Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me.” Matt 19:14

I saw something similar to this at an antique store yesterday, only tackier. Very White Jesus and children of various nationalities, to illustrate the song:

Jesus love the little children
All the children of the world
Red, brown, yellow, black, and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

I remember singing this song in Sunday School, and thinking it was really nice of Jesus to love all the children, even if they were not white like we were. I was only slightly older when a teacher at church tried to convince us we were all just “different shades of beige” as a pre-emptive strike, before the black girls in our midst properly lost their shit over being treated inferior. Their narrative was being controlled from Day 1. Instead of being pissed off that their ancestors were kidnapped to be slaves, they were supposed to be grateful that Jesus loved them as much as the rest of us beige people, and weren’t they lucky to be here in America, where they can hear the Gospel, in English? Just imagine what their lives would have been if slavery hadn’t happened. (Quick, read the story of Old Testament Joseph again, and how slavery all worked for good in saving the Israelites!)

The irony being, if Jesus appeared in America today, He’d probably be arrested for looking like a terrorist. Decidedly “beige” skin tone, long black hair and beard, wearing middle-eastern robes. He wouldn’t last a day.

This came to mind because it is Orphan Sunday. And when looking up scripture about adoption, the verse from Matthew came up: Let the little children come to Me. I found this on several sites, as proof God wants us to adopt. Because, clearly, those poor little children in Africa and Asia will never know how Jesus loves them if some white christian American doesn’t uproot them from their culture, change their identity, and obliterate their history. Jesus loves them so much, He wants them to be white. Sorry: light beige.

Adoption: What does the bible have to say?

This is one of the posts that claim adoption is godly. It goes so far as to say: “There is no legitimate argument that can be made against the concept of adoption.” And they back it up with examples of Moses, Samuel, and Jesus being raised by others than their original parents. So as long as the children had some earthly parents, that was enough. No mention of the fact all three were breastfed by their mothers until at least the age of three, all knew their natural families, ultimately lived with their original people, and Jesus was – of course – raised by his biological mother. No sealed records, fake birth certificates, and – oh yeah – no money exchanged hands. But except for that, it was exactly the same as adoption today.

Here is the verse that is trotted out the most when one tries to have a discussion on whether adoption is biblical or even ethical:

All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 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!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs. Rom 8:14

People pounce on the word “adoption” and will tell you earnestly, “We’re all adopted by God!” Yeah, and we’re all different shades of beige! That’s why we should never question what has been done to us or why! Because Jesus loves all the little children of the world!

It’s just another pre-emptive strike. Another way to shut the other person down before they can speak. It’s twisting our pain and real trauma into God’s blessing, when God has nothing to do with present-day “Christian” adoption.

This is the bible verse that really reflects what adoption means now:

The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt. Job 24:9

If you don’t believe me, consider: How many rich single women give up their baby for adoption? Do you ever see CPS going after the wealthy, no matter how dismal their parenting skills? And who adopts newborns? Really good people who are underemployed? Or those with the credentials of cash?

Those with the most money win the baby. Why else would fundraisers be necessary to “Bring our baby home!”?

I’ll leave you with a quote from reformer Martin Luther, expounding on The Golden Rule:

“In whatever way such things happen, we must know that God does not wish that you deprive your neighbor of anything that belongs to him so that he suffer the loss and you gratify your avarice with it, even if you could keep it honorably before the world; for it is a secret and insidious imposition practiced under the hat, as we say, that it may not be observed. For although you go your way as if you had done no one any wrong, you have nevertheless injured your neighbor; and if it is not called stealing and cheating, yet it is called coveting your neighbor’s property, that is, aiming at possession of it, enticing it away from him without his will, and being unwilling to see him enjoy what God has granted him.”

Elle Cuardaigh is author of The Tangled Red Thread and contributor to The Adoptee Survival Guide

email: ellecuardaigh@gmail.com

twitter: @ElleCuardaigh