As Christians, we treasure the gift of life—and this has been true throughout the centuries, from the early church to today’s pro-life movement. While we gave God thanks for the end of Roe in 2022, the effort to continue advocating for life in America has brought to the fore any number of political complications and ethical quandaries. 

Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a stunning decision—with Scripture references and quotes from John Calvin—that argued IVF embryos are children. We know for many families IVF isn’t an abstract issue but one that hits close to home. But what’s remarkable in the recent discourse, even among certain pro-life Christians, are arguments for why we shouldn’t view IVF-created embryos as babies. As Joe Carter helpfully explains in his recent article, how we answer the questions before us concerning IVF-created embryos “hold significant implications for how we view life, dignity, and our responsibilities as followers of Christ.”

More than a political battle or the latest news headline, these are the sorts of questions that get at the root of what it means to stand for life in a culture of death.