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Are you an adoptee who is grateful for the gift of life and a family?
For the past week or more I have heard debates on Fox News & CNN and all over the internet about whether the Super Bowl sponsors should air the commercial clip of Tim Tebos sharing his joy and celebration that his mother did not abort him due to a complicated pregnancy. As an adoptee I feel especially blessed that my birth parents chose life and adoption for me. I know that I was also fortunate to be conceived in a time when abortion was not legal and crisis pregnancies went to term and alot of those babies were placed for adoption. For the skeptics and pro-choice persons, we have a positive story and beautiful angle promoting life.( Ourselves, Our Testimony) We can speak up and share our joy over being alive, being adopted, and bring honor to God & our birth parents & adoptive parents who gave us life and adoption and a family. And who can debate one's joy over being given life. I always am saddened at some pro-life groups that use negative sensational graphic images of aborted fetuses to promote their agenda. This only angers the opposition and probably does not convert many over to support Life. But if you decide to speak up at your Super Bowl gathering, after the Tim Tebos clip, who is going to debate that and think abortion was the better choice?? Pray that God would give you this opportunity! Your sharing does not have to be long and eloquent, to share your Adoptee gratitude or brief testimony this Super Bowl Sunday! And from the eternal perspective- it does not matter who wins the game. You will have won the applause of heaven and scored double digits for being a voice for the unborn who have no voice to defend themselves. From Deuteronomy: "Choose Life, that you and your children might live."
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Dickons
Isn't the company running the ad an adoption agency? If they are and are using a heart warming story about "choosing life - and the mother raising that child" is that not just a bit misleading as to their real intentions?
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I am thankful for the sharing here but my original post here is posted on the "Faith-Based, Christian adoptee Fellowship forum." These Faith based forums here are especialy designed for posting for people holding similar beliefs, and this one is for those who embrace the Christian faith, and also for "Adoptees". I don't understand why persons who do not hold similar Christian beliefs in pro-life versus choice, and also aren't Adoptees appear to be lurking to see when anyone is posting something contrary to their belief and feel a need to travel over to this forum to share their opposing opinion here. They are not regular posters in this area of adoption.com forums- and I did not post this discussion topic in this Faith-Based area- Adoptee area on adoption.com for them as the audience. There are women who express that they are offended by the term "birth mother" and they have chosen to perceive, define and promote this term as being dishonoring to women- that its derogatory and reduces them to "baby machines" or "baby factories".I remember that they preferred the term "First Mothers" Many others do not define the term "birth mother" as they do and in these Faith Based forums they have a Birth Parent forum using that specific term. I have lead adoption triad groups for 14 years and have had 100's of birth mothers attend, and we have discussed that term, and they do not see it as offensive or define it in any dishonoring way or read into it a meaning that is demeaning. I know a beautiful large group of Birth Mom Buds who support one another and have a beautiful caring ministry, and they are not offended by that term and even use it for their title.
And yes, I was born before abortion was illegal, but my birth mother prior to my being conceived was a heavy drinker and chose to stop drinking during the pregnancy my sisters have told me. She chose to protect me in the womb and to provide for a healthy environment. Back then there were many back alley abortions using coat hanger techniques and a number of other well known methods sadly to end a pregnancy not desired. So yes I see my birth mother as chosing life for me and she also, along with my birth father, who were married with other children, chose to place me for adoption. I chose to be grateful and honoring to her memory.
I am not here to debate pro-choice over pro-life. The majority of my posts are in the Christian Faith-based area, so I am not navigating over to other discussion forums to argue or push my beliefs. I am sad to see that others seem to have a pressing need to do that. I am here today to say I am grateful that I am alive and that adoption blessed me with a loving family, and also allowed me to reunite with my special birth sisters.
Jody, I don't know if you've been made aware, and hopefully a moderator will do just that, but these forums are open to all people, so justifying your false claims and offending others simply because this is the "Christian Adoptee Fellowship" forum is ridiculous.Surely you are aware, but maybe you aren't, that there are a large number of Christian people who are pro-choice. I thought I'd point that out, since I was left questioning portions of your message where you seem to think all Christian Adoptees feel the same way you do. I also don't care what kind of dismissive tactics you try to use to justify your post, but women who have had an abortion are not birth mothers and I find it so strange that someone who claims to have so much respect for a woman who chose 'life' (your words, not mine) would put her in the same league as a woman who has aborted her fetus.I'm not saying one is better than the other, but they are most certainly different from one another and I would venture to guess that there are a large number of anti-choice birth mothers who would be really unhappy to discover that birth mother equals a mother who gave birth and placed her child for adoption OR a woman who did not give birth, but instead, had an abortion.Maybe you can ask around and find out how that makes them feel, as I doubt any of them would feel particularly welcome here.
I think this poster flaming you Jody, has a problem with you connecting abortion females with placing females. (both called birthmoms on your post and yeah that makes total sense that she would be upset- ) but as far as the other flaming-she has lost me in her rant against you and Christian adoptees.
