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Articles

Freeze your eggs, free your career?

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February 26, 2015

“Freeze your eggs, free your career.” That was the eye catching title on the front page of a recent Bloomberg Businessweek magazine. The subtitle read, “A new fertility procedure gives women more choices in the quest to have it all.” My interest was sparked.

I opened the magazine to scan over this intriguing cover story. “Later, Baby” was the title on the inside. “Egg freezing technology is helping women kiss the mommy track goodbye.” As I flipped through the next three pages, I read several stories of women who had decided to take the egg freezing route and their reasons for doing so.

“I just wanted to take the pressure off,” Suzanne, age 37, said. “Men don’t have a biological clock, and I felt like this leveled the playing field a bit.” Bridget, age 39, stated, “Freezing my eggs brought me time and the possibility to have a child in the future. It’s not a sure thing, but a gamble I am willing to take.”

An increasingly appealing option

Instead of being bound by their (God-designed) biological clock, women can delay having children until their 40s without the worry of having to produce healthy eggs. The basic idea is that you freeze your strong eggs when you’re in your 20s, and then use them when you’re in your 40s. The article went on to state, “If a 25-year-old banks her eggs and, at 35, is up for a [career] promotion, she can go for it wholeheartedly without worrying about missing out on having a baby.”

Women, young and old, are loving this new freezing technology because it frees them up from having to “settle down” too early. They can pursue their career, delay marriage, be independent, and still have a chance to be a mom—on their own timeframe. As I continued reading the article, the overarching message I heard was this: Children are a burden, a career is more valuable than being a mom, and being independent from the “family” is where women find true empowerment.

“Like many people who’ve frozen their eggs,” the article said, “Emily uses the word ‘empowered’ to describe the experience.”

The abnormality of marriage and motherhood

Now, a young woman is encouraged to be independent from her family, pursue the career path, and use her sexual “freedom” as she chooses. As a whole, the focus has shifted from a woman being family-oriented to now being totally self-oriented. Our culture has taken the approach that children are more like accessories than anything else. Have them or don’t have them. If they fit into your life, great. If not, no biggie. If you want to save them for later, that’s an option too.

As Christians, we have to ask ourselves if this thinking aligns with God's word. We must view everything, including this new egg freezing technology, through a Biblical worldview. I’m not opposed to new technology and medical advancement, but I am opposed to a worldview and mindset that is contrary to God’s design. There’s a reason God designed women with a biological clock. There’s a reason women are more fertile when they’re young. There’s a reason God created women to be different than men. God designed women with bodies that are (typically) able to get pregnant for a solid 30 years. On average, the younger a woman is, the more fertile she will be. What does that tell us? Maybe, just maybe, the norm is for women to get married at a younger age and have children when they're the healthiest and most energetic.

Embracing God’s design

If you take a birds-eye view of our culture, what do you see? Self-absorbed men and women who are celebrating the fact that egg freezing is available and women can now kiss the mommy track goodbye. Women can break free from their enslaving biological clock. Their careers and independence can finally take the front row.

But God’s Word teaches something much different. First of all, the Bible makes it very clear that children are not a burden but are a blessing. They’re a gift from God. We should never view children as a take-it-or-leave-it accessory. Children should be viewed as a precious investment and, for Christians, a soldier-in-training for the Kingdom of God.

If we take a bird's-eye view of Scripture, what we'll find is this; a loving Creator who designed and highly values marriages, motherhood, and children.

The Bible says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD” (Prov. 18:22). Marriage is viewed as an awesome thing in God’s eyes. In fact, young marriages are celebrated, “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Prov. 5:18). Not only does the Bible celebrate young marriages, it celebrates having children at younger age, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them" (Ps. 127:3,4).

God's heart is clearly portrayed throughout Scripture. Instead of adopting our culture's worldview and attitude, we must realign our beliefs with the Bible. Is this new egg freezing technology a huge medical advancement? Yes. Is it something that encourages women to pursue God's design for them? I would say not. True happiness and fulfillment isn't found in self-serving agendas, but through a life that is focused on serving others and honoring God.

This was originally published here.

Kristen Clark

Kristen Clark is married to her high school sweetheart, Zack, and has a background in Biblical counseling, young women's ministry, teen mentoring, online blogging, and is the co-founder of GirlDefined Ministries. She and her sister, Bethany, are passionate about fighting feminism, embracing gender distinctions, and empowering young women to live … Read More

Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24