Meilaender's View on Procreation, Cloning, and Surrogacy

This report delves into the philosophical debate surrounding procreation and cloning, specifically focusing on the viewpoints of Meilaender. The report examines Meilaender's stance on the differences between procreation and cloning, highlighting his belief that procreation is a natural process, while cloning and assisted reproductive technologies like IVF and surrogacy are unnatural. Meilaender views the child as a gift and not a product, and the report discusses his perspective on the importance of the union of parents and the role of love in childbirth. The report also includes a personal agreement with Meilaender’s perspective. References include Meilaender's works on the subject.

Meilaender’s readings
The issues relating to procreation and that reproduction which are being begotten versus or
cloning are quite controversial in religious as well as in scientific world. Procreation is identified
as the bringing forth an offspring whereas, reproduction is depicted as the formation so produced
from the parents (Gilbert Meilaender, 2017). Again, Cloning resembles replication which
becomes genetically identical to the organism which was originally used in the process. But,
Meilaender views it from morality perspective and from the perspective of Christianity the
importance of child is a gift from God and so he does is opposed to the fact that, child is a
product (Gilbert Meilaender, 1997). Again, Meilaender believes that, procreation is a natural
phenomenon and have the divine influence on it, and highlights reproduction, rather assisted
reproduction as unnatural, and based on the same thoughts, he argues that, a child can only be
begotten and can in no way be made, and furthermore symbolises the mating or the union of the
parents, as the mutual love which then manifests the very fact that, the birth of the child is only
through giving love which created a life (Gilbert Meilaender, 1997). As Meilaender defines
procreation, he condemns reproduction as such thing which cannot be included in procreation.
Thus, he holds the belief that surrogacy or IVF or sperm or egg donation as the unnatural
methods which as the collaborations from third parties and not naturally occurring out mutual
love of the parents (Gilbert Meilaender, 2017). According to me, I personally agree with the
author, that child cannot be held as a product, since making human being as a product only
implies that, God incurred some mistakes.
References
Gilbert Meilaender. (1997). BEGETTING AND CLONING. Retrieved from
https://www.firstthings.com/article/1997/06/005-begetting-and-cloning
Gilbert Meilaender. (2017). Meilaender on Marriage & Children. Retrieved from
https://theologyandchurch.com/2017/04/10/meilaender-on-marriage-children/