The Morality of Surrogate Motherhood
Al Mohler takes a look at the recent Newsweek cover story The Curious Lives of Surrogates in a recent column. Although surrogate motherhood (or “Gestational Carriers” as they now like to be called, discarding the more emotional connotations of the word “mother”) is not new, there does seem to be a growing business surrounding this practice.
Mohler examines the moral issues involved and overall thinks the Newsweek article does a good job bringing these issues to the fore. Among the moral questions raised by the practice of surrogacy, he states:
Christians must also be concerned about the redefinition of motherhood, especially in the experience of the surrogate, who carries a baby for hire. This is where the concerns of Christians and the secular left coincide. Feminists are concerned that the commodification of motherhood and gestation is just another form of prostitution. As Professor Margaret Little of Georgetown University commented, “Surrogacy raises important red flags . . . because you are selling use of the body, and historically when that’s happened, that hasn’t been good for women.”