{"id":2282730,"date":"2024-06-24T14:09:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T18:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-we-should-all-grapple-with-the-moral-pitfalls-of-ivf\/"},"modified":"2024-06-24T14:18:25","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T18:18:25","slug":"why-we-should-all-grapple-with-the-moral-pitfalls-of-ivf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-we-should-all-grapple-with-the-moral-pitfalls-of-ivf\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Should All Grapple With The Moral Pitfalls Of IVF"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-we-should-all-grapple-with-the-moral-pitfalls-of-ivf%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2282730&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>British-American columnist Andrew Sullivan\u2062 recently expressed his deep reservations about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-dhs-group-called-being-religious-an-indicator-of-domestic-terrorism\/\" title=\"Report: DHS Group Labels 'Religious' as an 'Indicator' of Domestic Terrorism\">ethical dilemmas posed<\/a> by in vitro fertilization (IVF) in his essay &#8220;My Problem With IVF \u2014\u200b And Ours.&#8221; Sullivan criticizes the practice\u200c for contributing to the creation and eventual destruction of\u200d human embryos, which he \u2062views as a violation\u200c of\u2063 human dignity. Although he supports sexual \u200dfreedom, contraception,\u2064 and legal abortion rights, Sullivan is troubled by the idea\u200d of creating lives only to potentially discard them as waste, and he highlights\u2063 the\u2064 moral concerns related to eugenics and the commodification of human life inherent to the fertility industry.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his critique, \u2064Sullivan does not provide a definitive\u200b stance against all aspects of IVF but\u200c instead insists on the need for a broader, thoughtful public\u200d discussion about the moral implications of\u2064 reproductive\u2063 technologies. This call for dialogue echoes\u200d historical debates led by figures\u2062 like Christopher Hitchens, \u200cwho similarly challenged societal norms regarding sensitive life issues. Sullivan&#8217;s reflections contribute to ongoing discussions \u2062about\u2062 how society should responsibly navigate\u2063 the complex ethical landscapes introduced by advances in reproductive technology.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Renowned British-American columnist Andrew Sullivan made waves this weekend when he debuted an article grappling with the moral and ethical implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF).<\/p>\n<p>In his essay titled <a href=\"https:\/\/andrewsullivan.substack.com\/p\/my-problem-with-ivf-and-ours-3ea?utm_source=post-email-title&#038;publication_id=61371&#038;post_id=145841289&#038;utm_campaign=email-post-title&#038;isFreemail=true&#038;r=2xssg&#038;triedRedirect=true&#038;utm_medium=email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cMy Problem With IVF \u2014 And Ours,\u201d<\/a> Sullivan declared that he simply can\u2019t stomach the popular practice that is responsible for manufacturing the estimated million embryos frozen in time in cryogenic tanks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]he conscious choice to create a human life, and to keep it alive in perpetuity, but never allow it to breathe a single breath, disturbs me,\u201d Sullivan writes. <\/p>\n<p>Sullivan is no social conservative with a cohesive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/activists-already-licking-their-chops-at-getting-taxpayers-to-pay-for-abortions-amid-potential-biden-admin\/\" title=\"Activists Already Licking Their Chops at Getting Taxpayers To Pay for Abortions Amid Potential Biden Admin\">pro-life<\/a> philosophy. In the article, he explicitly expresses support for \u201cmaximal sexual freedom for consenting adults,\u201d \u201cwidespread use of contraception,\u201d and \u201cany and all methods to help couples facing fertility issues.\u201d And even though he confesses he \u201cpersonally cannot accept the morality of consciously ending a human life, especially one so vulnerable in the womb,\u201d he remains a proponent of \u201clegal abortion rights for all women.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p>He also spends at least one paragraph lamenting \u201cmany on the theocon right\u201d and their grievances with the surrogacy industry, ignoring its direct link to IVF and the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/12\/04\/the-conservative-pro-life-case-against-surrogacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inevitable<\/a> consequences renting a womb has on children\u2019s rights and women.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, Sullivan ultimately reaches a conclusion about IVF that few in his shoes have been willing to say aloud: Creating human lives in a lab \u201conly to destroy them as waste\u201d is wrong.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/art\/artdata\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hundreds of thousands<\/a> of U.S. IVF cycles yield big batches of embryos every year. Yet, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-2255107\/1-7-million-embryos-created-IVF-thrown-away-just-7-cent-lead-pregnancy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only an estimated 7 percent<\/a> of these test tube babies survive the treacherous journey from petri dish to freezer to womb. These embryos, Sullivan accurately notes, are \u201cquite simply a means to an end, violating a basic norm of inviolable human dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sullivan goes far beyond \u201cbalking\u201d at the serial creation and destruction of embryos exploited to \u201cbeat the odds.\u201d He calls out the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/05\/07\/orchid-healths-genome-testing-promises-healthy-babies-but-delivers-morally-deplorable-eugenics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eugenics undertones<\/a> often promoted by the fertility industry via embryo selection and wonders how \u201csacrificing many sons and daughters to create one\u201d is anything but \u201cevil.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The writer does not offer the most clear-cut defense of embryonic life. He does, however, showcase how important it is for everyone \u2014 not just pro-life Christians concerned about the ethical minefield presented by advancements in assisted reproductive technology \u2014 to wrestle with the nitty gritty parts of IVF.<\/p>\n<p>A similar cultural case for grappling about life was made 36 years ago in 1988 by famed left-wing atheist Christopher Hitchens who <a href=\"https:\/\/crisismagazine.com\/opinion\/a-left-wing-atheists-case-against-abortion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">came out against abortion<\/a> after dubbing it \u201can extremely grave social issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ending unborn life, Hitchens told his brother in an interview, didn\u2019t just make him \u201cqueasy\u201d \u2014 it does not make moral sense.