When does life begin? The Bible gives theological certainty to the overwhelming biological evidence: life begins at conception. Scripture teaches that men and women are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). Throughout Scripture, personhood is never measured by age, stage of development, or mental, physical, or social skills. Personhood is endowed by God at the moment of creation, and that moment of creation can be nothing other than the moment of conception.
To the argument “You can’t seriously believe a frozen embryo is a human being,” the proper response is, “Both scientifically and theologically we can’t seriously believe a frozen embryo is anything other than a human being.”
Sadly, estimates suggest that as a result of IVF (in vitro fertilization), there are somewhere between 1 to 10 million frozen human embryos currently in storage in the U.S. This should be of immense concern to all who believe human life begins at conception. Some of the embryos have been stored for decades. Many embryos created for IVF are ultimately thawed and destroyed, or donated for medical research.
Raul Reyes is the president and founder of Life Equip Global, which seeks to equip churches with resources to respond to the Global Abortion Holocaust. He recently shared this touching note, which involves embryonic adoption:
Over the past two months, Chris and I have experienced something very special in our family. Both our daughter Alaina and our daughter-in-law Krista have given birth to beautiful baby girls—our granddaughters.
What makes this even more meaningful is that both of these precious lives began as frozen embryos. These were lives that could have remained frozen, forgotten, or discarded—but today they are here, alive, held, and deeply loved. Holding them and looking into their faces, I am reminded again that every life is a gift from God—known, formed, and loved by Him long before we ever see them.
This is no longer just something I teach. It is someone I am holding in my arms.
That picture is so powerful when you consider that these precious children were once frozen embryos who would've ultimately been destroyed. What a wonderful story that these two babies are now beloved by their families! (Though I truly believe that embryo donation can be a beautiful and God-honoring choice for a couple to make, I’m aware that it does not come without its own ethical considerations, which Katy Faust has documented in her article “A Children’s Rights Perspective on Embryo Adoption.”)
