Lifelong adoption says “Same-sex couples want to adopt a child and are usually older, more educated, and financially stable than other types of adoptive parents.” That sounds like a pretty ideal home for any child. So, what’s the big deal? Well, there isn’t one. I hope to prove that laws should not be passed that prohibit LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, etc.) couples or individuals from adopting, on regards of religion. I’ll be addressing the states that would like to pass these laws, what science proves, what the Bible says, why religion is one step above love, and what happens to the children.

Firstly, let’s talk about which states are trying to pass these laws right now. The state that caused the brainstorming of this essay was Georgia. Georgia was the first state this year to try and pass one of these laws. I then found another state trying to do this exact same thing. It was Kansas. Believe it or not, after a little bit more searching, I realized Oklahoma was also trying to pass a law on the same regards. All of these states started to discuss these laws right around the same time this year. Now that the just of why I am writing this is clear,  let’s talk about why these laws shouldn’t be passed.

What does science say about LGBT+ adoption? According to a 2008 study called Involved, invisible, ignored: The experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents and their children in our nation’s K-12 schools, children raised in houses with same-sex parents score at least as high as children raised with different-sex parents. These tests were conducted on multiple indicators of academic intelligence. There is also no evidence that proves that children raised by LGBT+ parents are less intelligent, less popular, or have more problems in school than a child raised by heterosexual parents. NLLFS (National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study) has shown that children’s scores on ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and depression are similar to teens raised with heterosexual parents. They have also shown that these children have about the same score on positive aspects as well. Therefore, multiple studies show that these children are relatively no different than children raised in what society has deemed a “normal household”. If science isn’t enough to convince anybody that LGBT+ parents can raise a child just as well, or maybe even better than heterosexual parents can, let’s talk about the Bible.

So, what does the Bible say about love and adoption? First and foremost, we’ll talk about what Genesis 1:26 says in the New International Version. “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.””

In essence, God made us all in his image. Which means we are all worthy, we are all perfect to God. Consequently, nobody may tell me or anyone else, that because of our circumstances, God does not love us. Next, let’s look into what 1 Peter 4:8 says. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” God is telling is that literally above everything else, we need to love each other. Love covers over our sins, clearly, because Jesus loved us so much he died for our sins. If there needs to be a little bit more of an interpretation, then here it is. Nobody may tell me that I am going to hell because of my love for another human being. God has told us that love covers sins. The bible doesn’t have many verses that really clarify who may or may not adopt. There are no specifications. So, therefore, my love for whomever, is an utmost priority.
Why does religion seem to always be one step above love? Let me just say, I understand that religion should also be the highest concern for anybody who follows it. Christ’s love for us is extremely forgiving. With that said, anyone and everyone’s love is also extremely forgiving. Forgiveness has the power of doing things so extreme that it lowers your blood pressure. Everybody forgives, because it feels good to forgive. That being said, Christ’s love and my love’s contexts are virtually the same. Maybe love and religion should be equal, instead of one always being above the other. That would greatly benefit lots of things. Lastly, let’s talk about foster care systems.

What about all of the children? According the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Report as of June 2016, on any given day there are 428,000 children in United States foster care systems. In all of 2015 there were a grand total of 670,000 children that spent any time in foster care. These systems may be extremely stressing for children. Many times, the children will move from house to house. According to a 2013 study by the Williams Institute, same sex couples are four times more likely to raise an adopted child than heterosexual couples. That means that same sex couples are saving four times the children from the stress of foster care systems. Hopefully by taking the children into consideration, there is finally an understanding as to why same sex couples should be able to adopt.

In conclusion, I have talked about the states trying to pass these laws, what science says, what the bible says, why religion comes before love, and the children. I stand by and strongly believe that laws should not be passed that prohibit LGBT+ couples from adoption, on regards of religion. Once again, according to lifelong adoption, same sex couples are more stable, so why can’t they adopt? Instead of negatively approaching this, I have shown why they should be able to adopt. As the title states, love is love, adoption is adoption. So for heaven's sake, let us save four times more children than heterosexual couples ever will.