“Overthrow empty talk before the LORD, the Maker of all things.“
[Mar.28.2023] Yonhap News reported recently, citing Sky News in the U.K., that artificial insemination technology that allows sex selection has emerged in the United States, raising ethical debates about it.
On the 22nd, the research team led by Professor Gian Piero Palermo at Weill Cornell Medical School in New York, USA, announced in the scientific journal ‘PLOS ONE‘ that they succeeded in obtaining embryos of the desired sex with 80% accuracy by selecting the sex of sperm and using artificial insemination technology.
Using the fact that the weight of the sperm is slightly different depending on whether the chromosome of the sperm is male (Y) or female (X), the sperm are sorted by sex, and artificial insemination is performed with Y-chromosome sperm for couples who want a son and X chromosome sperm for couples who want a daughter.
As a result, 59 couples who wanted a daughter succeeded in obtaining daughter embryos 231 times (79.1%) out of 292 artificial insemination sessions, and 56 couples who wanted a son obtained son embryos 223 times (79.6%) out of 280 artificial insemination sessions. The research team also revealed that the couple transplanted embryos of their desired sex into the uterus, and 16 daughters and 13 sons were born healthy.
In response, Darren Griffin, a professor at the University of Kent in the UK, said, “This study, which determines the sex of the baby with 80% accuracy, seems scientifically valid, and in some countries, sperm selection may be possible due to legal loopholes. However, there are ethical issues, as it touches the area of gender selection” he said.
“This technical achievement pales in comparison to the serious ethical concerns raised by this research. The research team presents sperm selection as an ‘ethical’ alternative to embryo selection. However, this is just another way to manipulate a child’s sex, which can have adverse social repercussions” said Channa Jayasena, head of the Department of Andrology, Imperial College London (ICL).
He added “This technology could also be applied in the future to select body features such as skin colour or eye colour. Regulations to prevent this from happening are urgently needed.”
Also, some voices of opposition were raised in the Christian community in Korea concerning the unfitness to biblical teachings. According to the Kukmin Ilbo, Lee Seung-gu, co-representative of the Korea Christian Life Ethics Association, said, “Artificial insemination technology that distinguishes the sex is to conceive according to human desires.” And “It is a form of reversal in which the sovereign subject who defines life is a human being, not God.” he criticised.
In addition, Rev. Lee Jong-rak of Jusarang Community Church, who runs ‘Baby Box’, said, “As in Genesis 1:27, the part of choosing the sex as male or female is in God’s domain.” He pointed out that choosing a ‘customized child’ itself is unacceptable from a Christian point of view.” (source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper)
“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense.” ( Isaiah 44:24-25)
God, please rebuke those who say in vain that the development of artificial insemination technology can invade the Creator’s own domain and create a child of the sex they desire . May You stop their evil deeds. With Your grace, please warn them in their hearts to realize that they are committing a serious crime of treason against God beyond ethical errors and bring them to repentance. In the development of technology that is heading toward destruction, let the churches of the nations pray for countless people to rise in awe of the Lord and stand alongside the Lord who created all things alone.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
