Column: Pro-life Supporters Should Also Support Adoption

Having been a student at Liberty for just about four years now, I find myself continually immersed in waves of pro-life rhetoric and support.

It is at this campus where one of the most controversial issues in modern-day America becomes one of the most commonly agreed upon and fundamental ideals; when I think about it now, I do not think I have met a single student who has expressed that they are pro-choice to me.

For context, I did a quick Google search and discovered that the number of people who consider themselves pro-life is actually decreasing nationwide. In a recent Pew Research study, only 37 percent of people said they are opposed to abortion, while 59 percent said they think abortion should be allowed in most cases.

To me — a Liberty student who has spent his past four years in this somewhat of a bubble, where pro-choice rhetoric is largely excluded — that was surprising. I have come to discover that by engaging myself in an atmosphere dominated by mantra of the religious right, that I have become ignorant to the larger sociological shift in the country.

I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I, too, believe abortion is at its base morally repugnant and scientifically the killing of a human being. Not that it’s good to shield oneself from healthy debate, but having a student body so committed to preserving the sanctity of life makes it easier to rally public support.

Yet, my optimism for a unified pro-life generation falls short as I scour the internet once again for verifiable statistics on the issue. As it turns out, there are at least 114,000 children waiting to be adopted in the U.S., and as adoption fees continue to rise and bureaucracy continues to get in the way, adoptions in the U.S. and overseas continue to decline.

To make matters worse, more prospective foster families have given up. An article in The Economist that was published last year states that more than 80% of families who have tried to foster a child change their minds. The result is an overcrowded foster care system, where children in the system are getting less attention and are less likely to be adopted than ever before.

Our response as the pro-life generation needs to be an unwavering fight to pressure Congress to make the public adoption process easier, and to seriously consider adoption ourselves. Being pro-life needs to be seen as two-fold: one part opposing abortion, and the other part supporting adoption.

The two parts cannot be separated; pro-life supporters must know it is wrong to tell a woman considering abortion to give her baby up to adoption when they themselves are not willing to adopt. It is such a fundamental philosophy of being pro-life, that I would argue any person who is pro-life is morally obligated to at least consider going the adoption process if they have the financial and social means to do so.

If we, the students of Liberty University, have the opportunity and availability to adopt in the future when we are financially secure and yet do not consider it, we will unwillingly and unknowingly throw our support behind the perpetuation of our nation’s orphan problem — something that has arisen through a variety of factors, but has not been adequately addressed by many pro-life supporters.

It is not enough to say we support adoption over abortion; if pro-life Christians — no matter the denomination or political affiliation — are to spearhead the movement behind abolishing abortion, we must also be at the forefront of taking care of the children who need us the most .

I have been told how expensive adoption can be — up to $20,000 in total for the entire application process — and how hard it can be to raise a child. Of course, it depends on circumstance, and I would never encourage someone who in college or someone who is strapped for cash to consider adoption until they have the financial means to do so.

It is for those who are capable, yet make excuses, who I address in this column. It is those who will praise their friends for adopting a child but would never consider doing it themselves. Considering it is all I ask. Simply Googling it to see if it would be possible is all I hope for.

Because considerations, when moved by the Lord, turn into commitments, and commitments turn into life-changing movements. Not just for you, but for children everywhere.