Sir, there is a case I know which is very recent. The couple are very devoted Christians. They have been actively involved in the work of God. Their union is close to 15 years, but no children yet. After these years of waiting with continuous fasting and prayer with no solution in site, they decided to go medical. The results of their medical examination revealed that the man was alright. Meanwhile, the woman was diagnosed with low quality eggs, meaning that the woman’s eggs cannot be utilised for the proposed IVF. Thus, the doctor recommended the use of a donor eggs. The donor will receive appropriate financial compensation, although the identity of the recipient will not be disclosed to her.
Questions:
1. From biblical point of view, what is your counsel for this couple?
2. Similarly, the doctor already informed them that if they go ahead with the IVF, there’s the possibility of having up to ten fertilised eggs. Meanwhile, they can only use two at a time. The remainder can either be preserved for future use which will require payment of about N350,000 every six months, until they are needed. Alternatively, the remaining balance of fertilised eggs can be destroyed.
What is your advice Sir?
Additional information:
The couple are not even financially buoyant enough to pay for the first session of the procedures, not to talk of paying for the preservation of unused fertilised eggs.
Secondly, the doctor informed them that it is currently illegal in Nigeria to use such fertilised eggs for other couples.
Thanks Sir, as I wait patiently for your fatherly and godly counsel.
Thanks.
These questions can be summarised into the following:
1. Is IVF a sin?
2. Is Egg Donation Sinful?
3. Is Sperm Donation Sinful?
4. Is Embryo Donation Sinful?
5. Is preservation of unused fertilised eggs in the process of IVF sinful?
ANSWERS
Sometimes, infertile couples seek for donations of eggs from other women or donations of sperms from some other men to assist them in conceptions. The way it works is mostly through artificial insemination or through in vitro fertilization.
There are so much arguments as to whether donations of eggs or sperms are charitable deeds or sinful acts. One of the arguments is that inasmuch as donations and receptions of other body organs such as kidneys, hearts, eyes, and blood are to save some people’s lives, there should be no guilt if a woman donates her eggs to (or receives eggs from) another couple to assist them in conception.
Similarly, the argument continues, a couple could receive anonymously donated sperm or a young man donates his sperm to help infertile couples to conceive.
These days, donations of eggs and sperms, in some countries, have so much been commercialized and turned into big businesses to the extent that some young women and men make fortunes from donating their eggs and sperms. There are egg banks and sperm banks whose purposes are to buy and sell in such products.
Sometimes, such banks equally provide storage facilities for excess and left over zygotes and fetuses (fertilized eggs) emanating from IVF procedures. These are biomedical stores where infertile couples, surrogate mothers, couples with unhealthy eggs or sperms, single parents, lesbians, gays, and a host of members of LGBT (Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender) community sometimes patronize in order to assist in becoming pregnant. While some countries have legalized these procedures some practitioners do these illegally
A sperm bank is a place specially designed where human semen are collected from sperm donors and preserved for future use. Such donated sperms may be used for reproductive, educational or research purposes. Most often, women who need sperm contact sperm banks, pay the specified fees and get artificially inseminated for the purpose of pregnancy. Sperm donors are usually screened to ensure only quality sperms are stored. Infertile couples, single mothers, lesbians and those who may not be able to get pregnant through the natural process often resort to these banks in order to have biological children. Sperm donors do not usually have control on the uses of their semen. Also, women who collect such sperms do not usually have any relationship with the sperm donors. In rare occasions, some women do use donated semen from known donors. In such instances, the child from such pregnancy may still be acquainted with his biological father later in life.
Sperm banks can also sometimes arrange with their women client to use semen from same donor for more than one pregnancy. In other words, a woman can have all her children by sticking to sperms donated by one donor, whether she knows the donor or not. In almost all the cases, sperm donors don’t bear responsibilities or legal strings on the children produced from their donated sperms collected from sperm banks.
These days, sperm banks usually advertise for sperm donors to donate for agreed fees. There are of course some sperm donors who are selfless and philanthropic and would never charge a fee.
Sperm are usually collected when donors ejaculate (perhaps through masturbation) and sometimes into a collection condom during sexual intercourse. Donated sperms are preserved by freezing.
Infertile couples, men with low-sperm-count, women with genetic reproductive disorders, single women, lesbians, bisexual women, etc. find solace in the services of sperm banks.
