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VBVMI StaffWhat does the Bible say about the practice of "playing God" and creating life through fertility treatments?
With the rise of infertility, your thoughtful question raises some difficult and complex implications. But since the Bible is silent on the matter specifically, we must be careful not to rush to conclusion. However Scripture does make a case that the work of creating and implanting an embryo is not inherently evil or sinful.
First, God’s word declares human life to be sacrosanct and precious to Him, but also credits God alone as the One causing a child to be born. Consider a sample of Psalms:
So clearly the Lord is the One determining when a child will be born to a family and under what circumstances. Doctors and other professionals play a role in the process but not in the outcome. At best, modern medicine is a tool used by God to bring forth those He has chosen to grant life. In that sense, fertility doctors are no different than the midwives of old, who brought forth children according to God’s purposes.
For example, consider the situation in Egypt during the Exodus:
Ask who was responsible for granting life to these Jewish children? In human terms the answer is the midwives, but in biblical terms the true answer is that God used the midwives to ensure the birth of the children He ordained to live. Likewise, who is responsible for bringing forth children from fertility treatments? Is it the doctors or God?
Finally, consider this well-known psalm:
Who forms the infant who lives? Who wrote the life of each child in the His book prior to birth? So when all is said and done, who is responsible for life and death? God considers new life a blessing and a gift, and so we should too.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org