Hijacking Creation: Scientists May Only Be Years Away From Lab-Made Children

The headlines promise miracles. A future where age, infertility, or even biology itself no longer define human reproduction. In-vitro gametogenesis (IVG)--the creation of human sperm and eggs from skin or blood cells--is now just years away. 

Scientists across Japan, California, and the UK are racing to crack the genetic code of life, and the finish line is closer than most realize.

Yet in the midst of this scientific marvel, something profound is being lost. From a Christian worldview, IVG represents not just a technological advance, but a moral earthquake. As we rush forward with barely a pause, the ethical and spiritual implications have been reduced to a footnote, buried beneath ambition and promises of social progress.

This isn't just about how we make babies--it's about who we believe ourselves to be.

Genesis declares that God created man and woman in His image, and called them to "be fruitful and multiply." But IVG proposes a future where humans manufacture life outside the divine design. Rather than receiving life as a gift, we begin to seize it as a product of our own will.

By turning skin cells into gametes, we assume the role of God--creating from ourselves what was never ours to command. No longer is the womb a sacred space, but a laboratory bench. It echoes the same temptation from Eden: "You will be like God." And every time we elevate ourselves to that position, we unravel something sacred about our identity as creatures, not creators.

Traditional family structures are not cultural relics--they are divine blueprints. The father, mother, and child model isn't just biology--it's theology. It reflects the unity and diversity within the Trinity and forms the foundational building block of every moral society.

But IVG makes it possible for two men, two women--or potentially even one individual--to create a child. It opens the door to so-called "multiplex" babies with three or more genetic parents. When biology no longer anchors parenthood, the family becomes a vague social construct, subject to redefinition by whim and ideology.

This is not progress. It is a quiet deconstruction of God's created order--wrapped in the language of inclusivity and innovation.

Once we can grow eggs and sperm like we cultivate crops, what prevents us from turning children into consumer products? Already, some scientists are talking openly about gene editing and embryo screening, hinting at a future of "better" babies--stronger, smarter, more beautiful. This is not science fiction. This is market logic applied to humanity itself.

The risk isn't just that we will make mistakes. The risk is that we will forget that these children--however they are made--are not experiments or upgrades. They are souls, made in God's image, not ours. Every embryo, even in a petri dish, carries eternal value. The dignity of life is not determined by where or how it begins.

At the heart of this effort lies a seductive illusion: that human life can be tamed, optimized, and fully controlled. That suffering--infertility, aging, disease--can all be eliminated by mastering biology.

But Scripture reminds us that suffering has a purpose. It teaches us dependence, humility, and the frailty of our mortal condition. It prepares us for eternity. The Christian faith doesn't promise perfect bodies or perfect families--it promises redemption through the cross.

When we pretend we can erase every limitation, we risk erasing the very things that point us to God.

Even the scientists involved admit unease. Prof. Hayashi, who helped create mice from two fathers, warns that "if the science brings outcomes that are not natural, we should be very, very careful." Another ethicist jokes darkly that some "crazy" rich person may one day try to have a child made from only their DNA.

This isn't just slippery slope paranoia. It's already happening. And without a moral framework rooted in absolute truth, our regulations will always lag behind our capabilities. The secular world cannot answer the most pressing questions: What is a human being? What is a family? Who has the right to create life--and for what purpose?

The Christian perspective is not a nostalgic objection to progress. It is a prophetic voice calling us back to reverence. It demands that we ask not just "Can we?" but "Should we?"

The age of artificial creation is no longer theoretical. It is arriving, swiftly and silently, on the wings of innovation. As believers, we must not be passive observers. We must raise our voices--not in fear, but in truth. Not in anger, but in love for a broken world chasing godhood and finding emptiness.

We must protect the sanctity of life--not just in the womb, but in the very idea of what it means to be human. We must defend the family--not because we're clinging to tradition, but because we are called to reflect the beauty of God's design. And we must bear witness to the truth: that life is not ours to create, manipulate, or commodify. It is God's, from beginning to end.

The lab may soon grow sperm and eggs--but only the breath of God gives life. Let us never forget the difference.