Surrogate Mothers  by Tony Capoccia

   A. Introduction

   Today in America there is a move toward the use of surrogate mothers
for those couples unable to bear children. Simply put, the surrogate
mother is artificially inseminated by the Husband of the woman who is
unable to conceive. Usually there is a contract signed that makes both
parties legally bound to the conditions of the agreement. However,
there is still much debate today about the rights of the various
parties involved despite the contract. This brief discussion is to
provide a review of some considerations that a Christian couple should
pray about before either trying to utilize a surrogate mother or allow
themselves to surrogate for someone else.

   B. Biblical Perspective

   1. God's Sovereignty over Conception God has revealed to us in the
Scriptures that He is the one who opens and closes the womb. If a
couple is married and are Christians and God has not opened the womb
then I would caution them to be very careful in seeking alternate ways
of obtaining children. Often it is not the right time for children.
Likewise, Christian couples should be sure that God is leading them to
avoid the conception of children prior to deciding to use birth control.

   a) God closes wombs

   1) Genesis 20:18 "...the Lord had closed up every womb in
Abimelech's household..."

   2) 1 Samuel 1:5 "...the Lord had closed her womb..."

   3) 2 Samuel 6:16, 23 "...Michal daughter of Saul watched from the
window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the
Lord, she despised him in her heart...And Michal daughter of Saul had
no children to the day of her death."

   b) God opens wombs

   1) Genesis 25:21 "Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife,
because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife
Rebekah became pregnant."

   2) Luke 1:7, 13 "But they had no children, because Elizabeth was
barren; and they were both well along in years...the angel said to him,
'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son...'"

   3) 1 Samuel 1:5, 10,20 "..the Lord had closed her womb...Hannah wept
much and prayed to the Lord...So in the course of time Hannah conceived
and gave birth to a son."

   2. Man's Use of Surrogates

   Man has used the surrogate method of obtaining children in times
past. The only real difference from today is the method of insemination.

   a) Gen 16:1, 2,4 "Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no
children...so she said to Abram, "the Lord has kept me from having
children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family
through her...He [Abram] slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she
[Hagar] knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress."

   b) Gen 30:3 "Then she [Rachel] said, 'Here is Bilhah, my
maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and
that through her I too can build a family.'"

   C. Cautions

   1. Costly

   a) Time

   1) The insemination process can be rather lengthy requiring many
trips to the doctors office. Those agencies that arrange the use of
surrogates often have a childless couple in one city or state and the
surrogate mother from another state or city. This helps when after the
birth that the original mother has no accessibility to her natural
child. But for the insemination procedure this will cause the surrogate
mother to travel long distances many times a month trying to become
pregnant.

   2) Another consideration is that the surrogate mother is pregnant
for nine months which is a considerable length of time. And the
physical effects of the birth may linger for many months afterward
depending on the type of birth.

   b) Money

   There is usually a large sum of money paid to the surrogate mother
for her part ($15, 000). The couple that hires the surrogate will of
course pay all bills for the pregnancy (which could total $25, 000
plus).

   2. Dangers

   a) Physically

   Natural childbirth can be fatal in a minority of cases and must be a
consideration for surrogate mothers. Of course, if the mother needed a
"C" section in order to remove the child, then the risk factor goes
higher. Also a number of births result in the sterility of the mother
and must be a price she is willing to pay.

   b) Emotionally

   It is inherent in the pregnancy that the mother will develop a
emotional relationship with the baby she bears. This is designed by God
for a lasting mother-child relationship. To have to immediately "give
up" the child to another couple is very costly emotionally. In nearly
all cases of surrogate mothers there is a grieving process that begins
when the child is "given up." Some surrogate mothers say they have
never stopped grieving.

   c) Socially

   1) Creates an unnatural relationship between the Father (donor) and
the surrogate mother. Even though they would have had no sexual
relationship they still have become "one flesh" in one sense by
producing a child together. If the two persons live in close proximity
and see one another on a regular basis then an adulterous relationship
could result because of the special bond that they have because of the
child. The sterile wife may also feel estrangement from her husband
because the child is from her husband and another woman.

   2) Society may also place a stigma on the surrogate mother for its
perception of "selling babies." Although some surrogate mothers may do
it for reasons other than money, they may still be branded as someone
willing to sell their child for a price.

   d) Possible Complications The following are possible problems that
could arise that would cause real distress for all parties.

   1) Custody Battles Surrogate and Couple

   a> What would happen if the child was retarded or had physical
problems requiring special medical expenses or care for the rest of his
life. Would the couple refuse the child? Would the surrogate mother
abort the child if she is aware before the birth that problems exist?

   b> What if the marriage later broke up; then who would the child go
to? To the natural mother? To the natural father? Or to the mother who
did not bear the child? The same questions could come up if there was a
death of a parent.

   c> What if the surrogate mother refused to give up the child when he
was born? Many courts could side with her rights as the natural mother
even charging the father child support payments.

   2) Custody Battle Initiated by Child

   a> What if the child later rejected the adoptive parents and wanted
his rights to have his natural mother?

   b> What if a Christian surrogate mother bears a child and the other
couple fails to raise the child in the Lord, would the natural mother
feel any responsibilities for the spiritual direction of the child?

   D. Conclusion

   It is my personal opinion that the use of surrogate mothers should
be avoided by all Christians. God is able to open and close the womb at
will. There are too many problems involved with the surrogate process
that could cause conflict for the Christian. The joining of a man into
a relationship with a woman outside of his own marriage and the
resultant child would be harmful to the God ordained one flesh marriage
relationship.

   Tony Capoccia Bible Bulletin Board