It's not enough to know that we have the scientific ability to do something. We must also think about the moral significance of the thing we choose to do. The artificial reproduction technology known as IVF is no exception. If anything, it is the quintessential example; what may seem to be a miracle of science of infertile couples actually brings with it a host of severe moral complications.

I saw a Facebook post recently re-shared by a friend I admire. You will need to read it all the way through to get the gist of it. Since it was a public post, here’s some of it:

The arguments used to legalize assisted suicide in California back in 2016 were solely about providing relief to those with terminal illnesses. Yet today, they are considering expanding the pool of qualified applicants to include patients with ‘early and mid-stage dementia,’ while dropping a required waiting period for this morally abhorrent practice to terminate human life.

The in-vitro fertilization industry has a heartwarming story to tell you. They will introduce you to their growing community of loving couples who wish to become parents, and show you pictures of the smiling faces who were born because of IVF practices. But this is only part of the story – a small part. The reason that the IVF industry has attacked the recent Alabama ruling is because they are hiding something, and they are afraid people will learn the rest of the story.

If a medical procedure has a 90 percent fatality rate, should it still be pursued? According to Dr. Joseph Meany, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, this is exactly the case with the medical practice known as in vitro fertilization. While artificial conception might sound like a godsend for some couples, there are moral quandaries to consider.

Since its inception in January, the Parents Matter Coalition (“PMC”) has been on a mission to raise awareness, educate the community, and teach Illinoisans how to advocate for their families and push back on the legislators and bureaucrats who think they know better how to parent our children.

What we think is true can have the same effect on us as what is true. We have known this forever. But today, in our post-truth culture, we are becoming less concerned with discovering what is true and more focused on what we feel is true. Public opinion today is shaped more by emotion and personal beliefs than facts. The impact of this post-truth era is profound.

With the primary elections now behind us, our attention once again is focused on the Illinois General Assembly and a slew of pending bills that are decidedly anti-family. At the top of our list is SB 3499, the so-called “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act.” This attempt to legalize assisted suicide is euphemistically referred to as “Death with Dignity”— don't be deceived by the spin.

A bill currently under consideration in the Illinois General Assembly would allow children 12 and up to apply for Medicaid to pay for “family planning” services. Specifically, HB 5473 states: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph (2), a minor who is 12 years of age or older may sign and file an application of the minor’s own behalf if such application is for the Article V family planning program enacted by Public Act 102-665 amending Section 5-5 of this Code.”

You may have seen news stories in the last few weeks in reaction to an Alabama Supreme Court ruling in a case involving in vitro fertilization (IVF). It’s an issue that impacts a lot of sensitivities and brings up significant ethical questions. And, it is something that I, as an IVF baby, am deeply invested in. But my opinions may surprise you.

I often wonder why I torture myself. Each weekday afternoon, I try to stay somewhat literate in what is happening in our world by watching the evening network news. Most every day, I regret it. 

What Elizabeth Steele experienced with her chemical abortion was anything but safe. “Nobody warned me of the drugs’ side effects. Nobody mentioned that there was danger. They promised it was safe,” she said.

Since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled on February 16 that frozen embryos should be recognized and protected as unborn children, Democrats have wrongfully alleged that Republicans want to “ban” in vitro fertilization (IVF). Even President Biden made this accusation during the State of the Union address last Thursday. However, this is not true. Republicans are not wanting to ban IVF.

Last year I was at lunch with an evangelist. After the meal, he handed our waitress a Gospel tract. I wanted to reinforce his compassion, so I told the young lady that her relationship with God was the most important thing in the world. She responded, “Yeah, that and global warming!” She proceeded to tell us that she wakes up in fear of what may happen to the earth during her lifetime. I was shocked.

America is divided, but you already knew that.  There is no place for coming together in many of its disagreements.  The differences are polar opposites, and neither side is willing to yield ground.  This presents a very serious, if not existential, threat to the nation.  Abraham Lincoln, quoting Jesus Christ noted that, “A nation divided against itself cannot stand.”