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Technology and Pregnancy Enhancement
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distract a person from full service to the Lord (the point Paul raised), so also
parenting is a time-consuming, potentially distracting occupation. Consid
eration of this principle could motivate a couple to remain child free for the
purpose of devoting more energy to the Lord’s work, just as a single person
may choose to forego marriage for the same reason.7
It may be added, however, that just as it is not to be assumed from
1 Corinthians 7 that all Christians are to choose to remain single, so also
being child free is not the norm for Christian couples. It may well be that
many couples will conclude that having children in fact enhances their min
istry in the Lord’s work. At the same time, the choice of remaining child free
lor the sake of devotion to the Lord does offer an opportunity to infertile
couples to see their situation as the vehicle to what for them may be greater
service in the fellowship of Christ.
As in the case of adoption, the option of remaining child free is not with
out difficulties. First, the couple will need to cope with lingering negative
attitudes from both family and society toward such a decision. It is often
assumed that all couples have children and that those who do not are moti
vated only by selfishness. Child free couples will need to learn to pass off
rude and unloving comments by others, which reflect such judgmental
attitudes.
A second danger is that of falling into the temptation to live only for one
s e l f
or for one’s spouse. Without the cares and financial burdens involved
in raising a family, child free couples can get caught in the trap of focusing
on
themselves. Therefore, they might need to make a conscious effort to
open their relationship beyond themselves by discovering ways of giving of
iliemselves to others. Children who for various reasons are in need of the
support and love of replacement “parents” or adult friendship and guid-
. 11
ice offer one important means to this end. By ministering to such chil
dren, a couple with no children in the home can both extend a type of
parental love to children and experience in a unique way the joys of being
parent.”
Both adoption and remaining child free for the sake of devoting greater
inne, money, and energy to the Lord’s work are worthy options for the infer-
i ile
couple and therefore ought to be given careful consideration. Neverthe
le ss ,
they must not be cited as the only options. For some infertile couples
t he
desire to experience the joy of being partners with God in the mystery of
procreation is a divinely given impulse that ought to be facilitated, so long as
ii is
morally proper and technologically feasible. By developing the means
to
.k co t
nplish this, modern medical technology now offers hope to many infer
iile couples that this joy may be realized.
7
t 'oi
a
ful ler deve lopment of the mot iv; it ions lor chi ldlessness, see l)i; ine Pnyel le BiKvi,
V<>lunl;ii v <-luldlessness.”