Thank you "legal" for your insights. Again, if anyone sees my original post in its title it is addressed/targeted to Adoptees. And its first line states:
Are you an adoptee who is grateful for life and a family?
My response post to CJ says that some of these forums are especially designed for a group of people- and I used the word especially and did not say exclusively or that no one else is welcome- I do understand this website is open for all. I do welcome persons who come into a forum discussion area and introduce themselves, share their backround and ask to join in the discussion for understanding and building bridges. I have been an adoption triad support group faciliator for 14 years with all sides of the adoption triad attending my meetings regularly. We have spirited discussions and join each other in laughter and tears in our meetings, agreeing that we can disagree. And we respect one another and learn from one another in a gracious manner.
But when persons jump into discussions in forums especially noted to be, as this one is for Christian Adoptees, and seem to not be adoptees nor regular posters on this forum area and (appear) to verbalize harsh opposing views and criticism that saddens me. Yes, that does appear to be flaming to me.
Chrisitian Adoptees, who have read this original post and wanted to join in the discussion and then saw the critical posts and decided to stir clear of joining in, I am sorry. Would have loved to have heard some of your honest sharing, for you were the audience I was seeking to converse with- who I addressed this discussion to.
Blessings and peace to all, Jody
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I think so Dickons, because my opinion was not in agreement with the "adoption" aspect of it and Jodi never forced me to convert to her opinion although differing than mine;~)She never insisted we all fall in line, she just asked us to share. I shared and told her my differing opinion just as you did KWIM? I just don't expect the antagonistic flaming on an christian adoptee fellowship forum where someone is merely ASKING for christian adoptees to share their STORIES and then she is accused of something totally different. Dickons~you did not flame anyone, and never do;~))
Hi Jody,
I was born just a month before Roe vs. Wade became law, and by that time it was very easy to get illegal abortions, and I must say, like you, I thank GOD every day that I am alive! I'm going to a Super Bowl party at my church, and can't wait to see that ad on the big screen. Everyone from my church knows my adoption story, and when I gave that testimony, they were so supportive and wow'd by the story.
You are a beautiful person and I thank God that I've been able to spend time with you in person, and hope to see you this summer if I make it up to Chicago to visit my birthfamily again. Life is a blessing, no matter how we got here.
"beautiful angle promoting life.( Ourselves, Our Testimony) We can speak up and share our joy over being alive, being adopted, and bring honor to God & our birth parents & adoptive parents who gave us life and adoption and a family. And who can debate one's joy over being given life." Jodi saidI am sorry Jodi, I went back and I had read this again and you DID NOT call abortion females "birthmoms" at all. Please forgive me for reading in words you did not even say
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Jodi,
I thank you for what you have said. I also did not read your original post as referring to women who had abortions as birthmoms. I think that must have been a misunderstanding. I thank you though, because as a aparent who has 2 little ones adopted at birth through the fostercare system, I am always concerned at the difficulty they may face in dealing with their adoptions. It is always wonderful to hear from an adoptee who celebrates their life and the choice their mother made.
I choose to thank you on another level as a woman who chose abortion when she was 16 and regrets it with every ounce of her being. I am not saying this is everyone's experience, but it is mine. I look into the eyes of my adopted kiddos and I am beyond grateful that their birthmoms chose life, even when, as a teen, I did not. I am humbled by it. Yes, I am a Christian, saved by grace through faith and forgiven.
As for the ad, I just don't see how it was offensive to anyone. It didn't seem very contraversial at all.
Blessings to you!
Mom to 5
Mom to 5, thanks for sharing your difficult but inspiring story and your life experiences as an adoptive mom and a woman who experienced abortion. Your testimony is beautiful and yes, we serve a redeeming God who blankets us in his forgiveness and peace when we seek it. I love the scripture verse in the book of Joel that is just awesome. "He will redeem the years the locust ate away" I also love the verse that says, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Thanks for sharing with us and may God bless you richly! Hugs and prayers, Jody
Hi Legal and the Tim Tebow commercial ad can be viewed numerous places. I would suggest just going to the Focus on the Family website ( Its all there) and see the short 30 second clip which merely leads you to the FULL STORY by Tim's mom and dad telling their story of Tim's miracle birth after Pam ignored the doctor's suggestion to abort the baby due to health issues she was having. Do go view it. Blessings to you today!
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Did you read my other post today on Christian Adoptee Fellowship here about the Assistant Coach of the Super Bowl Indianapolis Colts, (Christensen) is an adoptee and his birth mother/first mother was 15 and placed him for adoption in LA. She requested that He be adopted by a Christian family or returned to her. Christensen's father is a pastor, and this coach openly shares his joy with being given life and a family when he considers what the alternatives were. The whole story can be read today on LifeNews.com. with his photo. So Tebow isn't the only one speaking out their gratitude for life.