See this Houston Chronicle story about seriously-premature sextuplets, conceived after fertility treatments. Three of the sextuplets have died since they were born August 4; the surviving three are at serious risk of brain damage and other impairments. The mom is a diabetic and a thyroid-cancer survivor; her first two fertility-treatment pregnancies miscarried, but apparently the third time was a charm, if that's an appropriate expression for such a tragedy.
My sympathy for the parents' heartbreak is largely outweighed by a feeling that they recklessly put innocent newborns in harm's way:
Even with all they've [sic] endured, the Stansels wouldn't do anything differently.
Not the choice to become parents. Not the fertility treatments. Not the choice to proceed with a six-baby pregnancy, rather than reduce to fewer fetuses.
“Not in a heartbeat, we wouldn't have,” Thomas Stansel said. “We'll let God handle that. Not us.” [Emphasis added]
Evidently these parents were unwilling to "let God handle that" when it came to their inability to conceive naturally, even after two failed fertility-treatment pregnancies. (One news report says they're Mormons, which may have had something to do with it.) They were all too willing, though, to let God handle the consequences of their decision, namely exposing six preemies to who-knows-what physical agony, not to mention the likelihood of lifelong handicaps.
Subscribe
to my feed
I came across your blog by accident while searching the emergent movement. So nice to know I'm not alone in being repelled by this sort of thing. If this couple really liked children, they'd adopt. Unfortunately, though, if they are Mormons, it's just another bad advertisment for the harm perpetrated by organised religion.
Posted by: Jane Smith | August 27, 2009 at 07:24 AM
"If you hear about your brother something of which you disapprove, seek from one to seventy excuses for him. If you cannot find any, convince yourselves that it is an excuse you do not know. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves…”
Posted by: Mary Jones | October 15, 2009 at 12:36 AM
If it was just a matter of disapproval, then this article would be in error. However, like a Biblical sin compared to a personal sin, it clearly takes life out of God's hands and makes humans gods.
Any form of "not doing it naturally" is a clear deviation from the Scriptures, and should be completely shunned.
My thoughts,
Posted by: William | November 03, 2009 at 02:20 PM