My two nephews are adopted. I love them more than I could possibly express here. And there's no doubt of what an important, unalloyed good adoption has been for their lives, and for our family. But in Arkansas, the Family Research Council and variety of other "Christian" organizations drew up a ballot initiative "that would make it illegal for any individual cohabiting outside of a valid marriage to adopt or provide foster care to minors." In other words, not only are gay couples prohibited from providing a loving home to children who need one, but so too are straight couples who are unmarried. And Arkansas is not a state with a surfeit of willing caregivers: They have foster homes for only 1/3rd of the children who need them. This initiative will not really harm gay couples, who can adopt in another state. And it will not really harm straight couples, who are similarly mobile. But it will do enormous harm to children who desperately need a safe and stable and caring home. It is a sad testament to the ferocity of modern bigotry that the organizations in support of Initiative One were willing to harm children in order to strike a symbolic blow against gay and unmarried couples. It is even sadder that the people of Arkansas were willing to indulge such base revulsion, and had so little concern for the children that fate has heedlessly placed in their care.
Is it any wonder that many of us on the left are turned off by "compassionate" Christians who put their personal beliefs ahead of the actual welfare of children?
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