I read a newspaper article the other day, with this headline:
‘Are these babies really a crime?’
Underneath were photographs of two adorable children lovingly clasped in their parents’ arms. It was a story about gestational surrogacy, prompted by the birth of children to high-profile parents through the use of a surrogate mother.
Are they a crime? Of course not. All babies are beautiful, and these children are loved by their families and no doubt bring much joy. But it highlights the difficulty in evaluating the morality of issues in reproduction, because reproductive technologies are aiming to provide things that are in themselves good—things that are normal for humans to desire; things that we all desire. Because these technologies aim to satisfy these good desires, we hesitate to brand them as wrong. Nonetheless, evaluating them objectively is a necessary task if we are to put all areas of our lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
I have written this book in response to many requests from Christians who are struggling to find the information they need to think clearly about the morality of reproductive technology. I write from the perspective of believing that human life begins at fertilization and deserves protection from that time. I will give my reasons for this position, but I accept that some will not agree with me. This book may not be for them (although I hope and trust that it will provide clear and useful information on the current state of play in medicine and technology for all readers). The book will be particularly relevant to those who hold the Christian Bible as authoritative, and want to see how it can be applied to modern reproductive dilemmas.
These matters involve personal decisions for which we will answer to God alone. No blame is intended for those whose past choices are now regretted. We make the best decisions we can with the information we have at the time. I now know from experience how difficult it is to get accurate information on some of these topics. This information is intended to help us look forward, not back, and make the best choices we can in the future. We live in a fallen world and none of us is free from the ravages of sin. Thank God that he knows our hearts and forgives our sins when we confess them to him (as 1 John 1:9 promises). Finally, I realize that some of the subject matter in this book refers to unspeakable personal suffering. May the God of all comfort hold you in the palm of his hand.
Megan Best
July 2012