Should Christians be surrogates?

[Nick]

Well what do you think? Should Christian [women] be surrogates? Say for intsance like these http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/stor ... ogate-mums.

And for that matter, how about sperm donations?

Should people who can have children be helping those who can't in this kind of way?

 

[jasoncran]

why not?
as long as the donor can control that the fact that his sperm may produce extra embroys that should be stored and used only for the potential of becoming a baby and not stem cell reasearch.

some want kids and cant have them other want to adopt and should.

great another stem cell debate
lets avoid this.

 

[watchman F]

Mary was a surrogate

 

[Nick]

yes, lets avoid a stem cell debate please.

 

[Tina]

.

Mary was a surrogate

And in the Old Testament, it was Hagar, when Abraham and Sarah thought they were too old to conceive. But of course, this is a far cry from Mary, who conceived the Son of God. Hagar's child, Ishmael turned out to be mistake !

The Bible neither condones nor forbids surrogacy. It's almost like adoption and I don't think God has a problem with that. I kow many adopted people that are church leaders today.

 

[Caroline H]

I don't think Christians should be surrogates because I think it is taking matters too much into one's own hands. I believe that if God wills for a couple to have their own biological children He will cause it to happen, and that if He doesn't allow it it is for a specific reason. And I would hardly call Mary a surrogate mother I definitely don't believe sperm or egg donation should be an option for Christians either.

 

[watchman F]

I don't think Christians should be surrogates because I think it is taking matters too much into one's own hands. I believe that if God wills for a couple to have their own biological children He will cause it to happen, and that if He doesn't allow it it is for a specific reason. And I would hardly call Mary a surrogate mother I definitely don't believe sperm or egg donation should be an option for Christians either.

I understand you point of view about not taking matters into your own hands over God's (I do not know if I agree or not). But what about people who decide they do not want anymore kids. Isn't that taking matters into your oqwn hands as well? Are you against Christians doing that?

P.S. What do you mean Mary was not a surrogate?

 

[Caroline H]

About people not wanting any more children, I understand that point of view. However, I know that there are ways of preventing pregnancy naturally without using medical methods. Now, I know that if God wants a couple to have a child, it won't matter what procedure has been done or what medication is taken, but my conviction on this is that it is a form of surrender to God to not intervene beyond the method of timing. It is like saying to God, "I know that your will is best, but I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid what might be your will." But that is another discussion which doesn't fit with this topic. :yes

I wouldn't call Mary a surrogate because Jesus was biologically her son, she wasn't just an "incubator."

 

[watchman F]

About people not wanting any more children, I understand that point of view. However, I know that there are ways of preventing pregnancy naturally without using medical methods. Now, I know that if God wants a couple to have a child, it won't matter what procedure has been done or what medication is taken, but my conviction on this is that it is a form of surrender to God to not intervene beyond the method of timing. It is like saying to God, "I know that your will is best, but I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid what might be your will." But that is another discussion which doesn't fit with this topic. :yes

I see

I wouldn't call Mary a surrogate because Jesus was biologically her son, she wasn't just an "incubator."

This is a little off the subject, but I do not think Jesus was Mary's biological Child. He is God the Father's Son. Mary simply bore, birthed, and raised Him.

 

[Nick]

Watchman, A surrogate does not raise a child. Was Jesus biologically Mary's son with her DNA? Obviously we can never know.

I think this is a tough issue, as I can see both sides of the arguement as almost equally 'matched'. I understand that we have God's Will that and that we shouldn't interfere, but I'm also struggling with the idea that why can't a couple not have kids if they cannot?

 

[handy]

I understand what drives folks to have a child by any means possible. However, when it became clear that I couldn't have kids, my husband and I were committed to adoption. We just couldn't see being able to justify the expense, not to mention the serious ethical considerations of surrogacy or in-vitro alternatives. Not when there are so many kids already alive and desperately needing a home.

 

[Caroline H]

I understand what drives folks to have a child by any means possible. However, when it became clear that I couldn't have kids, my husband and I were committed to adoption. We just couldn't see being able to justify the expense, not to mention the serious ethical considerations of surrogacy or in-vitro alternatives. Not when there are so many kids already alive and desperately needing a home.

Amen :yes I would even venture (and have done in a paper I wrote on the subject of reproductive technologies for my Christian Ethics class last semester) to say that if a couple is having that much of a hard time conceiving, maybe it is God's will for the couple to adopt. Think about it, if He gives you such a strong desire to be parents yet does not allow you to conceive, would it not be probable that He desires for you to be parents to a child/children who have no parents? An excerpt from my paper:

James 1:27 states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world†(ESV). While this verse is not advocating adoption, it would not be incorrect to apply the exhortation to visit the orphans in their affliction to the practice of adoption. The reports are conflicting, but there are estimated to be between one hundred and fourteen million to two hundred and ten million orphans worldwide. In the U.S. alone there are around seven million infertile couples each year. Rather than spending the $1 billion on creating new life, and possibly throwing away another million embryos, more couples, especially Christian couples, could consider adopting a homeless child as an alternative to treatment when fertility medications and natural remedies fail.

