The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, spoke out against the use of in vitro fertilization at its annual meeting on Wednesday.
Delegates in Indianapolis voted in favor of the resolution, which also urged members of the denomination “to advocate for the government to curb actions inconsistent with the dignity and worth of every human being, which necessarily includes frozen embryonic human beings.” ”
A particularly acute problem for delegates was the creation of multiple embryos through the IVF process, some or all of which may not ultimately be implanted. IVF often involves creating multiple embryos, as not all embryos may be viable. Some frozen embryos may also be discarded after a successful pregnancy, if the patient decides not to use them, or because of other problems such as genetic abnormalities.
Jason Thacker, counsel for the Southern Baptist Resolutions Committee, said at a news conference Wednesday that the resolution “unequivocally” affirmed the Alabama Supreme Court’s position that embryos are considered children regardless of location.
Some abortion opponents who believe that life begins at fertilization have argued that these embryos should have the same rights as humans.
“There is a consistent belief, as our Chairman has stated, that we believe that life begins at conception and should be honored, cherished and protected at all stages, regardless of stage of development or location,” Thacker said.
The SBC resolution argued, “while all children should be fully respected and protected, not all technological means to assist human reproduction are equally God-honoring or morally justified.”
While the resolution expresses sorrow for couples experiencing infertility, it encourages members to “promote adoption” and “consider adopting frozen embryos to save those that will ultimately be destroyed.”
The adoption of the measure comes amid deep concerns that IVF is increasingly threatened by the anti-abortion movement.
These fears have driven both parties to pass legislation at the federal level. Last week, Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Patty Murray of Washington and Cory Booker of New Jersey passed the Right to IVF Act, which aims to protect access to IVF procedures.
IVF has broad approval across all political lines. In an election cycle where opposing reproductive rights could be a political liability, some Republicans have expressed support for fertility treatments.
Republican Senators Katie Britt of Alabama and Ted Cruz of Texas introduced a bill in May with similar goals, but advocates have raised concerns that its scope is too narrow.
In February, an Alabama Supreme Court ruling on frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization of children sparked fear across the country. Although the court’s ruling related to a case in which embryos were accidentally destroyed at a single clinic, patients across the state quickly became trapped as several clinics suspended services following the court’s ruling.
The cases resumed after lawmakers pushed to create a state law intended to protect IVF providers, but industry experts and IVF advocates have warned that this may not be enough to address the broader implications of the ruling to be resolved by the court.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
