In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss the recent ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court stating that frozen embryos used in IVF treatments are now considered children under state law. This has, as you can imagine, garnered a lot of attention, and particularly from Christians - many of whom have differing views on IVF and when life begins.
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Kate Shellnutt wrote an article in Christianity Today that explores the complications that this ruling will bring for the future of IVF treatments and the families who have been served by them. You can read her article titled “Alabama Rules that Frozen Embryos Are Children” HERE. And, as mentioned, the waters are already muddied among Christian denominations as to where they stand on IVF. We suggest you check out a New York Times article written by Elizabeth Dias titled, “What Christian Traditions Say About I.V.F. Treatments.”
The opinion on the ruling written by Chief Justice Tom Parker led to concerns over the separation of church and state and the blurred lines in this case. For point of reference you can read an article from Peter Smith and Tiffany Stanley for AP News HERE.
In addition to concerns about the separation of church and state, there are some who see the court's ruling as a clear sign of Christian nationalism. It's important, though, to have an accurate understanding of what Christian Nationalism really is. David French wrote an article in The New York Times titled, “What Is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?” This was also discussed on the podcast in two recent episodes that we'd encourage you to go back and listen to: CCP83: On Christians and Government and CCP82: On Christians and Politics. Both would serve your exploration into this topic and the impacts of the court's ruling.
Finally, for those wanting to know more about how the church should engage with the cultural and religious discussions on when life begins, we'd suggest that you take a moment to listen to two past podcast episodes: CCP61: On IVG and Bioethics and CCP10: On Roe v. Wade.
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