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Meilanender’s distinction between procreation and reproduction is based in the root words of the ideas themselves. Reproduction, while defined today as the scientific process for having children, can include not only sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, but also artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection; thus "re"- "producing" ourselves. Procreation has a much deeper meaning and is considered by Meilanender to be God’s natural order of the union of a man and a woman toward the birth of children. Therefore, procreation is a biological occurrence that is endowed by our creator; "pro" –"creation" (Meilaender, 2013).  With this being said, the distinction between being begotten versus being made must be addressed. "When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. But when you make, you make something of a different kind from yourself" ("Orthodox Road," 2015).  The true distinction according to Meilanender is that the love between a man and woman gives rise to another like them and is truly "life-giving" and the child is therefore begotten.  In contrast, being made does not necessarily involve the undivided love between a man and a woman it may only be their desire to have a child.

These descriptions of procreation, reproduction, begotten, and being made are well understood in the Christian ideology, however; the ideas behind them do not always prove to be adequate in today’s world.  My sister tried for years to have children with her husband of 10 years.  Years of failed in vitro and miscarriages led to financial hardship and sadness.  Years later they were able to adopt 2 baby girls at birth and take them home from the hospital.  Meilanender states, "Might we not say the same of adoption — that it confuses lines of kinship and makes possible a child who does not embody biologically the union of husband and wife" (Meilaender, 2013, p. 18).  I do not agree with this as the aunt to these two beautiful girls that our family could not imagine living without.  Due to the selfless act of caring for another human being, these two girls are active members of society and bring about good to those they come into contact with.  The God I know considers my nieces our family and would not consider my sisters actions to be against the will of God; her will is to do good and spread love to everyone. "Even if the desire of an infertile couple to have children is laudable and their aim praiseworthy, even if we know of instances in which assisted reproduction seems to have brought happy results, it is the wrong method for achieving those results"(Meilaender, 2013, p. 18). Meilanender cannot determine what is right and what is wrong; it is his interpretation.  The idea of adoption being the wrong method to achieve happiness is his close minded thought, not albeit truth in my opinion. 

Assaulting God, Part 2. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.orthodoxroad.com/tag/begotten-vs-created/

http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/wm-b-eerdmans-publishing-co/2013/bioethics_a-primer-for-christians_ebook_3e.php