The Ethics of Procreation and Hereditary Disease

Procreating when one possesses a hereditary disease is a grave responsibility because it directly impacts the total sum of human happiness and well-beingSA 107.3. To maximize the welfare of both your potential offspring and society, you must carefully consider the consequences of transmitting a life of suffering to a new generation2SM 423.2+1.

The Impact on the Child and Society

Choosing to bring a child into the world when there is a high risk of transmitting a debilitating condition is a decision that affects more than just the parentsSA 107.3. It is essential to consider the following:

• Human Misery: Transmitting a disease to offspring compels them to be sufferers, thereby accumulating and perpetuating human misery across generations2SM 423.2+1.

• The Burden on Society: Bringing an enfeebled race into the community deteriorates the general health of the population and increases the overall weight of suffering within society2SM 423.2+1.

• A Sacred Trust: Life and health are gifts to be used for the highest purposes, and regarding them lightly by knowingly passing on disease is seen as a violation of this trust2SM 423.2+1.

The Responsibility of Parents

The well-being of the next generation depends on the choices made today. Prospective parents have a duty to investigate the laws of heredity and physical development before taking on the responsibilities of fatherhood or motherhoodCG 63.3.

• Preparation: Men and women should become thoroughly acquainted with physiology, hygiene, and the laws of heredity to ensure they can provide a healthy foundation for their childrenCG 63.3.

• Cause and Effect: Every violation of the laws of life brings a sure result, often falling upon the mental and physical powers of the offspring even to the third or fourth generationTe 56.2+1.

• Self-Denial for the Greater Good: True integrity involves exercising self-control and self-denial when our natural inclinations might result in harm to others or a decrease in the quality of life for our childrenCD 236.3+1.

A Path Toward Improvement

While hereditary traits are powerful, we are not mere slaves to our inheritance. There is a constant call to improve the human condition through education and better habitsHHTL 143.2+1.

• Mitigating Factors: Even where a predisposition to disease exists, proper exercise, nutritious diet, and a healthy environment can often prevent that disease from becoming active or minimize its impactHHTL 143.2+1.

• Spiritual and Mental Strength: Through faith and the development of character, individuals can gain the strength to overcome natural propensities and cultivated tendencies that lead to sufferingAA 476.3+1.

• Focus on Restoration: The ultimate goal is the restoration of the race to physical and intellectual strength, which requires a conscious effort to stop the transmission of hereditary evilsARSH October 30, 1860, page 191.4.

Ultimately, we are told that the righteousness of the law is to be fulfilled in our lives and that we should seek the best good of all peopleSOTC 45.1+1. In all things, we should seek to act in a way that promotes life and health rather than accumulating suffering 1 Corinthians 10:31SA 107.3.