Egg donation and surrogacy

[SimplyComplex]

Ive gotten mixed responses when it comes to the Christian view of egg donating and/or surrogacy. On one hand I believe if God wants a coupld to have children then they should be able to concieve, but then again there have been couples who have tried and tried and then one day they get their miracle.

On the other hand I believe that God can place people in others lives to help them. It truely would be a gift to give someone a child. But Im not sure exactly how to feel about it or if they Bible says anything on it.

Does anyone have any information on Egg donation or surrogacy and the christian women.

Thanks in advance.

 

[max1120]

Egg donation and surrogacy are a wonderful blessing for the millions of couples who would be otherwise unable to have children and experience the joy that comes with that experience. I thank god for those who have and continue to help with this important work. My fiance and I are planing on using donor eggs. It is a wonderful blessing and we are thankful to the doctors and scientist whose research lead to this ability and those wonderful persons who have donated eggs so that we could have a child.

There is nothing wrong with it and it is a wonderful thing that we should be thankful for indeed!

 

[aunt_kelly]

I agree, I have nothing against it. Obviously, it wouldn't be the couples first route. They would of course try to conceive naturally, then through different tests and drugs but if the ultimate answer were infertility... why not?!

Personally, I would only use donor eggs if needed. I would have a harder time with surrogacy, mostly because of the intense emotional attachment that a woman could get to the baby they are carrying.

 

[max1120]

I agree, I have nothing against it. Obviously, it wouldn't be the couples first route. They would of course try to conceive naturally, then through different tests and drugs but if the ultimate answer were infertility... why not?!

Personally, I would only use donor eggs if needed. I would have a harder time with surrogacy, mostly because of the intense emotional attachment that a woman could get to the baby they are carrying.

I think we would agree. Donor egg really is the last hope (at least for us) and we are hoping to not use a surogate although if it came to that we would do so. The law is much clearer now than it was in the past and at least in California I know that it is very difficult for the surogate to try and keep the child. The law now offers far more protection to the genetic parents than it did in the past. But again we are hoping to avoid that and have her carry the donor eggs which is also her preference also.

 

[jgonz]

I don't have a problem with surrogacy, as long as the woman who is carrying the baby and the parents are very very clear with all the details. I think it's a wonderful gift to be able to give someone else a child.

I seriously considered doing this for my cousin, who had one miscarriage after another... She finally conceived and carried full term (her team of doctors had finally figured out what her health issues were that were preventing it before), so I never did offer. She ended up having 3 girls over the next few years.

Anyway, I agree~ donor eggs would probably be the first route to try before surrogacy. Although it would depend on the specifics now that I'm thinking about it...

 

[Sabertooth]

I think donor eggs are less-than-ideal. It is like giving half of a child away. I believe that the children who have our genes need us as parents to guide them through the qualities they inherited from us. Near relatives are next best in that regard. I realize that not all arrangements are ideal because of sin and death in the world, but ideals should guide our choices, whenever possible.

Secondly, I believe God holds us responsible for the choices we make on behalf of our (half?) children, even willful abdication of parental responsibility. Moses and Samuel show that that choice can be made, but I believe it to be the exception rather than the rule. I cannot compel another to continue raising my (as in descendant, not possession) child "in the fear and admonition of the Lord," if [the parents] ever decide to forsake Him (or enter a cult, etc.).

The Bible is silent on the matter, so it isn't necessarily sin, but these issues, at least, warrant very careful selection on whom we distribute our gametes to.

I don't see any issues with surrogacy, as long as the surrogate takes reasonably good care of her own health (such as not smoking, excessive drinking, etc.).

 

[aunt_kelly]

I never thought about it from the donor's perspective. But, honestly, I don't know if I'd hold myself accountable for 'parenting' a child to whom has some of my DNA but is being raised by 2 other individuals.

I think the reason why so many of us are hesitant about surrogacy is the involvement of that 3rd person. I, as a woman, can control myself throughout a pregnancy making my own decisions on what to eat, drink, and do. I cannot control a 3rd party like that, even if she has been told by medical professionals to not drink, smoke or go on rollercoasters. Not to mention the emotional connection that any woman should naturally feel after carrying a baby inside of her and taking care of the baby for the first 40 weeks of its life.

 

[Sabertooth]

I don't think the attachment issues are as severe, when the surrogate is a relative.

I recall that there is a sort of sperm donation in the Bible (see Deut. 25:5, 6), but it is Israel-specific (tied to tribal land ownership) and not indiscriminant.