Explain two religious concerns about the use of embryos 6AE

Examples of areas covered:• Beginning of life• Rights of the embryo• Personhood of embryo• Spiritual status• Breaks natural law• Slippery slope towards eugenics• The purpose of their use• Interference with God’s will

Extra marks for quotes / sources relating back to views, Donum Vitae /Evangelium Vitae (page 34) Quote from the TABLET

Church of Scotland: Society, Religion and Technology Project (SRTP) page 38

I V F in ISLAM

IVF and Islam

IVF is allowed in Islam for various reasons: Islam supports the use of science to allow, for

instance, an infertile couple to have children. Islam makes a distinction between a potential

person and an actual person. Until God implants a soul the embryo is not an actual person – so the destruction of spare embryos is not the equivalent of murder.

Children are seen as a blessing by God and helping couples to have children is seen to be furthering God’s will.

The approval for IVF in Islam is not unqualified. It is always seen in the context of the vital importance of family life.

The importance of the family in Islam is hard to over-state. Nothing must be done to undermine the family (although divorce is allowed it is certainly not considered the ideal).

The Qu’ran makes very clear the importance of a conventional family and would not accept the alternative variety of ‘family’ relationships widely accepted in the West.

Generally the use by a couple of another man’s sperm or another woman’s egg would not be acceptable in Islam as this would be regarded as adultery and any resulting children would be bastards.

However, as a man may have more than one wife in Islam, this opens the possibility of taking an egg from one wife, fertilising it with the sperm of the husband and implanting it in another wife’s womb.

Some early Sunni scholars held that this might be acceptable but a consensus has now emerged that it is not acceptable. Sunni countries have now generally prohibited these procedures.

In Shi’i Islam it is not so straightforward.

The Shi’i position on IVF There is no single position as much

depends on which authority is accepted. Ayatollah ‘Ali-as-Sistani from Najaf in Iraq

is one of the most highly regarded scholars and he rejects the use of donor eggs or sperm.

However, there are other Shi’i scholars such as Ayatollah Khomeni from Iran – whose influence is particularly important in Lebanon but also in Iran itself. He does not consider the use of donor eggs and sperm to be equivalent to adultery as no sexual act has taken place so he allows the donation of gametes.

IVF is intended to help a married couple have children when they could not otherwise have them. BUT Islam is quite clear that this does not extend to: Unmarried couples having children Homosexual or lesbian couples having

children The use of a surrogate mother The use of donor egg or sperm.

Generally fertilization has to be with the husband’s sperm and the wife’s egg and this must happen whilst both are still alive and not divorced.

The Muslim View Life is a gift from Allah. He breathes life into the

embryo, this when you become a person.

Some Muslims think this happens on the 42nd day of development. Others say it is on the 120th day.

Some Muslims agree with embryo research.

Some say that Allah has given humans intelligence. We should use this to make life better: if you can make someone’s life better by using embryo research then you should.

Some argue therefore, that using pre-embryo's or embryos for research is acceptable if the possible benefits are great enough.

Issues – Write and Discuss Is it better to destroy

embryos which are not perfect? Is it better to save society money?

Does the idea of genetic engineering value humans for the wrong reasons?

Is discarding an embryo based on imperfection immoral?

Is it better to live than not live at all, no matter what?

1. Name two ways in which Christians and Muslims agree about embryo research

2. When does the Catholic Church think that life begins?

Questions: answer these fully in your jotters.

3.Why is it difficult to give a clear cut answer about what Christians think of embryo research?

4. When do Muslims believe you become a person?

5. Do you have to be religious to agree with the Christian and Muslim beliefs in Section A? Do you agree/disagree with any of them?