Christians and Adoption

Warning -- rant coming on. Not intending to be offensive to anyway, just purging myself of strong emotions about a topic very close to my heart. This is what happens when I am left completely alone for 45 minutes. Consider yourself blessed that it doesn't happen very often.

Sometimes it's just great when someone else posts something I wish I could say....Anthony Bradley, a seminary professor and social activist has posted two very interesting posts that I stumbled along in the past couple weeks. In one he asks the question, Why Does America Have Orphans If It Has Christian Churches?" and in the second blog post is titled, "Does Atlanta Have Any Christians? Obviously not, some would say. Why is John, a Christian kid, in foster care Atlanta? Why, why, why?".

Grant it, I don't think that Rev. Bradley knows all the ins and outs of the issues of older children in foster care and how damaged they might be, but I can't help but wonder if he doesn't have a point. I wish I was in a position where I could state it this strongly. His opening paragraph begins,

America has nearly 115,000 orphaned kids in foster care waiting to be adopted. Some wonder how this is possible in a country with Christian families. Surely, there are 115,000 missional families in America, right? Missional families, for example, embrace the redemptive mission of God and practice "true religion" in their local communities (James 1:27). Missional Christians in America could eliminate the foster care system tomorrow if we would stop "shootin' up" with the American Dream (heroine) in order to get high on a lame life lived for the sake of comfort and ease.

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There are many Christian people who, if not critical, have at least been somewhat condescending in their questions like 'Why in the world would you want MORE children." Sometimes I am so tempted respond, "Our family will have 12 children because there are another 11 families out there who are unwilling to take one."

Obviously there are Christian families who adopt. I know many of them who do. And their are great adoptive parents who are not Christians. But when I combine my spirituality with our choices to adopt, I have to ask myself the same question. Why can't 60 million Christians take care of 115,000 kids?

I think it is awesome that there are other families who are not Christian who adopt. But I think it is ironic that Christians are not the first in line when the very foundatin of our faith is, as Kari mentioned in this post the words of Jesus who talks about how what we do it to the least of these, we are doing for him. And the verse that Bradley quotes about true religion being taking care of widows and orphans.

Sure, there are other ways to fulfill these mandates that are easier. I can send money. I can volunteer a week of my year to go on a missions trip. I can volunteer at a food shelf once a week. All those things are good, and right, and necessary.

But is God not calling us, the Church with a capitol C, to step up to the plate and adopt children, especially teens? Yes, it is going to take every waking minute of our lives from now until death to deal with the kids either physically when they are present or emotionally and mentally now and forever.

Now, I'm going to go from Preaching to Meddling as they say, but nothing burns me more than listening to "Christians" who have never adopted criticizing "the kinds of people they let adopt these days." It temps me to get right in their face and say, "how DARE you criticize those who will when you won't."

I'm sure I've made my point. Probably 10 times by now. But in adding our kids lots of asked "how can you do this again" and I respond, 'How can we NOT do this again. I see at least 2-300 kids come across my desk every single month and that is only a fraction of the kids needing homes. We have three empty beds. How can we NOT adopt again?"

If you, who have not adopted, don't think that kids get enough attention in a big famliy, then you adopt one or two or three and then I will let you criticize me for having twelve. If you do not think that single women should adopt -- every kid deserves a dad-- then you adopt one or two or three or five or ten and THEN I'll let you complain. If you do not think that single dads are capable of parenting, then when you introduce me to your new kids and I'll let you say what you want. And of course, if same sex couples can't be good parents, then when you're willing to adopt even one older kid with MULTIPLE issue, like they are doing, then I'll give you the floor. And if you should be tempted to say the words "only Christians should be able to adopt" to me, then you better have proof that you have adopted as many kids as you possibly can.

I have heard all the excuses from Christians as to why they can't adopt. I'm too young, I'm too old. It might mess up my birthkids. What if I wanted to have birthkids later? I'm single. I don't have parenting experience. I'm too poor. I'm too busy. I wouldn't have time for __________. I wouldn't have money for ________________. And the list goes on and on and on, usually ending with "I don't feel called to do it."

My immediate response is that we are already called, scripture makes it pretty clear. But my question is this, "If you feel a need to have God specifically call you to do this, why not ask God to do just that?"