The Protestant church, and the evangelical church in particular, has an ambiguous history and uncertain relationship regarding the human embryo. It began with the approval (or silence regarding any disapproval) of artificial contraceptives near the med-20th century. Failure to articulate clear principles led to acceptance of various forms of assisted reproduction. Succumbing to social pressure and their personal desire to have children, many Christians have accepted technologies that treat the early embryo as a means to achieve the goal of childbirth, rather than as an intrinsically valuable entity. Many of these same couples would find abortion to be morally wrong. This ambiguity regarding the early embryo is reflected in the law. The legal status of the implanted embryo depends, in significant part, on the intention of the mother. The status of the embryo in vitro is even more tenuous, depending on whether it is desired or rejected by a genetic parent (who may prefer destruction over implantation), an infertile couple, or researchers. Regulation or prohibition of technologies that destroy the embryo (such as human embryo research, and cloning-for-research) is made more difficult by both the legal and moral ambiguities surrounding the embryo. Change in public policy is complicated by the lack of a consistent moral foundation among the primary constituents: the pro-life community.