Christians wanting to adopt need not fear political correctness
The Bishop of Oxford has urged Christians to focus on the positive things they can do to help the crisis in adoption and not on their worries about how their faith might be used against them in the adoption process.
The Rt Revd John Pritchard was speaking ahead of the first Adoption Sunday, which is being celebrated in churches in Oxford on 4 November as a pilot to a full national launch in 2013.
He said: "Through Adoption Sunday, Christian parents stand to make a life-changing contribution to the many children who are not in a permanent and loving family home. The Church must approach this initiative with confidence but it is currently being held back by a climate of fear founded on the assumption that a Christian's worldview is somehow not conducive to the wellbeing of a child. If this falsehood continues, it will hold back a common desire by all faiths and none to see thousands of children accepted and brought up in loving family homes."
His statement follows the findings of a nationwide consultation that showed that many Christians won't consider adopting and fostering because they fear their beliefs will be used against them during the application process.
However, adoption agencies are reporting the opposite, and say that Christian families are desirable applicants.
David Holmes, chief executive of the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF), said: "We know that Christian parents can make wonderful adopters or foster carers. We are always looking for stable families who can provide high levels of love and care. Christian parents have to go through exactly the same assessment process as everyone else and should be made welcome. BAAF is delighted to support Adoption Sunday - it is fantastic to see such enthusiasm within the Christian community to help find a solution to the current shortage of adoptive and foster families. We desperately need more people who are really motivated to change children's lives for good.”
The idea for a Sunday dedicated to adoption is being spearheaded by the Evangelical Alliance and Care for the Family.
Krish Kandiah, executive director: churches in mission for the Evangelical Alliance, said: "Consultations we held across the UK earlier this year showed that both church leaders and churchgoers have a strong desire to help children coming into care find suitable foster families and forever families. We want to help turn that desire into reality by seeing the church culture change to encourage and support foster and adoptive carers. We are delighted to be working in cooperation with local authority and voluntary agencies, to ensure that Adoption Sunday will help the churches to grasp the opportunities and challenges of offering children in care a home for good.”
For more information about Adoption Sunday: www.eauk.org/homeforgood
Source: www.eauk.org