Pauline Everett explores how surrogacy is presented in three secular and
three Church reports by focussing upon the surrogate, the commissioning
couple and the child. She explores the key theological and ethical
objections to surrogacy, namely: that it undermines motherhood, involves
baby selling, coercion, exploitation and commodification.
Everett analyses motherhood and reflects on a secular approach and a
Christian approach. She examines whether paid surrogacy commodifies,
exploits and coerces the participants; and its theological understanding
seeing human beings as created in the image of God and as having
dignity. Everett explores whether paid surrogacy involves baby selling,
and uses Augustine and Aquinas to illustrate the concepts of the self
and other; arguing that self-interest and altruism can co-exist with
care for the self and the other in a relational framework without
detriment. She concludes with presenting three models towards surrogacy,
and asks for a more sophisticated ontology of the relationship between
the self and the other, calling for various solutions in a surrogacy
custody battle.