Thursday, April 28, 2011

What a misleading article in the 'The Nation' can teach Christian who love adoption

Jedd Medefind begins his piece with this:
An article titled "The Evangelical Adoption Crusade" appeared Friday in The Nation, lodging a hard-hitting critique of Christians and adoption. Those who disapprove of Christian adoption efforts do so for many reasons. Some are troubled by real and perceived ethical concerns. Some feel an orphan's ethnicity matters more than their need for a family. Some have encountered purported Christians who bear little resemblance to Jesus. But whatever the motives, supporters of Christian adoption and orphan care can gain most not by merely dismissing the critics but by learning from them—even when we disagree profoundly with their claims and conclusions.

Such is the case with "The Evangelical Adoption Crusade." Author Kathryn Joyce spent more than a year seeking to find and amplify what she feels are the worst flaws of the Christian adoption and orphan care movement. But while the article may distort as much as it reveals, Christian orphan advocates would do well to listen to Joyce's concerns. Even if mistaken in many regards, a critic will almost always wake us to legitimate issues if we're attentive.
Read the rest.

1 comment:

Jason Kanz said...

Alright, comment 2 today (do you have a limit?).

As an adoptive parent (from Ethiopia) and hopefully soon to be again (from Haiti), it breaks my heart to read the sentiments expressed about Christian adoptive parents. It seems so much easier to cast dispersions no matter the political persuasion than to care for others. I fear this will cast yet another black mark on Christians. When Christians oppress people and treat them poorly-the criticisms fly. When Christians sacrifice for and love others-the criticisms still fly.