Friday, April 22, 2011

The Nation: The Evangelical Adoption Movement

If you've been paying attention to the Christian adoption movement, not much in this article will surprise you, but this passage is particularly worrisome, especially coming from the most pro-adoption of the pro-adoption groups:
“We’re killing ourselves with these ethical lapses,” says Chuck Johnson, president of the secular adoption lobby group the National Council for Adoption (NCFA). “I think Christians are the worst at this sometimes, about the ends justifying the means. ‘I will do anything to save this one child’s life’; ‘I will falsify a visa application if I have to.’”

In early 2010, Johnson told me, NCFA held an online ethics seminar that drew roughly twenty-five representatives from religious and secular adoption agencies. As part of the webinar, NCFA took a blind poll of participants’ responses to various ethical situations. Either through ignorance or a willingness to bend the rules, 20–30 percent of agency representatives gave answers that were tantamount to committing visa fraud or other serious violations. “You’ll hear people saying, I’m following God’s law, not man’s laws,” Johnson says.

Brian Luwis, founder of the evangelical agency America World Adoption and a Christian Alliance board member, says ardent adoptive parents can wreak havoc for those coming after them. “I call them ‘adoption crazies,’” he says. “They’re such strong advocates, they’ll do things in desperation to have a child they think is theirs. Some are really unlawful, falsifying an adoption or something like that. Many won’t get caught, but once you get caught, what have you done to the system?” It’s not hard to imagine how movement rhetoric that casts international adoption as emergency rescue and spiritual battle could inspire a willingness to use any means necessary.

There are indications that such rule-bending occurs at the top levels of government. Blogging about the 2010 Adoption Policy Conference in New York for The Huffington Post, sociologist Philip Cohen reported a troubling statement made by Whitney Reitz, an official at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)—the Homeland Security agency that oversees the entry of international adoptees. Reitz, who is credited with crafting last year’s “humanitarian parole” program for Haitian children, told the crowd, “The idea was to help the kids. And if we overlooked Hague, I don’t think I’m going to apologize.”
It was really tough to narrow down to one snippet from this article -- the whole thing is a must-read.  Go!  Now!  Read!

5 comments:

Jess said...

Kathryn Joyce is doing a wonderful job on this issue. Look for more from her on this subject.

Anonymous said...

It simply boggles my mind at how little thought is given to how this new wave of adoptees will feel...

It makes me want to cry...the line below basically said it all...

"These children don’t recognize the flags of their home countries, Moore proudly noted at a 2010 conference, but they can all sing “Jesus Loves Me.”"

Absolutely NO concern on how they get the children - as long as their Membership numbers increase they are happy.

Sad...

Truly Blessed said...

This is so disturbing and sad.

Yes, Christians feel they are called to obey a higher authority than government laws, but Jesus Himself told His followers to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's" and the apostle Paul, in Romans 13 said: "1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

This is just so wrong on so many levels. The same quoted statement in the comment above jumped out at me too, and I cannot fathom how these people can live with what they're doing -- or how they're going about it.

Reena said...

It is scary. I am an aparent and it scares me.

I feel like I am reading and hearing about more cases of aparents (on adoption list serves) adopting children with more serious needs because "God led them to" and it appears that some folks are going ahead without really researching what types of resources and care will be required.

"God" will provide etc.

I'm of the opinion that God gave us a brain and a heart to figure out and make decisions.

I also feel like I am reading and hearing about more adoption dissolutions. One recently involved three older girls-- the 'problems' described really didn't sound like much of a 'problem' but in each description of the girls it was noted that they had 'accepted Jesus into their heart.'

I am a Christian, but I find all this concerning-- and God didn't tell me or lead me to adopt.

Unknown said...

Hi!!! I would like to adopt the baby that was trhough into the toilet... I think he is a moracle!!! Can someone help me?