tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post4846714378102326116..comments2024-02-27T00:41:15.985-06:00Comments on AdoptionTalk: The Theology of Adoptionmalindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233439015219192874noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-80316001851672845882014-03-08T17:56:42.293-06:002014-03-08T17:56:42.293-06:00Pretty much all the references in my bible are to:...Pretty much all the references in my bible are to:<br />- caring for widows AND orphans (moms and their kids, together)<br />- Jesus comforting those who have been separated from their kin. CONSOLE. If the separation weren't painful, why would Jesus be consoling people?<br /><br />I've taken this to mean "keep moms together with their kids", rather than leave the mom and snatch the baby because Jesus told me to.Cayleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13395582315980440802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-74805836388847335062010-07-07T23:02:33.642-05:002010-07-07T23:02:33.642-05:00Ah yes. I'm actually both an adoptive mother a...Ah yes. I'm actually both an adoptive mother and a theologian who is totally squicked out by adoption theology from both sides. My own writing on the subject has yet to be as coherent as Claudia - very well said - or yourself, but know there are other voices out there as well. When people ask me if we adopted because of our faith, I usually say NOPE. Though that's not entirely true. My faith and my theology require that I work for justice and nonviolence and so I can say that IF you are referring to justice, yes. If you are referring to salvation and all that whatnot. NOT AT ALL. I have also said that becoming an adoptive mother has taught me everything that I know about Grace - unmerited love and also, very importantly, about how *costly* that grace is - the costs that my children had/have to pay - So great. And so often glossed over in adoption theology. <br /><br /> See. Not yet coherent. But getting there. <br />Thanks for your post.Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10383760837701581819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-67934078059556097112010-07-07T20:17:25.480-05:002010-07-07T20:17:25.480-05:00Yes - if a parent says Fate/God caused the adoptio...Yes - if a parent says Fate/God caused the adoption, then that leaves no room for argument.Mei Linghttp://sisterheping.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-64058589344015201402010-07-07T19:33:08.168-05:002010-07-07T19:33:08.168-05:00That reference in Job is hauntingly evocative of r...That reference in Job is hauntingly evocative of relinquishment adoptions. OUCH<br /><br />One other concern I have when hearing or reading about the God adopts us/ we adopt orphans comparison is that it subtly equates the adoptive parent to God, and so any discord between the child and parent has an undercurrent that the all wise/ all knowing "God/parent" savior is right, and the very human parent loses the ability to even consider how they may be at fault. <br /><br />Good " biblical" theology indicates that even bio kids are a gift from the Lord, and the parents merely ( or rather, privileged to be) stewards of these precious images of the divine.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000945683563344615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-83427322559705139832010-07-07T14:58:19.763-05:002010-07-07T14:58:19.763-05:00Excellent post. As an adult adoptee, I truly appre...Excellent post. As an adult adoptee, I truly appreciate an honest discussion of this topic. Thank you for posting this.<br /><br />And Sandy, wow, true & insightful point that you make, "If Christians wish to focus on adopting as a way to give back then they need to adopt the entire family - not just the child - no Christian should be purposely severing the biological link that God created...God told them to care for all humanity...not just the little ones..."<br /><br />Do you mind if I quote you at some point?Melissahttp://yoonsblur.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-34404804580875459882010-07-07T10:49:59.426-05:002010-07-07T10:49:59.426-05:00Another great post! I too (not surprisingly) am ex...Another great post! I too (not surprisingly) am extremely irked by the thought of comparing child adoption to the saving of sinners. And as you brilliantly pointed out, this encourages situations as those we have seen in times of war and natural disasters when so-called missionaries go rushing in to scoop up helpless converts.<br /><br />My writings on this topic appear at: http://familypreservation.blogspot.com/2010/07/update-on-religion-and-adoption.html<br /><br />with links back to previous posts on the subject and biblical quotes such as: They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.<br />Job 24:9:<br /> <br />New International Version (©1984) The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.<br /><br />Bible in Basic English<br />The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt.<br /><br />More at: http://familypreservation.blogspot.com/2010/05/job-249.html<br /><br />And it seems all these theologians simply ignore the story of Moses who returned to HIS PEOPLE of birth.Mirah Ribenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626873757236976251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-31769959337134075802010-07-06T22:27:11.158-05:002010-07-06T22:27:11.158-05:00I hate how adoption is so closely linked to religi...I hate how adoption is so closely linked to religion. The two have nothing to do with one another, if you ask me.YoonSeonhttp://seumnida.annyeong.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-33860482791075642052010-07-06T18:13:42.851-05:002010-07-06T18:13:42.851-05:00There is so much I could say about this post, but ...There is so much I could say about this post, but I won't. Instead I'll stick to one thing: one of the reasons I enjoy reading what you write is because you use words like <em>hubris</em>.<br /><br />Rock On, Sister!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15698987644444766781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-55987412825293750922010-07-06T17:16:40.725-05:002010-07-06T17:16:40.725-05:00Melinda - thank you...the theology of adoption is ...Melinda - thank you...the theology of adoption is so different than child adoption that there is no comparison...Not one.<br /><br />If Christians wish to focus on adopting as a way to give back then they need to adopt the entire family - not just the child - no Christian should be purposely severing the biological link that God created...God told them to care for all humanity...not just the little ones...Sandynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-55743943735344526482010-07-06T14:55:24.642-05:002010-07-06T14:55:24.642-05:00Melinda,
So do you raise the girls to be Christi...Melinda, <br /><br />So do you raise the girls to be Christians, or do you let them choose?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-60309086234608704942010-07-06T14:48:12.510-05:002010-07-06T14:48:12.510-05:00I saw a summary of the CT article a few days ago, ...I saw a summary of the CT article a few days ago, and as I was reading it, a lot of the same thoughts came to my mind as your mind, Malinda. We are definitely overdue for a Christian theology of orphan care that embraces more than just adoption.Bukimomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-316191265933534655.post-39116474733023131782010-07-06T13:29:08.698-05:002010-07-06T13:29:08.698-05:00Thanks for the link! Quite a surreal feeling to fi...Thanks for the link! Quite a surreal feeling to find bits of my own post in my google reader :)<br /><br />I find it so hard to talk about these things without coming across as ungracious (which I try not to be), or anti-adoption (which I'm not) but I do feel like sometimes there's a bit too much mutual back-slapping and a bit too little thinking about all this. (And yeah, that probably sounded ungracious. Sorry!!)<br /><br />By the way, LOVED the post on arranged marriages for widows. Heh.Claudiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09352341442556433375noreply@blogger.com