Comments on: Should We Sterilize Ourselves in Order to Adopt More Children? My Response http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/ By Russell D. Moore. Russell D. Moore serves as the teaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. In addition, Dr. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Find sermons and other resources to help Christians engage the culture from a biblical worldview at www.russellmoore.com. Tue, 22 May 2012 19:31:09 +0000 By: Jack T Parrish http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-114535 Jack T Parrish Sun, 01 May 2011 00:49:41 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-114535 God gave one plan to support a stable civilization. "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth". We have many procreative technologies today but God did not provide for options. Most of the technologies are wide of the mark and are usually driven to place children in less than scriptural "family: situations. God does not sanction "Junior has two daddys" nor any of the other perversions which abound today. If God does not permit normal family procreation it perhaps points to permission to adopt. God gave one plan to support a stable civilization. “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth”. We have many procreative technologies today but God did not provide for options. Most of the technologies are wide of the mark and are usually driven to place children in less than scriptural “family: situations. God does not sanction “Junior has two daddys” nor any of the other perversions which abound today.

If God does not permit normal family procreation it perhaps points to permission to adopt.

]]> By: adoption and the gospel « Our Adoption Fund http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-96710 adoption and the gospel « Our Adoption Fund Mon, 04 Apr 2011 02:53:08 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-96710 [...] is a portion of an article on adoption I recently read by Russell [...] [...] is a portion of an article on adoption I recently read by Russell [...]

]]> By: Craig Stimpert http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-78666 Craig Stimpert Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:45:35 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-78666 Our oldest son was born four week early by an emergency c section due to my wife's dangerously high blood pressure. Fortunately, both are fine today, but the experience left us with a decision about future children. We both wanted more children, but questioned if it was wise due to complications that were sure to repeat themselves in another pregnancy. We opted not to have more children, but very soon afterward became foster parents. This was the best decision we ever made. For the past two years we've been foster parents to a little girl just two years younger than our son. This week, we were granted court approval to adopt her! I appreciate Matt's post on limitations. I agree, but would take it a step further. Our limitations were used by God to open us up to the possibility of adoption and foster care. I agree that we have idolized procreation and thus many Christians who are in the moral and ethical jungle of unnatural fertilization. I fear as Matt pointed out that many Christians lack a Biblical understanding of God given limitation that should lead us to godly alternatives. Our oldest son was born four week early by an emergency c section due to my wife’s dangerously high blood pressure. Fortunately, both are fine today, but the experience left us with a decision about future children. We both wanted more children, but questioned if it was wise due to complications that were sure to repeat themselves in another pregnancy. We opted not to have more children, but very soon afterward became foster parents. This was the best decision we ever made. For the past two years we’ve been foster parents to a little girl just two years younger than our son. This week, we were granted court approval to adopt her!

I appreciate Matt’s post on limitations. I agree, but would take it a step further. Our limitations were used by God to open us up to the possibility of adoption and foster care. I agree that we have idolized procreation and thus many Christians who are in the moral and ethical jungle of unnatural fertilization. I fear as Matt pointed out that many Christians lack a Biblical understanding of God given limitation that should lead us to godly alternatives.

]]> By: Quote of the Day - Birth Control Family Fatherhood Orthopraxis Quote of the Day - - A Pauper in the Court of the King http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-78005 Quote of the Day - Birth Control Family Fatherhood Orthopraxis Quote of the Day - - A Pauper in the Court of the King Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:31:46 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-78005 [...] Read the rest here. [...] [...] Read the rest here. [...]

]]> By: matt hosfield http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77984 matt hosfield Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:59:19 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77984 Thanks for taking time to make this post. I am encouraged by this dialogue. 1. We have to make choices all the time. While false dilemmas are real, I don’t think this is a false dilemma. The key issue is that we are limited and cannot do everything. That’s why rest is so important. Rest means saying NO to certain options. It is recognizing our limitations. For example, should we open an orphanage or start a local church or reach an unreached people group in a far away land or study to become an astrophysicist or care for physical needs by becoming a doctor? We cannot do all of these. We have to make choices. And it seems that with adoption and biological it could be the same thing. We COULD do both or we COULD do one or the other, but ultimately we have to say no somewhere. However, and I think this is the important part that I think was not discussed above - the church as a whole MUST be about all these things, but as individuals, we often have to make limiting choices (both/and is still an option, but we have to limit ourselves somewhere). “Don’t see your potential future love for your birthed children as some scarce commodity, that then must be taken away from your children you might adopt or foster. Love isn’t a commodity, and it isn’t parceled out. Love isn’t limited, and it isn’t a barrier to ministry. Love “bears all things…endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Have babies, and love your babies. Minister to orphans, and pray for God’s wisdom in how best you might care for the orphans and widows in your neighborhood and around the world.” But we are not God, so at one level we are limited. If this were not the case, and there is no limit to our love, why not adopt 1,000 kids or more? It seems we as human beings do have physical limitations, and our call to rest is a reminder that we can’t do it all. 4. A family that chooses adoption only is not necessarily rejecting biological. We have to think less individualistically on this. That family may have nieces and nephews and members of their church with biological kids. Absolutely procreation is a picture of the gospel. And absolutely adoption only makes sense in light of biological. But I don’t see how it therefore follows that the biological child must be from each individual family. It’s not about one being better than the other, but about recognizing our limitations and going hard after what a family believes is its calling. Thanks for taking time to make this post. I am encouraged by this dialogue.
1. We have to make choices all the time. While false dilemmas are real, I don’t think this is a false dilemma. The key issue is that we are limited and cannot do everything. That’s why rest is so important. Rest means saying NO to certain options. It is recognizing our limitations. For example, should we open an orphanage or start a local church or reach an unreached people group in a far away land or study to become an astrophysicist or care for physical needs by becoming a doctor? We cannot do all of these. We have to make choices. And it seems that with adoption and biological it could be the same thing. We COULD do both or we COULD do one or the other, but ultimately we have to say no somewhere. However, and I think this is the important part that I think was not discussed above - the church as a whole MUST be about all these things, but as individuals, we often have to make limiting choices (both/and is still an option, but we have to limit ourselves somewhere).