 

[Mysteryman]

I understand what drives folks to have a child by any means possible. However, when it became clear that I couldn't have kids, my husband and I were committed to adoption. We just couldn't see being able to justify the expense, not to mention the serious ethical considerations of surrogacy or in-vitro alternatives. Not when there are so many kids already alive and desperately needing a home.

Hi handy

The same held true with my daughter, who happens to be my oldest child. She and her husband also adopted two children that needed good homes. And these two adopted children are just as if they are their own. A bond has been formed. And the two call them mommy and daddy.

The question as to if christians should be surrogates. I do not think this is a good idea. I believe that christians should be example to others as to what a christian life style is suppose to be like. Which includes walking by faith, and agreeing with the will of God as to whom God decides who will have children. We read in the scriptures of God opening and closing the womb of a woman or women for certain purposes.

So I would say - no they shouldn't

 

[watchman F]

Watchman, A surrogate does not raise a child. Was Jesus biologically Mary's son with her DNA? Obviously we can never know.

She did raise Him so in that sense you are right she was not a surrogate.

 

[Nick]

I understand what drives folks to have a child by any means possible. However, when it became clear that I couldn't have kids, my husband and I were committed to adoption. We just couldn't see being able to justify the expense, not to mention the serious ethical considerations of surrogacy or in-vitro alternatives. Not when there are so many kids already alive and desperately needing a home.

Amen :yes I would even venture (and have done in a paper I wrote on the subject of reproductive technologies for my Christian Ethics class last semester) to say that if a couple is having that much of a hard time conceiving, maybe it is God's will for the couple to adopt. Think about it, if He gives you such a strong desire to be parents yet does not allow you to conceive, would it not be probable that He desires for you to be parents to a child/children who have no parents? An excerpt from my paper:

James 1:27 states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world†(ESV). While this verse is not advocating adoption, it would not be incorrect to apply the exhortation to visit the orphans in their affliction to the practice of adoption. The reports are conflicting, but there are estimated to be between one hundred and fourteen million to two hundred and ten million orphans worldwide. In the U.S. alone there are around seven million infertile couples each year. Rather than spending the $1 billion on creating new life, and possibly throwing away another million embryos, more couples, especially Christian couples, could consider adopting a homeless child as an alternative to treatment when fertility medications and natural remedies fail.

I think we are in agreement. So many children need adoptng.

Anyone seen the movie Juno?

 

[Caroline H]

Yeah, Tim and I watched it at a friends once...we hated it! But yes, it does make the point that there are so many babies out there that are unwanted

 

[Nick]

Yeah, Tim and I watched it at a friends once...we hated it! But yes, it does make the point that there are so many babies out there that are unwanted

I thought it was a very good movie. I think that it does make a good point about teenage pregancies and what can happen, and the adoption thing. I thought it was a good message.

 

[NinaMMitchell]

I don't think Christians should be surrogates because I think it is taking matters too much into one's own hands. I believe that if God wills for a couple to have their own biological children He will cause it to happen, and that if He doesn't allow it it is for a specific reason. And I would hardly call Mary a surrogate mother I definitely don't believe sperm or egg donation should be an option for Christians either.

Well, yeah it is in God's hands, but why wouldn't it be in His will for someone else to carry that baby if she can't do it? I really don't see how it's taking matters too much into your own hands. Are you also against fertility treatments, or on the other end of the spectrum, birth control? I mean, my mom's about the most Christian women you'd ever want to meet, and I'm on this planet b/c she and my dad "took matters into their own hands".

 

[Caroline H]

I don't think Christians should be surrogates because I think it is taking matters too much into one's own hands. I believe that if God wills for a couple to have their own biological children He will cause it to happen, and that if He doesn't allow it it is for a specific reason. And I would hardly call Mary a surrogate mother I definitely don't believe sperm or egg donation should be an option for Christians either.

Well, yeah it is in God's hands, but why wouldn't it be in His will for someone else to carry that baby if she can't do it? I really don't see how it's taking matters too much into your own hands. Are you also against fertility treatments, or on the other end of the spectrum, birth control? I mean, my mom's about the most Christian women you'd ever want to meet, and I'm on this planet b/c she and my dad "took matters into their own hands".

Well, like I said in an earlier post...that is another topic altogether, and I don't want to derail this thread with discussions on birth control. What I do know is that the Bible does not address these issues (obviously because the technology didn't exist), and so to presume that it is sinful to use birth control or surrogacy (sperm donation not included) ventures into the realm of legalism, which I'm not too fond of in the least. I think that people should wholeheartedly seek the Lord in these matters, and not proceed at all until they are clear that it is ok...but that should apply to all things in life anyway. I do know that it isn't something that I could ever do and have a clear conscience about, especially since there are so many needy children in this world already, as I have mentioned.