Adoption a loving choice for children and women, activist says

Washington D.C., May 1, 2014 / 16:09 pm

Adoption offers not only an opportunity for children to live, but for women to make a "loving parenting choice," according to the founder of a pro-life organization.

"When you talk about abortion there are only two life-affirming options: either you're talking about parenting, or the loving parenting choice of adoption," Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation, told CNA.

"It's an incredible parenting choice to say, 'I can't be the one for this child, but I'm going to make a loving plan for adoption.'"

The Radiance Foundation is a Virginia-based organization which educates the public on abortion and its scope, particularly within minority communities. Bomberger participated in the March for Life, a witness in Washington, D.C. that draws hundreds of thousands of people to demonstrate against abortion.

He later spoke at the March's Rose Dinner on the subject of adoption, which was the theme for the 2014 march.

He explained that the choice of adoption as a theme "is such a natural expression of who the March for Life has been for years," adding that March for Life president Jeannie Monahan "understands that defending life means you have to finish that sentence by also promoting adoption."

Bomberger noted that adoption has fallen out of favor as an option for women in difficult situations because of pressures from the abortion industry. The industry, he said "profits from one product, and that is the service of abortion," and it has an incentive to promote its product.

 "They demonize adoption all the time, and put it into people's minds all the time that somehow they're sparing themselves and their child if they choose to end that human life."

However, he continued, talking to birth mothers and those who have been adopted fights the "lack of awareness" about adoption, and helps people to "understand the beauty that arises from adoption."

"What you'll find from birth moms all the time is that they feel blessed," Bomberger said, adding that many birth mothers are able " to finish education " and "make a plan for that child to be in a supportive and loving home."

He also pointed to his organization's new initiative, adoptedandloved.com, which features "adoptees sharing their experience of being adopted and love."

And for Bomberger, the topic of adoption is deeply personal.

"I am adopted," he said, explaining that he was adopted into a family of 15 after his mother was raped and gave him up for adoption

"We come from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, differing abilities, some of us are special needs: all of us were loved like crazy," he said of his upbringing.

His parents' love "showed us really that adoption is all about love; it's about unleashing love, unleashing hope," adding that his experience has made him "passionate" about the issue and influenced his and his wife's decision to adopt as well.

"My birth mom was raped, but her courage started an avalanche of things that she never could have expected in the middle of that pain and chaos."

He added that for Christians, adoption is a particularly important opportunity for witness.

Adoption is saying to God that "I'm going to do what you have done for every one of us" -- pointing to the adoption of all Christians into God's family through Christ.

"There is really no salvation without it."

"That's why we're passionate about all cases, because you know, there could be tragedy now, but there may be triumph tomorrow."