Is it wrong for parents to select the gender of their children?

Answer

PGD stands for “pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.” It is a procedure in which a woman’s eggs are collected, fertilized in a dish (through in-vitro fertilization), and then tested for genetic defects. If abnormalities are found, the embryos are destroyed. Although this procedure can be used to select the gender of a child (gender selection), it was never intended for this purpose, and many physicians will not use it for such.

The primary method of gender selection involves sorting and separating sperm before fertilization. Sperm are divided into a male group, a female group, and an abnormal group. The abnormal sperm are discarded, and the appropriate sperm for the desired gender are then used to fertilize a woman’s eggs in-vitro.

In both scenarios, the standard procedure is for multiple eggs to be fertilized, then only the embryos chosen by a woman to be implanted. This implies that the remaining embryos, although viable, are destroyed or utilized for embryonic research. Passages such as Exodus 21:22-25, Psalm 139:13-16, and Jeremiah 1:5 clearly indicate that God considers human life to commence at conception, and that throughout the developmental process in the womb, a baby possesses the same right to life defense as an adult.

Setting aside embryo destruction and the controversial PGD, many argue that gender selection poses minimal moral complexity. Sperm sorting does not provide a 100% assurance that the baby will be of the chosen gender. Consequently, individuals argue that if God intends for the baby to be a boy instead of the selected girl, or vice versa, then He will intervene in the fertilization process. While this may hold true, ultimately, gender selection boils down to selfishness.

There is truly no valid reason, whether medical or otherwise, for an individual to medically determine a child’s gender. James 3:15-16 states, “For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unsp

Spiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.” Throughout the Bible, we are exhorted to find contentment in our circumstances and not to pursue selfishness. Because our lives are to be modeled after Christ’s own selflessness, selfishness is a sin. Therefore, the Bible does not support gender selection.