Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” (Genesis 4:1)

There are fundamental Bible truths about procreation:

• God is the predominant player. He is the one who is Lord and Master over human life (Genesis 33:5; Deuteronomy 32:39; Psalm 127:3; Psalm 139:13-16).
• Procreation was designed as relational – done between a husband and wife. Children are reflections or extensions of the parents, conceived in mutual desire (Psalm 128:1-4; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Ephesians 5:33) in harmony with the desire of God.
• Procreation is intended to preserve the people of God (Psalm 78:1-7; 103:17-18; 127:3-4; Romans 9:29).
• Procreation continues a legacy of truth and honor to God (Deuteronomy 11:18-19; Joel 1:3; Ephesians 6:1-4).

It was controversial enough for Christians to wrestle with the fact that there might be godly reasons in practicing some forms of birth control. But that issue is so yesterday. Consider the developments so far:

• 1978: The first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby. The child’s life began in a Petri dish, not a mother’s womb.
• 1985: The first child born is through a surrogate mother. In 2003, a 65-year-old woman became the oldest surrogate mother.
• 1990: Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) began for the sex selection of embryos for use in IVF. In 2022, a scientist revealed the potential of PGT to select physical characteristics and IQ.
• 1997: The first baby was born from a frozen embryo.
• 2015: Researchers announced the development of IVG (In vitro gametogenesis). It took IVF technology one step further and “would allow same-sex couples to have children who are biologically related to both of them; allow single individuals to procreate without the genetic contribution of another individual; and facilitate ‘multiplex’ parenting, where groups of more than two individuals procreate together, producing children who are the genetic progeny of them all. IVG could also make prenatal selection a much more refined and comprehensive process than it is today, allowing for the selection of embryos on the basis of multiple factors.” In a 2022 paper, it was called “The New Normal in Human Reproduction.”
• 2018: Twin girls were born after a Chinese researcher used CRISPR technology to alter their DNA.
• 2023: Trials could begin soon in the use of an artificial womb to carry a pregnancy. Initially, it is portrayed as a way to help preemies, but some scientists see it as another form of surrogacy.

This is the commodification of procreation. No longer is it a God-centered experience but a commodity. Yet, the era of asexual reproduction is on us. While we can get politically active to fight this, and we should, let’s look first at changing hearts. Share the Gospel.