
Science & Additional Commentary
PARAGRAPH 4
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.
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With a population of 7.5 million, if every man, woman, and child on Earth was given one acre of land, which is population density of 640 people per square mile, the entire population could live in an area the size of the continent of Africa. That’s only 6 percent of Earth’s land mass.
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Globally, no less than 23 countries are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. Stein Emil Vollset , et.al., “Fertility, mortality, migration, and population scenarios for 195 countries and territories from 2017 to 2100,” Lancet (2020). https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30677-2/fulltext
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The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the number of senior adults will edge out the number of children by 2034. Jonathan Vespa, “The U.S. Joins Other Countries with Large Aging Populations,” U.S. Census Bureau Population Division (2018).
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When a country sustains a fertility rate of 1.4, they will lose one-third of their population each successive generation. The U.S. fertility rate is 1.7 as of 2019.
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Very low fertility rates are becoming increasingly normal across the globe, with most countries having birth rates between 1.4 and 1.9 children per women (“replacement” or stable fertility rate is 2.1). National Center for Health Statistics.
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Adults who attend religious services at least weekly are more likely to believe in the importance of having their own children than those who worship less frequently. General Social Survey (1972-2006), Patrick F. Fagan and Althea Nagai, “The Personal Importance of Having Children by Religious Attendance,” Mapping America Project.
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By 2050, the UN estimates that Europe, home to about 730 million people, will shrink by 75 million. The UN expects Japan, with 128 million people, to lose 16 million and South Korea, with about 48 million people, to lose more than 3 million. “Immigration Fails to Stem European Population Loss.” Associated Press, Thursday August 17, 2006. Guardian Unlimited, The Guardian.
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The number of births in the US dropped by 2 percent between 2017 and 2018, to 59 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, continuing a general downturn that started with the Great Recession of 2008. It’s the lowest number of births in 32 years. The fertility rate in 2018 dropped to an all-time low of 1.72 (replacement fertility rate is 2.1). National Vital Statistics Program, Natality.
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The [European] Union’s working age population (15-64 years) . . . between 2005 and 2030 . . . is due to fall by 20.8 million . . . . The number of young adults (25-39 years old) [began] to fall in 2005 and this trend is set to accelerate significantly after 2010 (-16% between 2010 and 2030). The number of 40-54 year olds will start to fall in 2010. In parallel, the number of people aged 55 and over will grow by 15.5% between 2010 and 2030. “Confronting Demographic Change: A New Solidarity Between The Generations.” Communication From The Commission, The Commission of The European Communities, Brussels, Belgium. March 16, 2005.
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The prevailing narrative is that as the world's population increases more people will starve. You decide:

5w Infographics; Sources: World Peace Foundation, Tufts; Food and Agriculture Organization, U.N.
We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
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Risks to women associated with egg retrieval include: Ovarian Hyper Stimulation syndrome (OHSS) due to superovulation, loss of fertility, ovarian torsion, stroke, kidney disease, premature menopause, ovarian cysts, and in some rare cases, death. Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of the National Academies, “Assessing the Medical Risks of Human Oocyte Donation for Stem Cell Research: Workshop Report,” 2007.
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Because of the high costs associated with surrogacy, multiple embryos are often implanted in the surrogate mother. This leads to increased risk of caesarian sections and longer hospital stays. In addition researchers warn: “Multiple pregnancies are associated with maternal and perinatal complications such as gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction, and pre-eclampsia as well as premature birth.” Kamphuis, E., Bhattacharya, S., van der Veen, F., and Mol, B.W.J., “Are We Overusing IVF?” British Journal of Medicine, 2014.
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Women pregnant with donor eggs have a more than three-fold risk of developing pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Science Daily. “Pregnancies following egg donation associated with more than 3-fold higher risk of hypertension” July 1, 2014.
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Children born through assisted reproduction are much more likely to suffer from low and very low birth weights. Schieve, L., Meikle, S., Ferre, C., Petersen, H., Jeng, G., and Wilcox, L., “Low and Very Low Birth Weight in Infants Conceived with Use of Assisted Reproductive Technology,” New England Journal of Medicine, 346 (2002):731-737.
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Babies originating from commissioned embryos (embryos made from IVF) and carried by gestational surrogates (women who have no genetic relationship to the embryo) have increased incidences of preterm birth, low birth weight babies, maternal gestational diabetes, hypertension, and placenta previa, compared with the live births conceived spontaneously and carried by the same woman. Irene Woo, et al., “Perinatal Outcomes after Natural Conception vs. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in Gestational Surrogates: A Model to Evaluate IVF Treatment vs. Maternal Effects,” Fertility and Sterility, 108 6 (2017): pg. 993-998.
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Children conceived via IVF suffer from significant increases in preterm births, stillbirths (4-5 fold increase), low birth weights, fetal anomalies, higher blood pressure, and a host of other syndromes. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Are Children Born After Assisted Reproductive Technology at Increased Risk for Adverse Health Outcomes?” 2004. Merritt, T.A., Goldstein, M., Philips, R., Peverini, R., Iwokoshi, J., Rodriguez, A., and Oshiro, B. “Impact of ART on pregnancies in California: an analysis of maternity outcomes and insights into the added burden of neonatal intensive care,” Journal of Perinatology, 2014.
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The biological link between parent and child is undeniably intimate, and when severed has lasting repercussions felt by all parties. One study revealed that 50 percent of parents who had children conceived via egg donation went on to regret using anonymous donation. Frith, L., Sawyer, N., and Kramer, W., “Forming a family with sperm donation: a survey of 244 non-biological parents,” Reproductive BioMedicine, 2012.