Christian Adoption, Faith Based Adoption Blog

08/03/06

Does Adoption Save Souls?

Posted by : Laura Christianson in Christian Adoption Blog at 05:00 am , 395 words, 199 views
Categories: Books, Music, & Media, International Adoption

In the previous post, I reviewed Cheri Register’s book, Beyond Good Intentions: A Mother Reflects on Raising Internationally Adopted Children.

One of her chapters is titled, “Believing Adoption Saves Souls.” In this chapter, Register examines the following notions:

God has a direct hand in adoption.

God guides parents to the children they adopt.

God picked out the perfect child for our family.

Our faith is what allows us to overcome obstacles to adopting.

It’s God’s will that our child be “rescued and raised by believers.”

Register cites an example of a couple “who plan to tell their daughter that God arranged for her to be born in China to test their fitness as parents, to see if they loved her enough to go all the way to China to fetch her. Meanwhile, her soul sat up in heaven watching them—her “real” parents—and cheering them on. The birth parents have barely a walk-on role in this tale.”

She writes:

I have problems with a theology of God-as-Micro-manager.

Why would a just and loving God routinely take children away from poor parents in struggling countries and hand them over to people of greater wealth?

Wouldn’t God instead prevent untimely births and reduce the suffering that abandonment and displacement afflict on both birth parents and children?

How can we presume to know that God personally moves each and every child from one spot on the globe to another?

Is it still God’s will if strings are pulled, laws evaded, and bribes paid to make the adoption happen?

Of course not all devout parents believe so literally that God alone is the instrumental force behind adoption. Many see no lack of faith in acknowledging the political conditions, the economic realities, the human efforts that make adoption happen the way it does.

They may nevertheless treat the outcome as cause for divine rejoicing. Their child, born to parents of no faith or a different faith, has come to a family that worships God in the one way they consider right and true.

Adoption, then, is a route to salvation.

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Readers, let’s start a conversation about this.

Do you believe adoption is “a route to salvation”? Why or why not?

Did God play a part in the adoption of your child? If so, how did you notice God working through the adoption process?

5 comments

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Heather Lowe [Member]

· http://unplanned-pregnancy.adoptionblogs.com/

I was just going to post about that very topic.

I believe in God, but I can't stand the view that God causes or arranges adoptions. That is because, as a birthmother, I see the suffering side of adoption, not the happy side that adoptive parents usually see. And my God does not create suffering.

Instead, I believe adoption is two sets of people trying to do their bset to meet their own needs while providing stability for a child. I don't believe that God micromanages, either.

Nice topic.

Permalink 08/03/06 @ 05:19

Comment from: Jan Baker [Member]

· http://birthfamily-search.adoptionblogs.com/

Like Heather, I cannot adhere to the notion that God intentionally would arrange adoptions from the moment of conception. For me to believe that would require me to think of God as cruel - that is not what I was taught growing up with religion.

It would require me to believe that we have no control over anything that happens in our lives. We do not have all the control, but, through choices we make, we have some.

People often believe what they need to in adoption - some adoptive parents NEED to believe that God intended them to have the children they have from the moment that child was conceived. That is terribly dismissive of birth parents in my view; some people need to do that.

As for God sending children only to families of the "right" faith? Doesn't work for me. Is adoption a second chance for some children? Yes. Is it sometimes good for children? Yes.

Some birth mothers need to believe that God guided them to have a baby for someone else. I see that as a way to relieve themselves of any responsibility in the matter. The guilt is overwhelming for some, and laying it all on God is one survival technique.

I have blogged on this subject and some adoptive parents hate my views on this subject.

Permalink 08/03/06 @ 08:32

Comment from: Michelle Vandepas [Member]

· http://fost-adopt.adoptionblogs.com/

I DO believe that GOD helped me find my daughter - and that I was 'lead' to become a foster adopt mom...but I do not think that it was at the expense of birth mom or that God had birthmom give birth so that I could adopt this child. No. I think I became a foster adopt mom from prodding from God -- and then our birthmom delivered a few years later and found she could not bring up her child. Two separate incidents - firmly connected. I do think K was a gift from God for us. but I also don't think God had our birthmom give birth to K just for us. No no no...

I do tell K that I talked to God and asked him to bring my child to me, and to bring us the perfect child for our family and that was K- but I've also told her how much her birthmom wanted her. Again, not related stories - at least yet. I'm sure as K gets older and the questions come, I'll have to be very clear on this subject - and I'm not sure yet how I'll talk about it or how the story will develop. I am deeply spiritual, and do believe I was led to do this, and that K is our child, emotionally, spiritually etc. We are all connected as a family - and that came partly from attachment and partly from good chemistry and.....? Also, I don't always think that I am helping anyone - children or parents when I've fostered. The money and resources spent on foster care would be better spent on preserving the families in many situations (not all obviously)......I have a lot to say on this subject... Maybe I'll continue my answer on my blog. Thanks for thought provoking post.

Permalink 08/03/06 @ 09:05

Comment from: Aimee' [Member]

Did God play a part in the adoption of your child? If so, how did you notice God working through the adoption process?
Of course I believe that God played a huge part in the adoption of our children. The fact is that there are orphans in this world. I do not believe this is God's perfect will. The fact is that there are people who are going to choose adoption. Is this God's perfect will? I do not believe this is God's perfect will but I do believe that God gives us free will to choose the path we take in life and I do believe that through prayer and seeking God for multiplying my family that adoption was part of God's will on this earth for our family.

I agree that the choice of birthparents choosing adoption is a separate incident from my family choosing adoption to multiply my family. I do not believe God placed that baby in her womb for me but I do believe that God knows all and knew before our son was born that adoption was going to be chosen from the birthmom and with that and prayer, God was the reason this birthmom and myself crossed paths.

Permalink 08/08/06 @ 06:01

Comment from: Aimee' [Member]

I want to add "birthparents, birthmoms" to one of my fourth sentence to clarify who I am speaking about.

The fact is that there are birthparents, birthmoms that are going to choose adoption.

Permalink 08/08/06 @ 06:04

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