Adoption- is it noble?

I was sitting in church the other day and I heard someone talk about a couple they knew that had adopted. He said that he really admired the couple for adopting, and that it was so noble of them to take in two girls from China. That got me thinking. Is the decision to adopt noble, or just one way to parenthood? What are your thoughts on this?

I actually just saw a comment on a YouTube video about adoption in which a poster commented that they thought that adoption as "a noble act of humility." It did make me feel uncomfortable, especially since it was clear that the couple in the video had very much wanted to be parents. On the other hand, I think that committed parenthood is a noble act - getting up every day and doing your best to do right by your kids, through ups and downs, through good times and through challenging times, loving them even when they're doing their best to be unlovable - that's noble. Sacrifice and commitment to a child's well-being is noble. So adoption, per se, is not noble - but sacrificing for and being devoted to the well-being of another human being? I would say that is.

That's a great way to look at it! I think the statement that love is the truly Noble act applies to both adoptive and birth parents- we all want the best for the child.