Children ARE NOT Commodities
In a historic and far-reaching decision, the U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, declaring that the constitutional right to abortion, upheld for nearly a half-century, no longer exists. Writing for the court majority, Justice Samuel Alito said that the 1973 Roe ruling and repeated subsequent high court decisions reaffirming Roe "must be overruled because they were egregiously wrong, the arguments exceptionally weak and so damaging that they amounted to an abuse of judicial authority." This decision will mean the court itself, as well as the abortion question, will become a more significant battleground politically from now on.
As Christians, we prayed outside of abortion clinics, attended right-to-life rallies, and debated the science that life begins at conception. This reversal of Roe v. Wade is currently at a unique inflection point in the history of reproductive rights, but it's too soon to measure the rise in babies born to mothers who did not wish to have them. Many of these babies will be born in states that are said to have already the worst maternal and child health outcomes in the nation. Although the existence of these children is the goal of the anti-abortion movement, America is unprepared to adequately care for them and the people who give birth to them. This means more and more children will be put up for adoption, and the need for foster care will spike. It's time to put our lives where our beliefs and prayers have been. We've been called out! Excuses and well-crafted intellectualizing, while self-impressive, will only reinforce the hypocrisy we are accused of. We must act, and it won't be easy coming from a faith-based perspective. What's the expression, "Be careful what you pray for?"
It has been over 165 years since George Mueller took in his first orphan. His vision must continue as faith-based initiatives around the U.S. are inspired by his faith to depend on God to meet their needs and the needs of helpless children. George Mueller's life story is in a video called "The Obstacle to Comfort." It can be found on YouTube.
Frankly, I'm very concerned. After nearly 30 years in para-church ministry outreach, I don't believe we have enough authentic Christian people committed to immovably living according to the precepts of Christ and fueled by enough of His Grace who are willing to be inconvenienced and live with an eternal view of life - even at a cost to themselves if need be.
Five Key Themes
On May 20, 2024, the fragility of life unfortunately hit our family. It was a beautiful sunny Monday morning as my cousin was driving on a winding road, and a car crossing the dividing lines was speeding and struck her head-on. She died an hour later in the emergency room of a local hospital. An investigation followed, and the driver whose car struck Debbie was determined to have been on their cell phone.
My cousin was an adopted child, a situation which she struggled with deeply until the day of her death. I couldn't help profoundly grieving for her thinking that when she was born, she was placed in an orphanage alone and then died alone. In her adult years, she would find her birth mother; however, when she spoke to her mother on the phone, her mother told her no one knew she existed and asked that Debbie never call her again.
Some months prior, our team was discussing what our missional/community service would look like. As Romans 11:33 teaches, "How unsearchable are God's judgments and paths beyond racing out?" In light of my personal experience coupled with the heated abortion issue, I believe God has made our path straight.
1. Adoption Is Not a One-Time Transaction
It's a lifelong journey for the entire family. It is important to understand adoption as a transformational experience that lasts a lifetime to encourage healthy identity development and strong relationships.
2. A Human Rights Framework Is Needed
Adoption is in urgent need of a cultural shift; this shift requires us, first and foremost, to make decisions in adoption through the lens of human rights and to practice adoption in a way that primarily and fundamentally respects and upholds the humanity of all who are connected to this rich and complex experience.
3. Market Forces Create a Variety of Concerns
It is critical to develop uniform standards and regulations to remove the influence of money as it relates to the practice of adoption. Children are not commodities.
4. Adoption in America Lacks Uniformity
Adoption policies and practices vary widely by state and type of adoption. The consequences of these inconsistencies can lead to fraud, coercion, and undue stress on families and ultimately leave children vulnerable.
5. No Reform Without Education
One of the most significant impediments to meaningful reforms in adoption and foster care are the societal misperceptions and general lack of knowledge surrounding this experience. We must foster understanding in society and the systems that serve families if changes need to be made.
Bringing a child into a family—whether by birth, adoption or the blending of families—is life-changing for everyone. Adoption can represent an evolved definition of family when we recognize the lifelong impact and put children at the center. Strong families build strong communities, which make a better world for all of us. While we have reached many milestones, more work needs to be done, and today, our work feels more urgent than ever.
