Recently a bill was passed in the Louisiana legislature that would make it easier for families to contract with women as surrogate mothers. The bill has now gone to Governor Bobby Jindal for his signature or veto. It’s also an issue that Christians should pay close attention to.
In this episode of the “Moore to the Point” audio program, I welcome bioethicist Jennifer Lahl, the founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network to discuss this difficult issue. Mrs. Lahl is an expert when it comes to surrogacy and is a winsome voice for how to think about ethical issues from a biblical perspective.
I think this bill is bad for women, and bad for kids. Commercial surrogacy severs procreation from the one flesh union. Commercial surrogacy also commodifies women and children. There are some things that shouldn’t be for sale, and the womb is one of those things. Women and children aren’t objects to be commercialized, but persons to be respected.
I hope that Governor Jindal vetoes this bill. In the meantime, the issue of surrogacy has given Jennifer Lahl and I the opportunity to talk about a broader question: How do our churches deal with infertility in a way that responds both to the hurt of infertile couples and also to the ethical implications of fast-changing technologies?
Listen to the program, and let us know how you think our churches should address the ongoing biomedical revolutions.
