple eggs fertilized and frozen and not implant them.

Sadly, because of the cost of IVF, many couples choose to fertilize more eggs than they plan on having children. This is clearly against Scripture. One would likely need to avoid fertilizing more than 1-2 eggs in order to be above reproach in this area and be sure that all eggs are implanted.

For believers, we understand that life begins at conception (you can listen to the podcast on abortion for some of the verses that speak to this - Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:41, Psalm 139). Even though this is artificial conception, we would still understand that these embryos are viable and if implanted into a uterus, will become a human being. The act of coming together of the sperm and egg still occur through these artificial means and should be respected as life.

Embryo Destruction

Some of these embryos are destroyed that are not favorable per the lab or physician. This puts man in the place of God by choosing which ones are worthy to move to the next step. It also could be seen as murder (Exodus 20:13) as these unfavorable embryos are destroyed. Some are also destroyed because they are unwanted.

One would need to be sure that there was an appropriate process for seeing whether an embryo was viable or not and whether embryos would be discarded or not.

Embryo Flooding

Some reproductive physicians will flood the uterus with multiple embryos and abort the ones that are not wanted. They do this to try to increase the odds of pregnancy. This is clearly against Scripture as already stated. Psalm 139 and Exodus 20:13 clearly teach the sanctity of human life.

Also, it should be noted that according to an article in 2020 in the fertility journal MEFSJ, this concept is not accurate and should not be performed.

https://mefj.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43043-020-00042-3

As we begin to conclude our discussion today, I have a final couple of warnings for those who have consciences that do not rule out IVF (assuming that all of the above clear violations of Scripture are avoided).

This should only be for a married man and woman in a committed marriage.

This is clear from many Biblical principles.

It is the two that become one flesh in Genesis 2:24.

Children are best raised in a family with a loving mother and father (Exodus 20:12, Colossians 3:20, Ephesians 6:1).

Other forms of this would be outside of the bounds of the family unit as described throughout the Scriptures.

The embryo should be treated as a human person from the moment of fertilization - aka conception.

Consider the murder of an unborn baby in Exodus 21:22-25 which required capital punishment under the Law.

I pray that today’s discussion has helped clear up the definitively sinful aspects of IVF and also pointed out the areas of difficulty in this discussion. Many may be very set against this procedure, and we should respect those who feel that way. I, personally, would really struggle going through IVF because of the trust that I would have to have in the physician and lab team performing the necessary procedures. They would have to be like-minded in their view of the sanctity of life and do all that they can to ensure that all embryos are accounted for and implanted. In a world marred by sin, this is a high standard that would be difficult to find.

It appears that IVF can be done without an obvious violation of Scripture only if performed within ideal parameters. Sadly, these ideal parameters are very uncommon in modern reproductive circles.

If you are considering IVF today, I pray that you continue researching and seeking the Lord in prayer. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions to your physician. This is a huge decision and should not be taken lightly.

(Slide Closing 1)

This presentation has been put together to strengthen the faith of believers and to challenge the unbelief of others. I pray that you have found this presentation helpful.

Also, please note that this 10-15 minute presentation cannot exhaustively address most issues. My prayer is that it stimulates you to personally research further, and I am assured that you will find the Word of God proven time and time again.

(Slide Closing 2 with outro music)

Feel free to email any ideas you would like to see addressed by emailing me at crosspointewv@gmail.com. There are slides prepared for each of these presentations which can be accessed at our church website at crosspointefamily.church and select ATG. God bless and have a blessed week.

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