“Don’t see your potential future love for your birthed children as some scarce commodity, that then must be taken away from your children you might adopt or foster. Love isn’t a commodity, and it isn’t parceled out. Love isn’t limited, and it isn’t a barrier to ministry.
Love “bears all things…endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7). Have babies, and love your babies. Minister to orphans, and pray for God’s wisdom in how best you might care for the orphans and widows in your neighborhood and around the world.”

But we are not God, so at one level we are limited. If this were not the case, and there is no limit to our love, why not adopt 1,000 kids or more? It seems we as human beings do have physical limitations, and our call to rest is a reminder that we can’t do it all.
4. A family that chooses adoption only is not necessarily rejecting biological. We have to think less individualistically on this. That family may have nieces and nephews and members of their church with biological kids. Absolutely procreation is a picture of the gospel. And absolutely adoption only makes sense in light of biological. But I don’t see how it therefore follows that the biological child must be from each individual family.

It’s not about one being better than the other, but about recognizing our limitations and going hard after what a family believes is its calling.

]]> By: Rob http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77931 Rob Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:41:31 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77931 Is "permanently incapacitate your procreative capacity" the nice way of saying "surgically mutilate one's genitalia"? (Let's be honest - that's what it is...) Is “permanently incapacitate your procreative capacity” the nice way of saying “surgically mutilate one’s genitalia”?
(Let’s be honest - that’s what it is…)

]]> By: What I Read Online – 02/22/2011 (p.m.) | Emeth Aletheia http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77822 What I Read Online – 02/22/2011 (p.m.) | Emeth Aletheia Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:27:31 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77822 [...] Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore [...] [...] Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore [...]

]]> By: KT2005 http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77719 KT2005 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:45:28 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77719 If there is a criticism of the "adoption movement" this is it: to exalt what is atypical (adoption) over that which is typical (fruitfully multiplying) makes adoption lose its significance. Adoption only makes sense in the context of biological family. I am all for adoption, yet shouldn't obedience to the command "be fruitful and multiply" be taught first as a foundation for the second emphasis of adoption? To push adoption without supporting natural birth undermines both family and adoption. If there is a criticism of the “adoption movement” this is it: to exalt what is atypical (adoption) over that which is typical (fruitfully multiplying) makes adoption lose its significance. Adoption only makes sense in the context of biological family. I am all for adoption, yet shouldn’t obedience to the command “be fruitful and multiply” be taught first as a foundation for the second emphasis of adoption? To push adoption without supporting natural birth undermines both family and adoption.

]]> By: brother hank http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77655 brother hank Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:11:35 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77655 <blockquote>"Have babies, and love your babies. Minister to orphans, and pray for God’s wisdom in how best you might care for the orphans and widows in your neighborhood and around the world.</blockquote> Good word.

“Have babies, and love your babies. Minister to orphans, and pray for God’s wisdom in how best you might care for the orphans and widows in your neighborhood and around the world.

Good word.

]]> By: Susan Goble http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77652 Susan Goble Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:04:51 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77652 >> It’s “both/and,” not “either/or.” I believe that sentiment is good where applicable, but also believe it would be irresponsible to adopt a child if one is incapable of caring for him monetarily. In that sense, the choice could amount to "either/or" if "both/and" totals to more than can be reared responsibly. >> It’s “both/and,” not “either/or.”

I believe that sentiment is good where applicable, but also believe it would be irresponsible to adopt a child if one is incapable of caring for him monetarily. In that sense, the choice could amount to “either/or” if “both/and” totals to more than can be reared responsibly.

]]> By: Twitter Trackbacks for Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore [russellmoore.com] on Topsy.com http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-ourselves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/#comment-77624 Twitter Trackbacks for Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore [russellmoore.com] on Topsy.com Mon, 21 Feb 2011 22:02:10 +0000 http://www.russellmoore.com/?p=6109#comment-77624 [...] Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-o...ves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/ – view page – cached Should We Sterilize Ourselves in Order to Adopt More Children? My Response Tags [...] [...] Moore to the Point by Russell D. Moore russellmoore.com/2011/02/21/should-we-sterilize-o…ves-in-order-to-adopt-more-children-my-response/ – view page – cached Should We Sterilize Ourselves in Order to Adopt More Children? My Response Tags [...]

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