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you allow that the occupant of the womb is even <em>potentially<\/em> a life, it cuts athwart any glib invocation of \u2018the woman\u2019s right to choose,\u2019\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<h2>There Is Humanity In Examining Humanity<\/h2>\n<p>Sullivan\u2019s specific argument against IVF is laced with an inconsistency that, despite plaguing a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/06\/20\/to-be-pro-life-politicians-must-stand-for-all-babies-from-conception-even-when-it-happens-in-a-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">large portion of the so-called pro-life political right<\/a>, is not compatible with successfully curbing Big Fertility or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-sues-texas-for-law-protecting-unborn-babies-with-heart-activity-clearly-unconstitutional\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Sues Texas For Law Protecting Unborn Babies With Heart Activity: \u2018Clearly Unconstitutional\u2019\">protecting unborn babies<\/a>. There still exists a large disconnect for many between protecting life only when it is desired and protecting it because it is life. <\/p>\n<p>Yet, Sullivan\u2019s stream of consciousness gives a good window into why even people who do not consider themselves pro-life should oppose IVF and why we should keep talking about it.<\/p>\n<p>Widespread endorsement of IVF emboldens an industry that prioritizes <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/14\/its-time-to-stop-treating-assisted-reproductive-technology-as-a-quick-fix-for-infertility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">profit over people<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/06\/22\/abortion-puts-selfish-wants-above-babies-rights-too-often-ivf-does-the-same\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">adults\u2019 selfish desires<\/a> over children\u2019s natural rights, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/25\/what-if-we-can-heal-infertile-women-rather-than-turning-to-expensive-unethical-ivf-treatments-first\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">quick fixes<\/a> over long-term women\u2019s health solutions, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/08\/popular-genetic-testing-pits-unborn-siblings-against-each-other-and-the-highest-scorer-gets-to-live\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">desirable traits above all<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/14\/california-bill-would-make-insurance-fund-unlimited-attempts-to-create-motherless-and-fatherless-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">motherless and fatherless children<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/07\/22\/the-global-fertility-industry-seeks-to-erase-women-from-procreation-one-manufactured-egg-at-a-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">erasure of women<\/a> in reproduction, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/12\/14\/we-need-to-get-serious-about-meeting-advances-in-reproductive-tech-with-an-actionable-moral-framework\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fertility fraud<\/a>, and making <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/08\/05\/when-sperm-and-eggs-are-monetized-human-existence-becomes-transactional\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">human existence transactional<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court\u2019s <em>Dobbs v. Jackson<\/em> decision raised whispers about ART like IVF but most of the frustration in the aftermath centered on abortion and birth control. It wasn\u2019t until the Alabama Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/20\/what-the-alabama-supreme-courts-ruling-on-frozen-embryos-means-for-big-fertility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reaffirmed<\/a> the sanctity of extrauterine life using the state\u2019s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act earlier this year, however, that the magnifying glass was fully centered on IVF.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, the conversation about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/embryo-dumping-fertility-industry-is-panicked-over-the-potential-overturn-of-roe-v-wade\/\" title=\"Embryo-Dumping Fertility Industry Is Panicked Over The Potential Overturn Of Roe V. Wade\">lab-created life<\/a> has been <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/21\/everything-senate-democrats-lied-about-during-their-ivf-and-abortion-for-all-hearing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tainted<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/07\/biden-kicks-off-state-of-the-union-with-whoppers-about-alabama-ivf-ruling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lies<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/23\/fearmongering-about-alabama-supreme-court-embryo-ruling-obscures-truth-about-reproductive-tech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">deception<\/a>. There is also a growing effort to use high poll support of IVF to shut down conversations about its consequences.<\/p>\n<p>A few brave souls such as Sullivan have spoken up about the facade behind which the fertility industry sells IVF. Some institutions including the Southern Baptist Convention <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/us-southern-baptists-effort-enshrine-ban-women-pastors-falls-short-2024-06-12\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have even formally condemned the practice<\/a>. But it\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n<p>There comes a time in every person\u2019s life when they grapple with big questions about humanity and existence. One simply can\u2019t reach an adequate conclusion about those reasonings without at least considering when and how life begins. <\/p>\n<p>For a growing number of children, especially those in the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/30\/republicans-press-cdc-over-the-unethical-unchecked-wild-west-fertility-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">widely unregulated fertility market<\/a> in the U.S., life began in a petri dish. Their lives are precious but they came at the cost of others.<\/p>\n<p>As Sullivan writes, the very practice of freezing embryos manufactured via IVF concedes \u201cthat they can one day change from a human being to a human person.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, the embryo has no memory, no sentience when frozen, no mind or will yet. There is no suffering,\u201d Sullivan continued. \u201cBut the lack of suffering does not mean there is no sadness. Or no humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That observation alone should spark a struggle in all of us. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renowned columnist Andrew Sullivan sparked debate with his latest article on the ethical dilemmas of in vitro fertilization (IVF). In &#8220;My Problem With IVF \u2014 And Ours,&#8221; he criticizes the practice, which he believes problematically &#8216;manufactures&#8217; babies, contributing to an estimated million births. His stance has ignited discussions on the morality of IVF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":490,"featured_media":2282731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.02-AM-e1719241976519.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[32470,32469,32471,32468,9484],"class_list":["post-2282730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","tag-assisted-reproduction","tag-bioethics","tag-ethical-dilemmas","tag-ivf","tag-morality"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.02-AM-e1719241976519.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/490"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2282730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2282731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2282730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2282730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2282730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}