Here is a snippet:
Christian groups report that there are 132 million orphans in this world. If so, every available resource needs to be freed up to care for these children — meaning singles as well as couples. There are 100 million single persons over 18 in the United States alone — one-third of the population. I think it’s safe to estimate that at least a third of all adults in a typical U.S. church are single. Why is it verboten to mobilize the unmarried so they too can nourish and bring up children?
I think that is a troubling thought process. I know that conditions in orphanages are horrific, but is this the solution? A 19 year old college student is an adult, should they adopt? How does a single woman fulfill the role of a Christian father in raising children? How does a single man provide the care and nurture of a Christian mother?
I wonder if this is not mere pragmatism under the guise of compassion. Should singles adopt? If you believe as I do that the family structure that is Biblical is an intact two-parent (of the opposite sex!) family so that men and women can fulfill their roles and pass on those same roles to their children, then the answer should be a qualified no. Can a single provide a nice, loving home to an orphan? I am sure that they can, but so can polygamous families or homosexual couples. That doesn’t mean the church should be involved in placing children in those homes.
While I recognize that in this world the perfect family doesn’t exist and that reality often intrudes on our ideals, and I also recognize that some kids do just fine in a single family home and some kids do really poorly in a two parent home, I truly believe and can support from Scripture that there needs to be two parents wherever possible. Part of the desire to get married stems from a desire to have a family. Now we would skip that step in the church and start handing out orphans? No need to get involved in a messy marriage, you can just adopt kids! What about single guys adopting teen girls from orphanages, is that a good idea? We should do more to encourage Christians to get and stayed married, not to stay single and adopt kids anyway.
I think the church could and should do more for adoption. I know people who would adopt and can’t afford it. We would adopt even though we already have eight kids if we could swing it financially. I truly believe that the church needs to spend way less on programs, buildings and staff salaries and divert at least some of that money to help couples adopt children. I don’t think that the church should be in the business of encouraging singles to adopt children. It is hard enough raising children as a couple, we shouldn't seek to make it harder and less Scriptural.
What do you think? Should the church encourage singles to adopt for the sake of getting kids out of orphanages?
2 comments:
No, it should not. We are not pragmatists, we are Christians. Really, it shows a lack of faith and understanding of the sovereignty of God if we think we have to step outside of His will to "save" these children. As if they are beyond His reach without our intervention.
I've lurked for awhile...now, you've asked a question that I want to answer.
I think that any Godly Christian, who feels the Lord is leading them to adopt, should do so.
Yes, the ideal is for a mom/dad household, but those children in orphanages have lives that aren't ideal. They didn't choose the life they have.
If the option is to grow up without a Christian presence in their lives, grow up with no future hope, or grow up in poverty, then are we not responsible to help? Aren't we commanded to help the widows and orphans?
I think, too many times, people simply say that they can't do "that" (whatever that is) and use it as a excuse to do nothing, or to simply send money and say they've done their part.
We have lived overseas for eleven years. When you see children living in poverty and living in state run orphanages, it makes you want to see things change. It causes you to want those children to have the same opportunities your children have been blessed with...
That said, we went all the way through the adoption process and had permission to adopt in our country when we got a red flag from the Lord and had to refuse the child. That was heartbreaking. We're open to adopting, but the Lord hasn't given us the go ahead again.
So...I appreciate you raising the question....I'd have to say yes to singles adopting....I know some who have done so successfully.
Post a Comment