Religion

If you are a spiritual person then you know that the right child will come to you. Better to tell the truth than to always know you recieved your child under false pretenses

My advice...and some may not agree....bring it up only if it's asked. You're correct in the fact that some may think of Wicca as witchcraft and even though you may be able to explain it to the person doinf your homestudy, the people that have to okay your study will not be infront of you to have it explained to them. What religion were you born into? I'm agnostic but was born & raised in the Roman Catholic religion? When the question of religion came up, I said that i was born & raised Roman Catholic, was baptised, did communion, confirmation & got marred in church...all true. I told them that we're not regular church goers but I have attended on occasion...again, all true. Wicca is a beautiful religion and one a lot of people can learn from but it's not worth being denied over. Just my 2 cents.

i'm new to the forum. my husband and i have talked about adoption for years, we finally found out that it isn't as expensive as thought. I recieved my info from our local cs agency and it said that it doesn't discriminate based on financies, race, age... but when i realized it didn't say religion i got worried... i am wiccan, my husband is agnostic. i'm in the closet so to speak because my parents and family are fundimentalist Christian. we havent started our classes yet (we will in september) when my best friend/cousin will join us in the adoption process (she is also pagan) and the question i'm sure has come up with her also. i was worried about the same thing. my husband and i went to a Christian university and were both raised Christian. i don't know much about the process yet, but it worries me. what i usually tell people is that i don't follow any mainstream religion, but give all religions the respect they deserve and that the all have thier pro's and cons and that there is no right or wrong religion only personal intention and choice. I also point out that i will teach my children all i can about any religion they ask about as honestly and openly as i can and when the time comes i will support the religious path they choose. what happens if you refuse to answer??????

You know, I think this question of religious preference is an outdated one. I don't see any questions as to an adoptive parent's political preference listed (if I have overlooked it, please let me know) yet it invokes a passion just the same, in many people. Knowing nothing of the history of adoption, I am not an expert, but perhaps this was once a very necessary element of adoption? Faith-based organizations were (and still are) the place to go when a child was in need. Today, people should be aware that there are many different people in this world... indeed in our own nation. These people have different cultures that enhance America's and they bring along their faiths. As a country, I do believe that we allow others to practice their religion (as long as it does not do harm to others or display odd or insensitive practices). This is part of the freedoms we hold dear and treat faith as a private matter. Why a home study includes this private matter is beyond me. I am very happy with my spirituality, but prefer to keep this to myself. My husband is the same and, to a greater extent, discusses this very rarely. It is no one's business. Perhaps the question should be revamped. Maybe updating and creating a different stance or angle would keep parents-to-be from seizing up when they come across it in the preliminary stages. What could this question be morphed into? Well, again, I am not an expert, but those who have a concern can indeed try to turn this into a less offensive or less imposing question. This post has become too long. I would like to hear from others. What do you think? m...

I am currently looking to find a family to give my baby to in Minnesota, the problem is I am Wiccan and would like my child to be raised in such a manner. If an adoptive parent family omits that they are wiccan or pagan I am gonna be less likely to choose them to have my child. Because I specifically want my child to be raised similar to how I would raise it if I could afford to support my child. thats my input, tell them the truth! It will help those of us looking for someone. There is no one I have found so far that is wiccan and on the list here in Minnesota and it makes me sad. My opinion tell the truth, completely!

Goddessia, I see, by reading your post, where asking one what religion they practice can be vital information. This makes me wonder if the question can remain unanswered pending further research into the adoptive parents-to-be, such as a real interest in the couple? With all my heart, I hope that you get your wish and find the perfect family for your child. Peacefully, m...

Thank you all for your wonderful contributions! My husband & I are Pagan and are searching for a child to adopt. While we are not limiting ourselves to specifically Pagan birth mothers, we do plan to raise the child(ren) in a strong Spiritual family. We feel it is very important to be honest about our faith. In searching for "pagan adoption" I have found very little information. If anyone here has suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Blessings, Debbie

As a Latino of American Indian heritage I am an animist. I have foster/adopt kids who are American Indians so our religions are the same. I told the home study person a lot about my beliefs but being an American Indian herself she understod. I don't think it's as important of a question in a foster/adopt situation as in an adoption but you should be honest with the homestudy person about your beliefs.

Where it asks you for your religion in the homestudy packet you just say that you practice an Earth-based religion. My agency told my DH and I to say that. She has dealt with many pagans over the years and she said that the court systems have changed and that pagans aren't being overlooked like how they used to be. You just have to word it right. I don't think you should lie about it or even hide it. If you're a pagan and want to raise your child as a pagan then be proud of it. Blessed Be sister.