Father of a child born via IVF warns AGAINST it: Technology put ‘in EVIL people’s hands’

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Granger Smith’s life was forever changed when one tragic day, his son River was lost in a drowning accident.

Devastated, the country music singer stepped out of the spotlight after 25 years and took on a new pursuit: getting closer to Jesus and joining the ministry. While strengthening his relationship with God was healing, Smith and his wife, Amber, were now lacking their son's bright light in their lives — and wanted another child.

However, Amber had her tubes tied after giving birth to River.

“I look back on that now as if we just had an idea of when our family would start or finish,” Smith tells Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable.” “I am against surgical contraception in that way because it put us in a really tough spot.”

That’s when he began to discuss IVF with his wife.

“She really struggled. She said, ‘But how could we reconcile playing God and planting a baby in my belly?’” Smith explains. However, a conversation with his son Lincoln gave him what he believed to be the answer.

“He was just staring out of the window and he just said something out of the blue. He said, ‘Daddy, does God make some of the trees and man makes some of the trees?' And I answered quickly without thinking about it, and I said, ‘No, buddy, God makes all the trees but sometimes man needs to plant the seed.’”

“I remember feeling overwhelmed with that thought, God makes all the babies, sometimes man plants the seed. And I felt a peace in that,” he tells Stuckey.

Smith and his wife began the IVF process — and despite running into ethical problems over what to do with the embryos — Amber became pregnant with their now 3-year-old son, Maverick.

While they love and cherish their son, Smith was horrified at what he saw coming out of the clinic they used after Maverick’s birth, calling it “rotten fruit” — and he tells Stuckey that he wouldn’t do it over because of this.

“What they’re promoting through IVF was so that anybody could have a baby. Not a man and a woman, not a married man and woman. And that wasn’t just that clinic,” Smith says. “There is so much evil surrounding it, evil coming out of it. The ability to put this kind of technology in evil people’s hands is too much to bear.”

Stuckey is in agreement.

“There’s so many Christian parents, who would and do make excellent parents, who do not realize before they go into IVF the ethical quandary that they will be placed in,” she says, adding, “It’s not coming from a place of hatred or condemnation for me. It’s just a place of realization that these are babies made in the image of God.”


Country artist Granger Smith says he's ending his music career to pursue ministry

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Country music artist Granger Smith announced that he is ending his music career in order to pursue ministry.

Smith explained that he has "felt a strong desire to pursue ministry" and that he and his family will serve their local church. He indicated that his pastors and elders will disciple him, noting "Lord willing, one day they can affirm me into the next steps of what that might look like to glorify God best from my platform."

The singer-songwriter noted that he has been attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and that he has a book slated for release August 1 titled "Like a River."

"On June 4th, 2019, country music singer Granger Smith was enjoying a final evening with his kids before heading to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards and his next tour. While helping his daughter London with her gymnastics, his youngest son fell into their pool. Granger did everything he could to get to him, but he was too late. River drowned, and Granger's world shattered," a book description states. "Alone on his tour bus, on the darkest night of his life, Granger had a spiritual encounter with Jesus that lifted him out of the muck and onto a new path." The book is described as "a triumphant story of new life birthed out of tragedy, will teach readers how to face their failures, confront their pain, and connect with God - the true source of life."

Smith pointed to Mark 8 to explain his motivation for the major decision to leave country music in pursuit of ministry. In Mark 8:34, Jesus said, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Smith explained, "That form of self-denial is something I'm just not doing," noting that when performing he needs "glorification" and "praise," and if he does not receive it, that indicates his career is not going well.

"I can't reconcile those two things y'all," he said, noting that he cannot pursue seminary and ministry while attempting to exalt himself on the weekends.

Smith noted that he has toured for 24 years, but he's doing it just once more.

"This summer will be my last tour," Smith wrote. "I am so encouraged and hopeful and excited and joyful about the next chapter, but to a large extent, I have no idea what it will look like. I just want to glorify God the best way that I can. I want to learn and grow and serve my local church and allow my pastors to equip and affirm those next steps. Lord willing, I want to be used to help people find their purpose."

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