Alicia Amos cried after learning of the resolution issued by the Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday opposing the use of in vitro fertilization as it is widely practiced, and thought of her 3-year-old daughter.
Her spirited son was conceived through in vitro fertilization, making her one of the about 2% of children it is now born annually as a result of the procedure.
Amos, 32, grew up Southern Baptist and still belongs to the country’s largest Protestant denomination, attending a church with her husband in Missouri. She does not want to “disparage” the convention or the delegates who voted for the resolution.
But she doesn’t want her daughter to be hurt.
“I never, ever want her to feel shame for the way she was conceived and brought into this world, because she is a precious, precious gift,” Amos said.
Southern Baptist women who spoke to NBC News said they were already struggling with infertility or undergoing in vitro fertilization in ways that align with their faith — even before messengers in Indianapolis endorsed the resolution that opposes the common practice. of in vitro fertilization.
In some cases, these women’s beliefs encompass conservative-leaning positions about when life begins. But many have noted that the issues raised in the resolution, such as the treatment of surplus embryos and genetic testing of embryos, are complex issues where there is no single consensus among Christians.
For some, the tone of the resolution was deeply painful.
While the document acknowledged the “searing pain” of infertility, it also characterized certain aspects of IVF as “dehumanizing.” He argued that “not all technological means of assisting human reproduction are equally God-honoring or morally justified.”
“’Dehumanize’ is a very hard word to swallow,” said Danielle Smith, 39, a Southern Baptist who lives in Alabama. She conceived her 2-year-old daughter through in vitro fertilization.
The convention’s criticism of in vitro fertilization has dealt a blow at a time when churches are struggling with declining participationyounger generations are becoming further away from religionand 1 in 6 adults worldwide experience infertility.
The denomination’s membership has declined in recent years, falling just below 13 million in 2023.
It also comes in an election year in which Republicans have tried to convey their support for reproductive technologies with a recent Senate proposal, while blocking a Democrat-led effort to protect the procedure.
Nationally, Republicans have tried to insulate themselves from the intense backlash over the Alabama Supreme Court ruling in February that declared frozen embryos to be children. The SBC resolution, which affirms the court’s position, however, encourages members to press for government action on the issue.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who is Southern Baptist, was not involved in Wednesday’s debate but told NBC News that long-term storage of embryos is “an ethical dilemma” for members who believe that life begins at conception.
“So if it can be done with just a small number of embryos created, I think that’s the legislative solution that a lot of people are trying to find,” he said. “But here in Congress we support in vitro fertilization, we support families, we support the sanctity of life, and I think that’s part of it.”
Candice Kelm, 39, said she isn’t sure the government should regulate in vitro fertilization, but agreed with the resolution’s encouragement of what the statement calls “embryo adoption” — a process in which a patient, or couple, may agree to donate the remaining embryos to another.
Kelm, a Southern Baptist who lives in Texas, has had difficulty getting pregnant despite trying fertility treatments and receiving surgery for endometriosis. Her doctor said IVF was her last option. But prayer took her down a different path.
“We felt we could not choose to create more embryos when there was already an abundance of embryos,” said Kelm, who agrees with the SBC’s opposition to embryo disposal. She received support from a non-denominational ministry for couples suffering from infertility called Waiting in Hope.
In a statement, the group said it encourages couples not to “destroy embryos” but noted that “it is important to note that Christians have different perspectives on IVF” and that “there are areas of disagreement about which measures may be ethically questionable.” ”.
“It is not up to us to decide whether God leads a couple to IVF,” the statement said. “He is the author of life and our fertility stories.”
Kelm and her husband, Brent, ended up “adopting” eight embryos and underwent four transfers.
“We lost all eight and we deeply mourn this loss,” she said.
Kelm acknowledged that her own options wouldn’t have been possible without IVF and doesn’t want families to feel condemned for going through the process.
“I think it’s important to remember that any child is a gift from the Lord,” she said. “There is no reservation about whether they were created this way.”
Before Amos and her husband had their daughter, they had a broken heart.
Amos still remembers the November 2019 morning that left her crying on the shower floor. After a third round of intrauterine insemination, another test came back negative.
She said she found herself telling God, “I can’t keep doing this.”
Like Kelm, her faith also shaped what she did next. In July 2020, she began embryo transfer through in vitro fertilization.
Kelm declined to give details about her plans for the remaining embryos because she doesn’t want others to feel judged.
She also noted that while adoption, which the resolution encourages, is a decision made by some families, it is also a complex one. “Sometimes in the infertility community, the phrase ‘just adopt’ can be very hurtful,” she said. Amos said this can also place a burden on adoptees, placing them in a role that is not their responsibility to play.
This winter, Smith drove to Montgomery to lobby Alabama lawmakers to protect in vitro fertilization.
She said she struggled with certain decisions because of her upbringing. Smith chose, for example, not to undergo genetic testing. And she understands that there are those who believe that life begins at conception.
“It’s not that simple to say, because in vitro fertilization includes the possibility of destroying embryos, so it should be condemned and it is immoral,” she said.
“What I want people who are forming opinions to understand is that they are probably hurting someone they probably care about and love,” Smith continued. “These congregations are probably full of IVF parents, of IVF babies, of IVF kids. It completely broke my heart for all of us in this situation who probably wouldn’t be parents without him.”
Her own church, she said, has been supportive. Her group of women prayed for her as she faced infertility and celebrated the birth of her daughter.
She still plans to go to church on Sunday.
“The Southern Baptist Convention does not determine my personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Smith said.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