Some other men may decide to keep their sperms in Sperm Banks if they want to go to war or want to perform surgery involving their testicles. In the event of any untoward thing happening to such a man, his spouse can approach the sperm bank to inseminate herself with the donated semen of her husband.
Sometimes, Sperm Banks do sperm sorting for their clients. This is a technique where beneficiaries of sperm donation select the sex of their expected baby.
As a way of justifying the actions of sperm donors, protagonists rationalize their actions reasoning that they are out assisting childless couples and helping women with reproductive problems. They quipped: how else could these women have been able to have children but for their donated sperms? Moreover, if in a bid to save the life of a man, transplants of body parts, say of kidney, could be Biblically permitted, what stops a man from donating his semen and a woman from collecting donated semen in order to remove the reproach of childlessness?
As a matter of fact, in these days of economic hardship, can’t a Christian be a professional sperm donor so as to make ends meet? After all, God can work through unusual ways to meet the financial needs of His children!
Now back to the argument as to the sinfulness of egg or sperm donations or receptions either anonymously or otherwise. The questions begging for answers are: what does the Bible say on sperm bank? Can a Christian man donate his semen to be kept in sperm bank for whatever purposes – research, educational, donation to infertile couple either with a fee or philanthropically? Can a Christian woman, under any circumstance, receive sperm from a sperm donor or sperm bank whether anonymous or not?
Incidentally, there’s no portion of the Bible where these are categorically encouraged or forbidden. Perhaps this is because egg and sperm donations are of recent medical technologies. But there are some eternal Scriptural guides that can be relied on and applied accordingly. No doubt, there are many Scriptural, legal, ethical and moral concerns about sperm donation. But firstly, it must be acknowledged that the Bible does not directly mention anything sperm bank, sperm donation or sperm sorting of any kind. All these are of modern medical inventions, which were non-existent as at the time the Holy Bible was canonized. This notwithstanding, there are some verses of the Scriptures where issues as these can be inferred.
Secondly, it must be noted that God is the owner of life. Human and animate life oozes from Him. According to Genesis 2:7, it was the breath of God upon the clay-man-mould that turned man into a living soul. Every living being owes his or her liveliness to Him. No human being can create life. This is why, for example, with all the medical knowledge of the chemical composition of blood, yet, no scientist is able to create human blood. If anyone needs blood transfusion, for instance, it still has to be from the existing blood of a lively being. Because, as simple as it looks, the blood contains the life that God gave it in the beginning. Leviticus 17:11 says “for the life of the flesh is in the blood…”
This goes to say therefore, that there’s no amount of sperm donation from any donor and to any recipient, and with all the processes of insemination that follow, if God is not involved, no child can come out alive. Nobody can obtain anything except it be given to him from the Lord (John 3:27). God is the ultimate arbiter: whether a child comes to life or not, whatever the medical procedures. In other words, medical aids may assist in pregnancy, but God is the life-giver of a new baby. Hence, Psalm 127:3 stressed that children are God’s blessing.
Thirdly, it is imperative to note that donations of eggs and sperms cannot be compared with donations of any other human parts like kidneys, hearts, etc. This is because while eggs and sperms are meant to create a new born, or bring a completely new life to the world, other body parts are meant to preserve or heal the life of someone who is already living in the world.
Fourthly, according to Hebrews 13:4, marital union is a sacred institution that should be considered honorable. In fact, according to Genesis 2:24, marriage demands that a man should “leave” his father and mother and “cleave” to his own wife in order to become “one flesh”. Essentially, therefore, marriage makes two individuals of the opposite sexes to become one indivisible entity. One of the products of marital union is the offsprings (the children). Diluting the products of this marital entity by introducing the donated eggs or sperms of a third party can only be described as biomedical-sexual adultery. Irrespective of the “womb” through which such child comes to the world, he or she will be biologically the offspring of “one of the couples and the other third person” whose egg or sperm has been used to conceive the child. When such child grows up, he or she might be emotionally distressed on getting to know that one of his or her parents is not biologically his or hers. Needless to mention, that these days there are thousands of such people who have been brought into the world through this procedure and are now searching for their real biological parents through the internet and other sources.
