Evangelicals Start Adoption Push

Prominent evangelical Christians are urging churchgoers to strongly consider adoption or foster care, not just out of kindness or biblical calling but also to answer criticism that their movement, while condemning abortion and same-sex adoption, does not do enough for children without parents.

With backing from the evangelical group Focus on the Family and best-selling evangelical author Rick Warren, the effort to promote "orphan care" among the estimated 65 million evangelicals in the United States could drastically reduce foster care rolls if successful.

Yet sensitive issues lie ahead: about evangelizing, religious attitudes on corporal punishment, gay and lesbian foster children, racially mixed families, and resolving long-standing tensions between religious groups and the government.

Warren and others are scheduled to speak at a Focus on the Family summit on May 9-11 in Colorado Springs that aims to elevate the initiative onto the national stage.

"In some people's minds, the church has been very pro-life up until the point of birth," said Michael Monroe, who co-founded an adoption and foster care ministry at Irving Bible Church outside Dallas. "But a lot of people are saying it's not enough to be pro-life, we need to be pro-children, as well."

The effort has two major thrusts.

Aware that adoption and foster care are not for everyone, organizers are suggesting alternatives such as providing support networks for foster families, taking short-term mission trips and sponsoring orphanages.

But largely, the goal is to get evangelicals to think about children seeking "forever families" in their own communities.

"Many times, we think of orphans as 3,000 miles away," said Mark Andre, head of the new Orphan Initiative at Focus on the Family, an evangelical group heavily involved in abortion politics. "Many people don't think of foster kids as orphans. If you look at the numbers, it just really makes sense."

More than 500,000 children were in the U.S. foster care system in 2005, the last year for which federal statistics were available. About 115,000 were waiting for adoption.

The new campaign urges churches to follow the example of groups such as Denver-based Project 1.27, which takes its name from a James 1:27 passage to "look after orphans and widows in their distress."

Project 1.27 has agreements with five Colorado counties to provide training to prospective foster parents. So far, families have taken in 47 children and 21 children have been permanently adopted, Padbury said. The group is not a child placement agency, so it receives no money from counties.

Although Padbury said politics is not at the forefront of the effort, it is a factor: "If we are spending all our time complaining about homosexuals adopting, then why are we not coming forward to adopt these kids?"

Catholic and Jewish charities have long offered adoption services, and a multistate effort called One Church, One Child has heightened awareness in the African-American church community since the 1980s.

But conflicts do arise. Last year, Catholic Charities of Boston got out of the adoption business after it was revealed it has been placing children with same-sex parents for a decade. The organization was caught between a Vatican statement calling gay adoptions "gravely immoral" and a Massachusetts state law requiring agencies that take state money to make adoption available to same-sex parents.

• no previous page
• next

1/2

[randalds]

Your right about that, which is why I am proud to be an American. That is something that you and I share: The First Amendment. Peace be with you.
Posted by rushman71 at 03:54 PM : May 04, 2007

And also with you. (I was raised Catholic.)

:-)

[randalds]

I don't really see the entire bible as a book of fairy tales in the sense that I don't think any of it happened, but rather that taking it literally (the old testament) is the same thing as if it were just fairy tales. Certainly it's possible that some of the people named in the bible actually existed and there's no doubt that many of the places did too, however believing literally that the world was created in 6 days or that Jonah was swallowed by a fish for 3 days is believing in fairy tales. As a book of philosophy or proverbs or general instruction on how to live ones life it certainly has much merit.

[realpatriot1]

Sorry about the split paragrah and the resulting incoherence. That's not how I wrote it and I'm not quite sure how it happened.

[realpatriot1]

RandallDS,

With all due respect, if Jesus wasn't the son of God then he wasn't a very wise rabbi either. I believe he was both.

I take a middle road between you 2 dueling philosophers. I don't see the Bible as a"book of fairy tales" or as every word regardless of the speaker or the context representing the"word of God".

Yes, there are inconsistencies in the Bible. It's a compilation of texts representing the interpretations of a multitude of mortals. At the same time, there is a vast amount of scientific evidence supporting much of what's in the Bible that can't be explained away by doubters.

