This paper will explore the morality of IVF and Surrogacy by considering the motivation driving such practices. Often, the ethical assessment of IVF and Surrogacy focus on various associated issues such as commodifying the body, playing God, or dealing with the creation of and potential destruction of human embryos. While these are necessary and valid pursuits, they don’t sufficiently address whether such medical procedures “should” be pursued. Assessing the motivation underlying these actions will provide moral rationale as to whether these actions are appropriate for the Christian. This oft-overlooked aspect should be foundational to any evaluation of moral action.
The central questions when assessing IVF and Surrogacy are: What is motivating the pursuit of biological children and what are the limits of such efforts? These procedures, which are riddled with expenses, emotional turmoil, and moral concerns, are often driven by desires for biological children. This aligns with the creation mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Christians certainly celebrate procreation within the confines of marriage, but is there a limit to such a pursuit? Does this effort eventually reach the point in which siring biological children becomes an end in itself instead of a means to fulfill the mandate, thereby becoming an idolatrous pursuit.
Though an exploration of biblical principles and medical case studies, this paper will demonstrate that IVF and Surrogacy should not be considered as viable expressions of the creation mandate if other means of fulfilling this call are more feasible from an economic, emotional, and physical perspective. Alternatives such as adoption should be given precedence over IVF and Surrogacy due to both stewardship concepts and the additional instruction to care for orphans. When such viable alternatives are available and not pursued, it will be argued that the motivation is misplaced and, frequently, idolatrous. This effort for biological procreation frequently finds its motivation in the desire to have “one’s own” offspring, if possible, through any means necessary. While believers are called to live sacrificially and be willing to count the costs of the Gospel, this should not be applied to biological procreation to the neglect of caring for the needy.