27 Feb 06 Gay Adoptions

Sometimes, finding consistency and balance in various aspects of my personal worldview isn’t easy.  For instance, I believe that homosexuality is wrong, that it is sin, and that it should be avoided and abstained from by even the most blatant of homosexual-leaning individuals.  Yet, I believe in the freedoms espoused by our country’s laws and ideals, and as such I believe that it is allowable for homosexuals to live their lives as they see fit, so long as they do not, in the process, attempt to steal or destroy the rights of those not like them.

I also believe that it is a waste of time and resources, not to mention a detriment to the testimony of Christians everywhere, to pursue a course of legal action that will bar homosexuals from gaining the rights to marry and tap into those resources reserved for married heterosexual couples.  I am not convinced that this is the proper (or most effective) approach to ministering God’s love to the homosexual community since legal action generally only fosters anger and resentment against God’s people (a resentment that, admittedly, the Christian community has brought upon itself). 

These questions, then, beget still other questions – where do we draw the line, or should the line even be drawn?  For instance, if we allow homosexuals to marry and gain benefits that are reserved for married couples, per the freedoms of this nation in which we live, do we then also allow them to adopt children (since homosexuals are biologically unable to produce children on their own)?  If we acknowledge that homosexuality is wrong, that it is sinful, are we then justified in allowing them to raise children, particularly since we have already established a precedent of allowances in permitting marriage and benefits rights?

Add to this another value – I believe that allowing the government to dictate and regulate every part¹ of our lives is a very bad thing, as it restricts so many of the very freedoms we hold dear.  Should the government even be involved in this process, should it take a special interest here by disallowing certain freedoms because one group² has fears and concerns?  My primary concern in allowing homosexuals to adopt is not necessarily that these children will grow to themselves become homosexual, since at least part of homosexual leanings can be attributed to biology and physiology³, or that they will be psychologically handicapped or confused as a result of being raised by same-sex parents, since it can be argued that many children coming out of abusive, heterosexual homes are also extremely screwed up. 

My concern is that children coming out of homosexual homes will already be conditioned to view homosexuality as every bit as acceptable as heterosexuality.  I don’t have a problem with them being tolerant of homosexuals having relationships and getting married⁴, but I wonder if they will ever come to recognize that homosexuality is actually wrong.  How will children raised in such homes handle the tension should they come to accept Christ as their Savior and learn what the Bible has to say about homosexuality?  Suddenly, they are faced with the knowledge that homosexuality is sin and the conflict that their parents are living in sin. 

I suppose, though, that this would likely be not much different than those children faced with a parent who has had an affair, who is abusive, who has divorced, who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or any of a dozen other vices.  Maybe the problems would be no more severe; they would just be problems of a different nature, problems that the Christian community would have to adapt to in order to face head-on, to face with the power to heal.  Homosexuals who are allowed to adopt would give children with no homes a place to live, albeit one that might be less than ideal. ⁵

I’m still not sure that I endorse homosexual adoption.  It’s a process that I am still working through in my own head, and I am very open to feedback and opinions from others on this issue.  Where does the line between personal freedom and the welfare of the majority fall?  My own concerns in allowing homosexuals to adopt is for the welfare of the children involved.  Unfortunately, this is still such a new issue that there is very little long-term research available to describe what the effects of such practices might be.  In the meantime, I do urge Christians to be patient and compassionate, because as we have seen in so many other places, becoming angry and hateful and spiteful does absolutely nothing to help the situation.  The world is changing around us almost faster than we can keep up, but the pre-eminence of Christ is still able to effect healing and change on a powerful, widespread scale that should be humbling to us all.  We should remember that and tap into before considering any actions that might prove harmful to the cause of Christ.

1. Or simply too many parts[back]
2. i.e. Christians, in this case[back]
3. Though certainly not all, since there is a definite link between homosexuality and disillusionment with the opposite gender or a need for an absence parental figure[back]
4. Again, I believe homosexuals have that right in this country[back]
5. But doesn’t that happen everyday already?[back]

Tags: adoption, christianity, freedom, homosexuality, politics