In other words, for any recipient woman, if sperms are donated and are not from one’s legitimate spouse, logically, therefore, it renders its product illegitimate. It is perversion of the procreation process. But then, even if illegitimate children are born out of these medical procedures, it could only have been by God’s permission. But that God permits such does not mean that it’s His perfect will. Exodus 20:14 says: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This includes biomedical adultery. Also, Leviticus 20:10 says: “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”
Finally, on this issue, in recent times, especially in the western world, sperm banks are often being looked upon as a cure for infertility. This can never be. Rather, it is more of substituting for fatherhood. It is actually a threat to the traditional and cultural family set up. By using sperm banks, women can easily discard away with co-habitation with men. In the long-run, it encourages single motherhood and especially lesbianism. A child born out of sperm banks may grow up with little or no regard for fatherhood. On a more serious note, how does a woman ascertain that the semen she collects from a sperm bank, for instance, is not that of her father’s who had donated anonymously?
Now, in particular to egg donation: What is the meaning of egg donation? Egg donation is the practice whereby a woman gives her eggs for the purpose of assisting someone to be able to produce children or for the purpose of medical research. Such eggs can be used immediately after donation by fertilizing them in a laboratory through the process of in vitro fertilization or the eggs could be frozen for future use.
Many infertile couples, single mothers, women whose eggs have been proved to be unviable, women whose eggs have genetic deformities, women with early onset of menopause, women who have long passed their menstrual cycle with old age, women without ovaries, women with damaged ovaries, women whose ovaries were surgically removed, lesbians and homosexual couples using surrogate mothers, all and many other similar cases do resort to these means in order to have children. The egg donor may offer her egg in return for monetary rewards, or to assist someone of blood relations or benevolently. These days, there exists egg donor agents recruiting prospective young women, especially students, and promising high financial rewards.
Further, we need to address the issue of embryo donation. What is the meaning of embryo donation? An embryo is the product of the fertilization of a man’s sperm and a woman’s egg. Sometimes, in the cause of in vitro fertilization procedures, there could be instances of surplus fertilized eggs; that is, the production of much more embryos than what is needed for a woman’s pregnancy at a time. Such embryos are often donated to other women that are in need or donated to an Embryo Bank where they can be frozen and later thawed for use when needed. Some couples, in such cases where the husband’s sperm is incapable of fertilizing his wife’s egg and/or when his wife’s egg is unviable, often resort to receiving donated embryos.
What is the Biblical stand on egg donation? What is the Biblical view on embryo donation? Can a Christian couple receive eggs from the “World Egg Bank”? Is it Biblical for a Christian woman to donate or receive embryos?
Firstly, it must be conceded again that egg and embryo donations are products of recent medical technologies. Thus, there is no reference to all these modern medical inventions in the Bible. Nonetheless, the general rule subsists. In cases like this, whatever would make the egg of a woman to be fertilized with another man’s sperm looks more like biomedical sexual adultery and thus unbiblical.
But then, someone may argue, that, if Christians can donate, receive and transplant various body organs or donate and receive transfusion of blood why should anonymous egg and embryo donation and reception be unbiblical?
The point here is that the reception of an egg from another woman being fertilized by a man other than her husband is like when a man has conjugal love with another woman who is not his legitimate wife. An offspring from such enterprise can best be described as a product of adultery. The only sperm that should fertilize a woman’s egg is that of her husband’s.
It must be emphasized that the original intention of God in designing marriage, according to Genesis 2:24, marriage is the joining together of a man and a woman to become “one flesh.” In essence, therefore, when a man’s sperm transits to another woman’s egg or a woman’s egg crosses another man’s sperm other than in a marriage relationship as God designed it to be, it becomes sinful
Secondly, according to Psalm 139:13-16, in the cases of donating or receiving embryo, it must be understood that human life starts at the embryonic level
“for thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
Thus, a woman that got an embryo implanted in her uterus, especially if it is not her husband’s sperm that fertilized the egg and the egg is not hers, can best be described as a surrogate mother and not the genetic mother of the baby.
Thirdly, as stated earlier, as for donation, reception and transplantation of body organs or transfusion of blood, these are mere body parts or body fluids that have no soul and spirit. An embryo may be a small microscopic object, yet it comprises the body, the soul and the spirit unlike other body parts. It should be borne in mind, no matter the benefits to all parties concerned: Christians must adhere to the admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, to “abstain from all appearances of evil!” It could only be better imagined than experienced, the psychological trauma a child born of egg donation undergoes in ascertaining his or her biological parent. Much worse than this is the risk of multiple births that could result from implantation of many eggs on the uterus of recipient woman!
