Caring for the Modern-Day ‘Widow’ and ‘Orphan’: A Post-Roe Challenge for the Church by CAITLIN BURKE for CBN NEWS
Nearly a year ago, when Texas enacted the most restrictive abortion law in the country, there was a significant increase in women considering adoption.
“It probably started about 45 days after the Texas Heartbeat Bill went into effect. A lot of the women who were calling us just had questions about adoption,” said Sherri Statler, President and CEO of Christian Homes and Family Services in Tyler, TX.
Statler says there’s been a new spike in interest with the Roe v. Wade decision.
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“It’s been a very busy week…we’re just thrilled that they call us and we’re happy to help them sort out their options related to the pregnancy, but also help them deal with, you know, lots of other crises that they have going on in their lives,” Statler told CBN News.
The Supreme Court’s action also triggered abortion restrictions in nearly half the country. Now, both critics and supporters of the pro-life movement are calling for a renewed focus on life beyond birth.
“Now it’s time, you know, with the potential demand for supporting families, or women, or teenagers, who are facing unplanned pregnancies, based on, you know, helping more children get placed in foster care, whatever that looks like. We have to be ready to do more,” said Michelle Douglas, Program Director for The Call in Arkansas, a non-profit that focuses on mobilizing local churches to serve children and youth placed in foster care.
Douglas says the Bible is clear on the role of the Church.
“‘Pure and undefiled religion is this, to care for orphans and widows in their distress,’ and so we’re really good at the widow, the traditional widow, and the traditional orphan, but the modern-day orphan is the child of foster care, and the modern-day widow is often their mother who’s doing it alone,” Douglas told CBN News.