Aging Out of Foster Care, (Remember, This Is About Children and NOT POLITICAL or EMOTIONAL VIEWS)
Aging out of foster care means a child in foster care reaches the maximum age the state will support them, often 18 or 21, without achieving permanence (reunification, adoption, or guardianship). This transition can present significant challenges for young adults as they navigate independent living and adulthood without the support of a family or the foster care system.
Elaboration:.
Melania Trump’s "Fostering the Future" initiative, part of her Be Best campaign, focuses on improving outcomes for youth aging out of foster care by expanding access to education, housing, and workforce training. Key efforts include promoting university-level scholarships, supporting "Foster Youth to Independence" (FYI) housing vouchers to prevent homelessness, and pushing for bipartisan legislation to modernize federal support programs.
- Age Limits: States typically have age limits for foster care, ranging from 18 to 21 years. Once a child reaches this age, they are considered to have aged out of the system.
- Lack of Permanency: Aging out often means a child has not been reunified with their birth family, placed in an adoptive home, or found a permanent guardian.
- Challenges in Transition: Youth aging out of foster care face various challenges, including:
- Housing Instability: Many lack access to stable housing and may experience homelessness.
- Financial Difficulties: They may struggle with financial literacy, managing basic needs, and securing employment.
- Educational Gaps: Some may lag behind their peers academically, making it harder to pursue higher education or stable jobs.
- Mental Health: Trauma experienced in foster care can lead to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
- Limited Support Systems: Many lack the family and support networks that provide guidance and stability during this transition.
- Support Programs: States and local organizations often provide support programs to help young adults transition into independence, such as:
- Life Skills Training: To help with basic adult responsibilities.
- Vocational Training and Job Placement: To improve employment prospects.
- Educational Guidance and Financial Aid: To support their educational goals.
- Mentoring and Peer Support Networks: To provide guidance and emotional support.
- Housing Assistance Programs: To help with finding and affording housing.
“Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak for Themselves
Ryan has a rather unique perspective of the innate nature of Purpose. His biological mother was raped yet courageously rejected the violence of abortion. Ryan was adopted and loved by a diverse family of fifteen.
Today, he is an Emmy® Award-winning Creative Professional who founded The Radiance Foundation, a faith-based, life-affirming, educational nonprofit, along with his amazing wife, Bethany. He is a factivist, international public speaker, columnist, educator, and author of the powerful book, Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong. He and Bethany also co-authored the ground-breaking children’s books He is He, She is She, and Pro-Life Kids! (See all of their books here.) His upcoming autobiography, Should Have Been Aborted, will be released in both in hardcover book and 30-minute documentary form on May 5th, 2026.
From congressional briefings on Capitol Hill to launching billboard campaigns in major cities across the country to advocating adoption via their AdoptedAndLoved.com initiative to inspiring youth & adults with their one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations, Ryan has had incredible opportunities to address hundreds of thousands in live events across the country.
From congressional briefings on Capitol Hill to launching billboard campaigns in major cities across the country to advocating adoption via their AdoptedAndLoved.com initiative to inspiring youth & adults with their one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations, Ryan has had incredible opportunities to address hundreds of thousands in live events across the country.
He was the creative force behind the first ad campaign to expose abortion’s hugely disproportionate impact in the black community. The bold TooManyAborted.com billboards/web campaigns caused a media firestorm. The effort received massive news coverage from The New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, CNN, MSNBC, the Associated Press, Washington Times, Fox News, ABC World News, and across social media. The extensive media attention enabled The Radiance Foundation, and Ryan’s personal story of adoption, to reach millions. Working in conjunction with noted national civil rights leaders like Dr. Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), Ryan is involved in national efforts to expose and defund Planned Parenthood by illuminating the social injustice of abortion. He has also traveled the country helping pregnancy help centers raise millions of dollars at fundraising events to support women and their children (born and unborn).
His regularly published OpEds cover core issues such as abortion, adoption, racism, fatherlessness, gender radicalism, religious liberty, free speech and the War on Common Sense. He’s been denounced by the ACLU, George Soros’ Media Matters for America, Planned Parenthood and even the NAACP. The nation’s oldest civil rights organization sued Ryan and The Radiance Foundation for exercising their First Amendment right to parody the organization’s name. In a national OpEd, Ryan called out the NAACP branding it the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People”. With the incredible help of Alliance Defending Freedom, Ryan and Radiance Foundation were victorious after two years in federal court!