I fully respect your right to believe whatever you want and I also respect the right of Christians to practice their faith.

As someone who has criticized evangelicals in the past for not doing more to adopt while seeking to deny adoption to gay couples I applaud this as a positive development.it doesn't change my view that gay.

It's just as discriminatory to use the assumption that evangelicals will shove religion down kids throats as a reason to deny adoptions as it is to use the argument that gay parents will try to make kids gay. Both arguments are unfair to the vast majority. Both types of instances should be dealt with by child protection if and when they occur.

ut, I believe, a critical thinker with an open mind can find consistency and truth within the words of Christ as opposed to Moses, Paul, Luke,etc.

[rushman71]

Your right about that, which is why I am proud to be an American. That is something that you and I share: The First Amendment. Peace be with you.

[randalds]

I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, of All that is Seen and Unseen.

Posted by rushman71 at 03:27 PM : May 04, 2007

Bully for you. I mean that. Whatever works for you is fine with me, as long as it's not inserted in the government or schools, then as an atheist I have no problem with whatever you choose to believe or not to believe. Just as you should have no problem with my choice not to. It's what makes America grand!

[rushman71]

It's kind of funny how for many years by many people the belief in science is fact, and the bible fiction. Since there is no "scientific proof" of God, why should I believe in Him. Because of the occurances that I have seen and experienced, have witnessed and told to others. I believe in One God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, of All that is Seen and Unseen. And from what I have experienced, I know that there is a true God. I also know that there is Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, who was born of the virgin Mary, who lived until he killed by Pontius Pilate. He suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again from the dead, in fulfillment of the scripture. The scripture regards different proficies throughout the Old Testament which almost everyone of them regarding Jesus has been done. The remaining have yet to be fulfilled, which is right around the corner. But no matter how much science may seem to hold towards fact, the fact remains that there is a God, but you would have to believe through your heart. You don't need science to prove the existance of God, you need faith and belief. May the Lord open your eyes to see and ears to hear to help give you understanding to His Word. Amen.

[randalds]

If you have "facts" that there is no God, no Jesus, no Holy Spirit, please provide them.
Posted by rushman71 at 02:29 PM : May 04, 2007

As for so-called facts about the existence of a god, well that's a disingenuous question as one can not prove a negative. One can not prove that something didn't happen (or doesn't exist) in the same manner as one can prove that something DID happen. For instance, besides your faith that there is indeed a god, you can not prove it scientifically any more then I can scientifically dis-prove it, though I can certainly point you to many ways to prove evolution is real. Not being able to DIS-prove something however does not mean that it is therefore proven. Reality doesn't work that way.

However as to the existence of Jesus Christ, yes I do believe such a man existed, however since I do not believe there is such a thing as god, then I certainly do not believe he was the son of god. He was a wise Rabbi, a good Jewish teacher, but not the son of any god.

[randalds]

There are so many events throughout the bible that have been discovered by archeologist, anthropologist, paleantologists, and other types of scientists that puts the word "evolution" up in question. If you have "facts" that there is no God, no Jesus, no Holy Spirit, please provide them.
Posted by rushman71 at 02:29 PM : May 04, 2007

I have read the bible several times and refer to it often. I in fact have one right on my desk right now. As for historical accuracy, in order to believe that it is accurate one would have to believe that the world was created in 6 days approximately 6000 years ago, which is in and of itself ridiculous. no credible scientist doubts that the world is less then 4 billion years old. Also there is Exodus. A nice movie with Charlton Heston to be sure, but there is no archaeological evidence that there were ever any Jewish slaves in Egypt and it fact all evidence points to the great monuments of Egypt being built by paid and volunteer Egyptens.

[rushman71]

RandalDS: Tell me, when was the last time you read the bible. How would you know that it "is so full of holes historically and logically that one could quite easily use it as a sieve". Forgive if I'm wrong here, but you sound like the type of person who doesn't have the time, patience, understanding, "morality, goodness and sense of self" to even be bothered in the truth. There are so many events throughout the bible that have been discovered by archeologist, anthropologist, paleantologists, and other types of scientists that puts the word "evolution" up in question. If you have "facts" that there is no God, no Jesus, no Holy Spirit, please provide them.