(RNS) — Individuals are polarized on nearly each subject in public life, from what books youngsters needs to be allowed to learn at school to the best way to reform the nation’s immigration system.
One factor most do agree on, no matter celebration affiliation, is in-vitro fertilization — extra generally generally known as IVF — 70% of Individuals informed Pew Analysis they imagine entry to IVF is an efficient factor, whereas solely 8% stated it was unhealthy, based on a 2024 survey.
Members of the nation’s largest religion teams additionally see IVF entry as a optimistic, together with Black Protestants (69%), Catholics (65%), and the evangelical (63%) and non-evangelical (78%) styles of white Protestants, as do the unaffiliated (78%).
That’s probably one purpose why Donald Trump lately issued an govt order Tuesday (Feb. 18), promising to cut back the price of IVF.
“Subsequently, to help American households, it’s the coverage of my Administration to make sure dependable entry to IVF therapy, together with by easing pointless statutory or regulatory burdens to make IVF therapy drastically extra reasonably priced,” Trump wrote.
Whereas individuals within the pews would possibly applaud the president’s actions, a lot of high-profile religion leaders, together with the nation’s Catholic bishops, usually are not happy.
“As pastors, we see the struggling of so many {couples} experiencing infertility and know their deep need to have youngsters is each good and admirable; but the Administration’s push for IVF, which ends numerous human lives and treats individuals like property, can’t be the reply,” wrote Bishops Daniel E. Thomas, chair of the U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Professional-Life Actions, and Bishop Robert E. Barron, chair of the Committee for Laity, Marriage, Household Life and Youth, in a press release launched by the USCCB on Thursday.
The USCCB — like different religion teams that oppose abortion on the idea that life begins at conception — says IVF is well-intentioned however immoral. Whereas hundreds of thousands of youngsters have been born following IVF, the method usually entails freezing or discarding extra embryos.
“The IVF business treats human beings like merchandise and freezes or kills hundreds of thousands of youngsters who usually are not chosen for switch to a womb or don’t survive,” the bishops wrote. “Tuesday’s govt order selling IVF is thus fatally flawed and stands in regrettable distinction to the promising pro-life actions of the Administration final month.”
IVF and the therapy of extra embryos had been a matter of heated debate within the early 2000s, when these embryos have been seen as potential topics for stem cell analysis. However any public controversy about IVF had largely light till the spring of 2024, when the Alabama Supreme Court docket dominated throughout a wrongful loss of life lawsuit that embryos may very well be thought of youngsters. That led clinics in Alabama to close down till the state’s legislature handed a brand new regulation to guard IVF remedies.
Final summer time, Southern Baptists handed a decision asking church members to be cautious of IVF and calling the method immoral. The decision additionally known as for extra authorities regulation of IVF and for limits on what number of embryos are created in therapy.
Brent Leatherwood, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Spiritual Liberty Fee, says the White Home ought to heed the denomination’s recommendation when fascinated by guidelines for IVF.
“The assertion is evident and convictional because it honors life and adoption; affirms the dignity of the preborn; laments infertility; opposes the destruction of life; and requests the federal government to limit actions inconsistent with human dignity,” he stated in an electronic mail Thursday. “With this decision, I imagine our church buildings have expressed a sensible framework for the way we are able to take into consideration this subject. It’s one our authorities ought to use as effectively — which the ERLC has highlighted in quite a few coverage briefings in Washington.”
Religion leaders pray over President Donald Trump after he signed an govt order establishing the White Home Religion Workplace, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, within the Oval Workplace of the White Home. (White Home photograph)
Whereas Trump has been praised by abortion foes for the top of Roe v. Wade, over the previous 12 months, the president’s views on IVF and his distancing from outright abortion bans have led to controversy — particularly after the 2024 GOP platform not known as for an finish to abortion.
Tony Perkins, president of the Household Analysis Council, urged Trump to place in new guidelines to limit IVF quite than increasing entry. In a response to Trump’s govt order, Perkins launched a press release criticizing IVF for inflicting the loss of life of embryos and saying the therapy doesn’t tackle the medical situations that trigger infertility. “The Trump administration can tackle the infertility disaster in America in a means that’s morally and scientifically sound, enabling many extra Individuals to expertise the attractive reward of youngsters,” he wrote.
Lila Rose, president of the anti-abortion group Reside Motion, was extra blunt in her opposition to growing IVF entry.
“Nobody is entitled to a baby at the price of denying the humanity and rights of numerous others,” she stated in a press release. “A compassionate society should work to help households whereas upholding the dignity and safety of each human being — born and preborn. President Trump and our different leaders ought to champion moral, life-affirming fertility choices that shield each moms and kids.”
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, who has been outspoken in his criticism of IVF, has stated IVF is dangerous to youngsters. He informed RNS that IVF is “yet one more instance of adults placing their needs earlier than the perfect pursuits of youngsters.”
“Furthermore, IVF isn’t ‘fertility therapy,’” he stated. “It does nothing to deal with the heartbreak of infertility. There are efficient medical remedies for {couples} struggling on this space. If the federal government goes to expend assets to make the manufacturing of infants in a laboratory extra simply accessible, it ought to do the identical for medical therapy of infertility.”
Against this, Individuals for IVF, which calls itself a “conservative pro-family group” cheered Trump’s order, saying it might assist infertile {couples} have youngsters — with out the monetary burden of paying for IVF remedies, which might value tens of hundreds of {dollars} per try.
“As a pro-life rabbi and father of 9 youngsters, I can confidently inform spiritual conservatives that there’s nothing extra pro-life than IVF,” stated Rabbi Margaretten, the group’s founder, in a press release.
(Aleja Hertzler-McCain contributed to this story.)
