Jon and Kate's First Mistake

I've never watched any more than a few moments here and there of Jon and Kate Plus 8, but how can anyone miss the saga of their crumbling family life lately. Apparently, the parents of eight kids have recently filed for the dissolution of their marriage, though TLC plans on continuing to run the series. There have been no announcements to change the title of the show to Jon and Kate Sharing Custody of 8, but there will certainly be something awkward about the part of the title that joins Jon and Kate and something cruel about the part that brings the plus 8 into the cameras during the televised aftermath of the divorce.

While much of the attention has focused on the alleged infidelity of both parents, one aspect that never gets discussed is the means by which the eight kids were conceived in the first place. According to Wikipedia, the couple experience infertility, explained by Kate's diagnosis of polycycstic ovary syndrome. After this, the couple underwent in-vitro fertilization twice, resulting in a set of twins and a set of sextuplets.

As explained by an earlier post (click here), in-vitro fertilization is not only unnatural, but contrary to God's plan. While the word "evil" is something of a sinister term, which modern society tends to associate only with movie villains and people who don't recycle, anything that is contrary to God's plan is sinful, and therefore evil. We all commit evil acts, sometimes out of ignorance, and the suggestion that some evil might be done for a greater good doesn't excuse the fact.

No doubt Jon and Kate were ignorant of the harm that can come from bringing intrinsically sinful acts into the marriage, as society champions in-vitro fertilization as the answer for all couples who are struggling to have children (while simultaneously championing contraception for couples who are struggling not to).

In direct contrast to contraception, which is sinful because it removes the potential of procreation from sex, in-vitro fertilization is sinful because it removes sex from the act of procreation (among other reasons). Either act makes a mockery of the miracle in which God has asked us to participate.

No doubt this is a sensitive subject, as is evidenced by one attempted comment in my earlier post on in-vitro from a husband whose wife had conceived through that method. Part of the reason for this sensitivity is the attitude among couples today that they have a right to children by virtue of their sexual organs. It is quite possible that God had other plans for Jon and Kate, such as adopting a teenage girl, which they had the opportunity to do earlier in their marriage, before deciding to go another route. Or maybe they were meant to apply their parental instincts to work with youth at their church or community organizations.

Whatever plan God had for them, the decision to conceive through in-vitro fertilization was surely at least one contributing factor to what TLC is now chronicling for the world. This is just one subtle reminder that TLC stands, not for "tender loving care", but "The Learning Channel". Unfortunately, until society realizes the evil nature of in-vitro fertilization, this is a lesson that has been taught while most of the class is on spring break.

Update: After the posting of this blog, TLC announced that Jon and Kate Plus 8 would go on indefinite hiatus. Rather than rewrite the blog, I wanted to leave this note for those who read after this announcement.