{"id":6646,"date":"2010-10-06T05:00:06","date_gmt":"2010-10-06T09:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geneveith.com\/?p=6646"},"modified":"2010-10-06T05:00:06","modified_gmt":"2010-10-06T09:00:06","slug":"procreation-without-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2010\/10\/procreation-without-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"Procreation without sex"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

British biologist Robert G. Edwards won the 2010 Nobel Prize for Medicine for developing the technique of in vitro fertilization.\u00a0 Beginning in 1978, some 4 million children were born who were conceived outside the womb.<\/p>\n

Robert G. Edwards\u2019s breakthrough development of in vitro fertilization, which led to the birth of the first \u201ctest-tube baby,\u201d Louise Brown, in 1978, gave humanity the power to do what previously was considered the province of God: create and manipulate human life.<\/p>\n

In the ensuing decades, the pioneering techniques that won the British biologist a Nobel Prize on Monday have played a part in controversial scientific advances such as cloning and the creation of human embryonic stem cells while redefining fundamental social roles such as what it means to be a parent or a family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe impact on society has been profound,\u201d said Lori B. Andrews of the Chicago-Kent College of Law, who studies reproductive technologies. \u201cThe creation of a child outside the body for the first time has had scientific and personal implications far, far beyond the 4 million children who have been born through in vitro fertilization.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

via Robert Edwards wins 2010 Nobel prize in medicine for in-vitro fertizilation<\/a>.\n

I\u2019m not saying that this technology is in itself wrong to use. The biggest problem with it is the engendering of \u201cextra\u201d embryos who are left frozen or killed for their stem cells.\u00a0 But consider \u201cthe impact on society\u201d and where we might go from here.<\/p>\n

With birth control technology, people can have sex without procreation.\u00a0 With in vitro technology, people can have procreation without sex. \u00a0 Does this render the family technologically obsolete?\u00a0 With no necessary natural function, is it reduced to just a companionship group?<\/p>\n

Mental experiment:\u00a0 An artificial womb is invented.\u00a0 Will women\u00a0 still want to go through pregnancy and labor?\u00a0 (Would you?)\u00a0 Or will society take advantage of the opportunity to manufacture whatever children are needed and no more? \u00a0 Would we still take care of them in family units, or would this task fall to a state institution?\u00a0\u00a0 Or would everything just go along as it does today, with marriage and parenthood, but without the unpleasantness of childbearing?<\/p><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

British biologist Robert G. Edwards won the 2010 Nobel Prize for Medicine for developing the technique of in vitro fertilization.\u00a0 Beginning in 1978, some 4 million children were born who were conceived outside the womb. Robert G. Edwards\u2019s breakthrough development of in vitro fertilization, which led to the birth of the first \u201ctest-tube baby,\u201d Louise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,27,30,40],"tags":[63,219,1075,1902],"class_list":["post-6646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family","category-life-issues","category-medicine","category-science","tag-2010-nobel-prize-for-medicine","tag-artificial-womb","tag-in-vitro-fertilization","tag-robert-g-edwards"],"yoast_head":"\nProcreation without sex<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"British biologist Robert G. 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