From Dr Ruth Grayson
Sir, - The main reason why people are put off adopting children
is summed up in the strapline of the article "Children matter more
than prejudices" (Comment, 1
November) with the words "negative images".
As an adoptive parent myself, I feel it would be more useful for
the Church to take a lead in promoting a positive rather than a
moralising approach to the issue.
Many people see adoption as a last resort in an attempt to have
or extend a family. Indeed, social workers often aggravate that
feeling by enquiring into "problems" in "having your own children".
It is time to challenge this, and to suggest that adoption may be a
priority for some prospective parents. Adoption is a natural
process - we know this because animals do it - compared with
techniques such as IVF and surrogacy, on which the Church seems to
remain silent.
Of course there may be problems with adopted or fostered
children. There are problems in raising one's "birth children",
too. As always, it is the problems that make the news. But, instead
of quoting chapter and verse to convince Christians that they may
be duty-bound to adopt or foster a child, perhaps the Church could
better promote its case by pointing out that our Lord himself was
adopted by his human father.
National Adoption Day could be celebrated on 19 March, St
Joseph's Day.
RUTH GRAYSON
25 Whitfield Road
Sheffield S10 4GJ