Have you been following the story about the Christian missionaries who were caught taking children to the Dominican Republic?
Here’s a video on the issue.
Here’s a WSJ article that takes another look at the problem in Haiti with adoption in general.
This is a very complex issue and one that raises a lot of thorny questions. Maybe the missionaries weren’t intending to traffic children, but the reality seems to be that they didn’t have the proper documentation and should have known that. This is kind of one of those “does the ends justify the means” type questions.
Another side of this is questions about the broader implications of their decision to take some chances. Did they think what kind of an impact this would have on the image of Christians worldwide? Did they think what the ramifications would be for other missionaries dealing with orphans when something like this comes to light?
I certainly understand hearts that want to reach out to children, that just want the best for kids. Having dealt with CPS and the foster care system, I understand frustrations with beuracracy and the feeling that you know what’s best, but I also know that these are also situations where despite our feelings, we sometimes have to pray for peace and let go and let God. It may not seem like the best thing to us, but it’s an issue of trust.
Having said that, I certainly pray that things get cleared up and that these people whom I really believe weren’t doing this maliciously or for the sake of trafficing are eventually cleared of charges, but that this sends a message to all to make sure they work within means that uphold the Christian spirit as well as working towards such ends.
