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To the Editor:
Christians love adoption the most of any religion. A Barna survey found Christians are more than twice as likely as other Americans to adopt a child. Tennessee can be proud that we are one of the easiest states to adopt from. Adoption is pro-life and pleasing to God. Adoption provides a viable and real alternative to parents considering abortion. Adoption is a loving act to the children and to God.
The Bible in Matthew 25 says, “In as much as you done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” Christian Alliance for Orphans, www.cafo.org says adopt to let every child experience God’s unfailing love. They have Orphan Sunday every year and this year on Nov. 7, 2021 to bring worldwide attention to the needs of orphans. This is also when we set our clocks back one hour because daylight savings time ends. So we have extra time to pray for orphans.
When the Christian church began they showed their love by rescuing and raising babies left by the Romans to die. The New Testament book of James tells us to, “visit (help) orphans and widows in their affliction and keep oneself unstained from the world.” God cares deeply for orphans and those without a family. b(Deuteronomy 10; Psalm 68). God calls people to share this work and bring needy, vulnerable children the love of Jesus in word and deed. As Christians respond to God’s call to care for orphans and children without families, lives are positively transformed. Pray that there will always be more families waiting for children than children waiting for families. I know two wonderful families at Elizabethton Alliance Church that adopted brothers and sisters and kept their family together. One adopted three children in the same family and another adopted five in the same family. They showed the love of Jesus and grew the church by eight children. Christians started more orphanages throughout the world than any other religion. Christian George Muller ran an orphanage and recorded thousands of answered prayers that proves God’s great love for orphans. Christianity isn’t a self-focused religion. Every child deserves a chance to be raised in a loving home and benefits from a loving family. Sadly there are over 424,000 children in the American foster care system and 120,000 eligible for adoption with no permanent family to call their own. Locally we should pray for and give to Ronda Paulson, Isaiah 117 House.
A new way to adopt is a Christian snowflakes embryo adoption program. Snowflake baby is a term used by organizations that promote the adoption of frozen embryos left over from invitro fertilization. Embryo adoptions allow you to adopt embryos, experience pregnancy and then give birth to your adopted baby. See www.nightlight.org. Adoption is a central metaphor or picture of our salvation in Jesus. The Bible says only Christians are children of God. In Romans 8, Paul beautifully writes that those (Christians) who are led by the Spirit of God are “children of God,” having received the “Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father!” We Christians spiritually are no longer orphans but are by the blood of Jesus covering our sins and the Holy Spirit in us, “children of God” now and forever. Because Christians are adopted by God we can’t lose our salvation and thanks be to God, it’s irreversible and eternal!

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton