The full story is HERE.

I’ve proposed in other blog entries that our culture practically despises children.  I mean the emphasis on “practically” simply because of declining birth rates, love for environment over family, and the willingness of parents to allow their children to be indoctrinated by secular (even pagan) ideals without intentionally training them while they have them in the home.

The above story from Sky News is really astounding.  While the doctor poses a measure of nobility, he still knows that women are doing this to make a buck!  With so many orphans and abandoned children needing adoption throughout the world, why bend (break) ethics in order to have a child?!  Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at SBTS, who will be with us in February, has written extensively on the subject of adoption.

Our society, even right here in the state of Arkansas, just doesn’t even like the details of dealing with children.  Now, as Southern Baptists, we have a wonderful organization to aide children from “broken” home situations – all with emphasis on the gospel.  But from personal experience I can tell you that our state run adoption agency is at best poor.  I have personally called and filled out three different applications / inquiries over the past 2 years and have not had a SINGLE returned phone call to follow up on my interest.  It’s not like I expressed interest in “white” little girls!  I expressed interest in African-American boys and Asian-American girls.  Maybe they have the door just being beaten down with interest, but my suspicion is, like so many other government run agencies, that the inefficient processes just doesn’t really serve the public.  This is part of my real struggle with health care reform.  The government can’t even do basic things right, like take care of the most helpless in society — children, infants (born and unborn).

But I don’t ultimately blame the government.  I mean, the government is established by God for good of society (Rom.13), but it’s administered by fallen men and women, for fallen men and women.  The point is, the church has given up so much of it’s cultural mandate (to minister to the poor, helpless and needy) to government because she just doesn’t want to mess with the “dirtier” jobs of the gospel.  If you know me, you understand that our “cultural mandate” must be unashamedly gospel-centered and saturated.  In fact, the gospel is WHY we must do this.

So, although Jan and I haven’t adopted (yet), we are supportive of both large families and the many in our church who adopt.  Maybe it’s time for us to pray that God would so radically deal with our church financially (even relieving our debt) that we put more monies to aide families in adopting and increase our ministries to the helpless children.  But you know, it can’t wait until we’re “out of debt” any more than should your giving to the church wait until all your other financial affairs are in order.  Obedience doesn’t wait for the correction of past mistakes or difficulties.

Besides, what a great image of the gospel…

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:15-17