Embryos and Values

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/22/wrong.embryo.family/index.html


I saw this story of a couple who had the wrong embryos implanted by their fertility clinic.

What struck me the most about this story was the fact that the couple decided that the embryo would be brought to term and then given to his/her biological parents. When asked about this, the couple made it clear that their decision was based on their values.

I see this as a parallel to the whole issue of abortion.

While the cases are different, here is a case in which a woman has been implanted with a “non-related” embryo and is faced with the choice of keeping it or having an abortion. As noted above, she elected to act in what many would regard as a commendable way.

While she chose to be implanted, she definitely did not choose to be implanted with another couple's embryo. This would seem to provide adequate moral grounds for a decision on her part to abort.

Would it be such a burden to bear the child of another and do you think she is morally obligated to bear the child to term?