I think you're not accounting for the fact that Christian fundamentalists make up a large potion of the people looking to "adopt" embyos, but a tiny portion of the people creating them. So it's not a refusal to pass on a potential child to anyone else, but to a group of people perceived (rightly, I would say) as belonging to a weird anti-scientific cult. People who perhaps would ban IVF if they had the chance, and could have the chance if they breed enough voters.

Agreed, and for the author to use inflammatory language like "souls in limbo" doesn't help. No, they're not; they are literally a few cells, not humans, not even zygotes.

And this is why people don't donate them. And frankly, why should they? How can I be sure you would be a good parent? Because you said so? Well, I bet that church that takes their kids to protest at funerals also think they're good parents (you can guess what I think of them).

This is not a problem. If it were, the scientists storing the extras would already have a system in place to make sure people decided quickly. Since they don't, we can assume it's not that much of a hassle to store them.

And, since those embryos are NOT HUMANS, they don't even know to mind. And because I probably have to spell it out, they have no brains, no nervous system, and therefore no way of knowing that they're frozen.

nagatuki:

No, they're not; they are literally a few cells, not humans, not even zygotes.

Not even zygotes?

I agree with the conclusion, more or less, but I am fairly certain the zygote precedes the embryo by a handful of cell divisions through stages with names that bring to mind low budget, 70s horror films (Blastula, Son of Blastula, Gastrula's Bride, then embryo, or something like that).

I think, were they my Stouffer's Frozen Offspring, I'd let them be adopted into any safe, supportive environment, without regard for the political or religious stances the parents may take. I find that nicely balances generosity of spirit and selfish egomania: anyone can raise them, as long as there is more of me in the world.

It doesn't fit the broad definition of the term: the developing individual produced from such a cell [the union of two gametes] merriam websters' def.

If it's frozen, it can't be 'developing'. You could possibly call it a 'suspended animation zygote'. But it's definitely not a standard zygote.

I agree with most everything you wrote, but embryos are human beings. They're beings, for sure. And if you have to classify what kind of beings they are, human is as good an adjective as any. What other kind of being would they be? Turnip!?

I'm wondering if an amputated arm is also a human being. Should that procedure be outlawed? An arm is a being and is human and like an embryo cannot survive without attachment to the host body. We need to fight for the rights of amputated arms! And legs and fingers and spleens and appendixes.

every stupid cell! I agree.

And what about haircuts and eyebrow waxing? And liposuction removes fat cells, which can't survive outside of a body. D@mn those beauticians and plastic surgeons!