By 2021, artificial womb technology had advanced to the point of growing mouse embryos from conception to the 11-to-12-day stage, about half their gestational length. They acknowledge that this sets the stage for other species and that humans could be next.
These are all ethical issues that have confronted Dr. Francis Collins as a man of science and of faith. The issues more recently included COVID mask and vaccine mandates. To many in the evangelical community, the pro-life appeals he made for the mandates have rung increasingly hollow, and his seeming inconsistencies have been bothersome.
The science behind COVID-19 has driven much of our national, social, and even ecclesiastical policies. If biblical principles of care and compassion are considered, we can ask: Did we give appropriate freedom for those less at risk to make their own decisions about worship, continuing to work, or getting access to convalescing friends or relatives.
