Southern Baptists Pass Resolution Opposing IVF

The Southern Baptist Convention voted to oppose the use of in vitro fertilization on Wednesday during its national convention.

The group, which includes over 45,000 churches and close to 13 million members passed a resolution to condemn the IVF practice, which has become a major political issue in the United States.

In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled three couples could pursue wrongful death lawsuits for their "extrauterine children," CBS News reported. The ruling had a chilling effect on IVF treatment in the state until Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill in March giving patients and providers immunity from potential legal liability.

The Southern Baptists' resolution "on the Ethical Realities of Reproductive Technologies and the Dignity of the Human Embryo" passed after several attendees shared their personal experiences with IVF.

The new resolution calls on Southern Baptists to "to reaffirm the unconditional value and right to life of every human being, including those in an embryonic stage, and to only utilize reproductive technologies consistent with that affirmation especially in the number of embryos generated in the IVF process." It added that the IVF process creates more embryos than can be implanted, resulting in the "freezing, stockpiling and ultimate destruction of human embryos, some of whom may also be subjected to medical experimentation."

The resolution asked that its members encourage adoption, adding, "Couples who experience the searing pain of infertility can turn to God, look to Scripture for numerous examples of infertility, and know that their lament is heard by the Lord, who offers compassion and grace to those deeply afflicted by such realities."

The Southern Baptists' resolution follows a report from earlier on Wednesday that House Democrats are weighing an effort to force a vote on legislation that would codify the right to fertility services.