Notes from a Symposium on Biomedical Ethics for Birth

This afternoon there was a symposium held on Biomedical Ethics for Birth, with a panel of Doug Phillips, Geoff Botkin, Dr. Ed Payne, and Dan Becker. The Symposium was subtitled, The Brave New World Your Children are Inheriting.

This symposium posed some very though-provoking questions- Is In Vitro Fertilization right or wrong? Is IVF consistent with the right use of medicine? Does man have the right to determine 'quality of life'? What are some of the critical issues that Christians are facing?

I really appreciated Mr. Doug's sentiment, "Science is not the author of life. Doctors are not the authors of life. God is the Author of life!"

Dan Becker, of the Georgia Right to Life, asked, "By what standard?" Think about it. Where do we get our ideas and worldview when it comes to birth, life, and babies? Do we get our viewpoint straight from the Word of God? Or have we been so influenced by our surrounding culture that we view these things the same way it does?

Mr. Becker gave a startling statistic during the panel discussion: "90% of Down's Syndrome children are being aborted today." Shocking, isn't it?

Interestingly, the panel fell on two sides of the debate over IVF. Dan Becker represented the view that IVF is not inherently wrong, and, in fact, looks upon surrogacy and embryonic adoption as "a form of rescue" for these children.

Mr. Phillips, however, articulated the position that,

1.- There is such a thing as medical adultery, and we need to begin using this terminology.

2.- Any attempt to introduce elements from other people outside of the marriage is wrong, perhaps even sinful.

He went on, "I think we should take a stand against surrogacy. Period... I am an emphatic no-surrogacy man. It's clearly unnatural."

Mr. Phillips clearly propounded the position that while we should be concerned about the murder of children, embryonic adoption is not a way to rectify the situation. Thus, "it is better to be obedient than to disobey and 'save life'."

And as he said in closing, "It's either right or wrong."

We must defend life, especially that of the unborn.

We must draw a line in the sand, and stand firm in the face of opposition.

God Bless!