By Johnston Moore, Adoption and Orphan Care Consultant, Anglicans for Life
The Dobbs decision continues to stir up a lot of emotions, questions, and discussions among people all over the country. One of the most crucial questions that needs to be considered is what will happen to “unwanted” children who will now be born in states that have outlawed, or will outlaw, abortion? Historically, pregnant women have had three options – to give birth and parent their baby (or allow the baby to be raised by relatives), to give birth and place their baby for adoption, or to abort their baby. With access to abortions limited or eliminated in some states, more women will be faced with the choice of raising their children themselves (or in their extended families), or placing their children for adoption.
As the adopted children of God, we in the Church have an opportunity to come alongside and support women who choose to parent their children, and we also have an opportunity to help them make more informed decisions if they decide not to parent. We can do this by educating them on adoption and encouraging them to consider adoption when facing the birth of a child they are not prepared to parent.
In January of 2022, Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University conducted a survey of more than 1000 girls and women, ages 15-44, from across the nation, chosen randomly. The survey was done as part of a research study commissioned by The Opt Institute, a national adoption research and information center that is “dedicated to improving access to and support for private infant adoption, better understanding women’s decision-making in the context of expected pregnancies, and to helping mothers consider adoption as a meaningful option.” The results of the study were published under the title “Adoption and Its Competitors” and can be found here.
For the study, the women and girls were surveyed on various issues, including the perceived value of children and human life, anticipated response to future pregnancies, attitudes and knowledge about adoption, influences on adoption thoughts, and more. The survey did not cover adoption from foster care or international adoption, but was focused instead on private adoption, in which a birth mother voluntarily places her child for adoption domestically. The results revealed that many women and girls have misinformed and/or negative views of adoption, and really, of life itself.
Sadly, the Barna study found that nearly half of the women surveyed believe that human life has “no absolute value” and only a small majority believed that having children was a “special, God-given privilege.”
Another sad finding was that among women facing an unwanted pregnancy, only 12% would seek guidance from a church or religious leaders, and only 6% would seek guidance from adoption organizations. Even among women who are most likely to choose adoption, churches and religious leaders would be sought for guidance less than would Planned Parenthood.
Yet another tragic finding from the study is that among women who expected to conceive a child in the future, more were likely to choose abortion than adoption.
Women had various reasons for not wanting to place a child for adoption. More than half simply wouldn’t want to “give up a child (they) give birth to” while nearly 2 in 5 said it would be too hard emotionally to do so. More than 1 in 4 said they want to “protect the child from potential harm, neglect” and others cited such reasons as not believing in adoption for religious/moral reasons, adoption having a bad reputation, and that they would prefer to get an abortion instead.
The study also asked women about their knowledge of adoption, specifically on several statements (all of which are true) about which many people have misconceptions. Regarding the statement, “being able to participate in an ‘open’ adoption allows the birth parents to remain part of the child’s life in a specified capacity,” 74% knew this to be true.
77% knew that “birth parents can receive private counseling and other emotional support before, during, and after the adoption.”
64% knew that “the birth parents may choose the family that adopts the child.”
The study illustrates that the Church has a lot of work to do. It is incumbent on us to help women navigate the issues, allay their fears if needed, and point them toward options that honor God as the Author of life, including adoption. Not only do we need to communicate that all of human life has value, but we need to communicate that adoption is a beautiful alternative for women who do not feel they are able to provide their children with the life that their child needs and deserves. In addition, we need to become a trusted and knowledgeable resource for women who are experiencing pregnancies about which they are uncertain of their long-term plans.
There are many reasons that we, as Christians, should see adoption as a positive and reasonable alternative to abortion. Not only should we see it as such, but we need to be prepared to share our views with others who may be facing an unplanned pregnancy, or know of someone who is.
One, adoption demonstrates a belief in the sanctity of all of human life. When we promote adoption, we “put our money where our mouths are” by demonstrating to a cynical and often accusatory world that, as Christians, our pro-life ethic extends well beyond the womb. We believe that life begins at conception and that all people are made by God in His image, and are therefore worthy of life, love, and dignity. We genuinely value and respect life at all stages and want children to have the abundant lives that God wants for all of us. We believe that children have a right to not only live, but to be raised by parents who will love them and nurture them well. There are many would-be parents who are praying for an opportunity to love and raise children that come to them through adoption. Adoption brings children who need families into the homes of parents who want children.
Two, adoption is a picture of the Gospel. God brings us into His family through adoption, and when we adopt children, we give an illustration of God’s adoption of us to a world who desperately needs Him.
Three, adoption demonstrates a shared understanding of God’s heart for vulnerable children. Throughout Scripture, God makes evident His love and concern for marginalized children. When we adopt, we show that we share His loving and protective heart for them.
Four, adoption serves as an act of obedience to God. Just as Scripture makes clear God’s protective heart for vulnerable children, it also makes clear His call to His people to care for them and to meet their needs by providing for them.
These are some of the reasons that we, as Christians, should see adoption as a God-honoring, and positive alternative to abortion. If you’d like to learn more about adoption, please visit us at https://anglicansforlife.org/topics/orphans-and-vulnerable-children/ or email us at Adoption@Anglicansforlife.org.
Johnston has been married to his wife, Terri, since 1988, and together they have seven children, all of whom were adopted through the Los Angeles County foster care system. He is a strong believer in and vocal advocate for permanency and justice for children, having witnessed the impact that both have had on his children. John enjoyed a career in Hollywood in film/TV production and as a screenwriter before becoming fully immersed in adoption and foster care ministry, first through his employment at Hope for Orphans, and then at Home Forever.
Currently, Johnston is living with his family in Virginia, where he is a regular speaker at Focus on the Family’s Wait No More Adoption Conferences. They attend Redeemer Anglican Church in Richmond, VA and are passionate about seeing the greater Church be a part of what God is doing through the foster care and adoption movement.