Adoption Agency Drops Religion Question

Today brings a minor-but-sweet victory. My very first blog post discussed the future adoption of a second child. I wrote that once again, Gladney, our adoption agency, asked my wife and myself to submit reference letters in which friends and relatives testify to our characters and to our mental and financial well-being. That's fine. No problem. But, just like with our first adoption, the agency also required these reference-givers to address our religious lives.

“Do they [the adoptive parents] attend synagogue/church, to what extent do they participate in religious activities, and do they practice their beliefs in their daily lives?”

I'm agnostic. The question rubs me the wrong way because a) It's nobody's business what I believe and how I practice it, as long as I'm law-abiding; b) Religiosity — or lack thereof — is a terrible predictor of how worthy a parent someone will be; and c) I reject the implication that there is something superbly moral about religious people that is absent in non-believers.

This time, I laid out my objections here, and sent a polite letter along the same lines to Marshall Williams, Gladney's VP of Adoption Services. It took a while, but he finally called me back today to say that I was correct (words I don't hear often enough. But at least you're thinking them all the time, right?).

"Sometimes it takes somebody on the outside to look at what you're doing and ask why you're doing it," Williams added. He was very pleasant, and as gracious as all-get-out. He said the agency staff had discussed the matter, and had come to the conclusion that the religion question serves no purpose. It will now be dropped.

Rejoice: It's not every day that an atheist can make a Christian see the light, instead of the other way around ;-)

Comments

[Stacy]

I just found this entry when trying to get recommendations about this agency. Thank you for suggesting the religion question not be asked. I have no problem discussing my religion, but I don't think it should be a criteria when adopting as long as I'll raise a child with love, respect, and morals.