Pastor's Nightmare

Homosexual Adoption

There's an issue, which is often ignored, when discussing the issue of whether homosexuals should be allowed to adopt children.

I want to start by pointing out some facts.

1.)The number of children, worldwide, who need homes, exceeds the number of potential parents that are healthy, wealthy, and educated.
2.)Clearly, the healthier, wealthier, and more educated parents are, the better they can provide for their children. Their own children or adopted children. That said, healthier, wealthier, and more educated parents should be given first priority. Actually, I should add mental health to the list. It is probably the most important thing.
3.)All else equal, I believe straight parents would be better than homosexual parents. If only for the reason that children of homosexual parents would be ostracized a bit due to the lack of social acceptance of homosexuals. That said, I would give straight parents the first choice as to whom they want for kids. I assume the more a kid is wanted, the better they will be raised.
4.)Even after the ideal matches are over, you have a ton of parents(who are not ideal in every way) and you still have a ton of kids(perhaps not of the right race, perhaps not the healthiest, perhaps not the right gender, etc.)
5.)There are tons of kids in Africa who could be adopted. In some cases, orphanages are available for unadopted children. In other cases, the situation is much more grim.

Questions:

For those opposed to gay adoption.
1.)Why not allow homosexuals to adopt some of these unwanted kids? In some instances neither a heterosexual couple nor a decent orphanage is available to raise these children. It seems cruel and inhumane to ask children to forgo a loving home solely for stupid legalistic reasons, which state that gay parents would not be as good a parents as straight parents. The reality is not between straight parents and gay parents. The reality is between gay parents and no parents. And, no parents could also mean no orphanage. Why not allow gay parents to adopt children? It seems the least we could do for the little ones- to forgo legalistic reasoning and show some mercy? Anything wrong with this argument?

For those who are strongly pro gay-adoption.
2.)Is it wrong to give mentally stable, healthy, wealthy, and educated HETEROSEXUAL parents first priority in adopting kids. If all else is equal, is it acceptable to give heterosexual parents the first priority when adopting children. There will be plenty of kids left after heterosexual parents are done taking there pick. If this is unacceptable, on what grounds?

Shedinja5000

No. The simple fact is, if all else is equal, I see no reason to give heterosexual couples special treatment. They'd be no better or worse (on average, and again, with all else equal) than homosexual couples, or for that matter polygamous couples. The only argument I see for it seems to be the risk of ostracism, but the same could be given for, say, not allowing women to go without their head covered in Saudi Arabia, or for not desegregating schools in the 1960s/70s.

Personally, I don't think the law should be held subservient to bigots.

Smohg

Well, Straight parents are a better model for children because of the normal gender identity and modeling, odepus/electra complex, etc. Males, even effeminate males, are not going to be a adequate gender model for what is "female." Children aren't going to view males as "mommy" - or females as "daddy."

i.e. Homosexuals are still inherently the same gender and behave as such - Children benefit from having models for both behaviors (which I hypothesize is instinct or hormonally driven).

But that's a fairly easy fix - there are plenty of opportunities for children to find an appropriate gender model outside of the home - grandparents, adult family friends - whatever.

Having a stable home where a child can develop is what's most important, and if that can be provided, then that should be the determining critereon - sexuality issues aside. I guess because of that, by the definitions in the OP, I am "strongly pro-gay adoption" in that I see no need to give preference to heterosexuals over homosexuals - provided the homosexual couple is as commited to the overall development of the child (which would mean social exposure to both genders).

laughing dog

Good parenting is primarily stems from being a good person and secondarily from the available resources. See the availability of resources can be objectively measured, then unless you are going to argue that homosexuality reduces the "goodness" of a person, I fail to see your point.

Moreover, if a household (regardless of the number of adults) is mentally stable, healthy, wealthy, and educated, why would anyone really care to devote the resources to determine his or her sexual preference?

Pastor's Nightmare

I specifically stated that mental health was the most important factor. And yes, I include being a good person in my definition of mental health. See my OP.

Pastor's Nightmare

Any system capable of determining mental stability, health, wealth, and education will easily tell you the sexual preference/orientation with no extra effort. Any extra resources are minimal.

laughing dog

Pure handwaving. Wealth and education level are easily observable. Mental stability is testable and observable. How would you observe homosexuality/heterosexuality?

And, of course, you really haven't indicated why a good heterosexual household would better than a good homosexual household, other than your conjecture about possible ostracization by others.

Underseer

It's unacceptable because it is pure, raw prejudice. If every thing else were equal, then both sets of parents would be equal in their capacity to provide a good environment for children. I got teased for being biracial as a child, but the fault for that wasn't with my parents, it was with the sick and twisted parents of the people who teased me.

IsItJustMe

Surely we should be fighting AGAINST ridiculous prejudices which result in bigoted mistreatment, rather than giving into them and thereby strengthening them. No?

Don2 (Don1 Revised)

To a large extent (but maybe not totally) issue#2 above is made moot by the fact that both potential foster parents/adoptive parents and children are given many choices about the situation. Do you think that the state (and adoption agencies) do not take into consideration the kids' expectations and what might be best for them already? What about the judges who approve the process in courts? Don't you think they are also already looking out for the kids?