Faith and adoption: experiences across different religions

Adoption is a profoundly human experience, rooted in care, protection, and the desire to offer belonging. For many families, faith plays a central role in shaping values, identity, and decision-making - including the decision to adopt. But religious teachings and cultural interpretations of those teachings can vary widely. In this article, we explore how different faiths perceive adoption, the theological and legal implications involved, and how faith communities can both support and complicate the adoption journey. This is not an attempt to define religious doctrine, nor to speak for individual believers. Rather, it is a closer look at how faith influences adoption through practice, belief, and community.

Christianity: Adoption as a theological and personal act in religion

Christianity often frames adoption as an act of compassion, aligning it with the core values of love, redemption, and care for the vulnerable. Theologically, Christians frequently reference adoption as a metaphor for divine inclusion. In Romans 8:15, Paul writes, “...you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” This spiritual adoption is often mirrored in the way Christian communities view physical adoption - as an act of love that reflects God’s own.

Practice and support

In many Christian denominations, there is strong institutional and community support for adoption. Churches often partner with adoption agencies, run support groups for adoptive parents, and advocate for fostering and adoption from care systems. In some evangelical Christian circles, adoption has become a mission in itself, with conferences, ministries, and global campaigns encouraging Christians to adopt. However, this focus has sometimes drawn criticism. Scholars and adoptees have raised concerns that adoption can be overly spiritualised, leading to complex identity struggles for adoptees who feel pressured to view their adoption solely as a divine calling rather than acknowledging pain, loss, and the realities of trauma.

Challenges within the Christian context

In conservative Christian communities, there can also be stigma attached to single-parent adoption or LGBTQ+ adoptive families. While some churches actively work toward inclusion, others may exclude families who do not conform to traditional norms. This presents a paradox: a religion centred on compassion may still uphold structural barriers depending on interpretation.

Islam: Balancing care with lineage preservation

Islam places great importance on caring for orphans and vulnerable children. However, the religious framework for adoption differs significantly from Western legal concepts. In Islamic tradition, the concept of kafala is often used in place of adoption. Kafala means "sponsorship" or "guardianship" and allows for the care of a child without severing their ties to their birth family or lineage.

Theological foundation

The Prophet Muhammad was himself raised by extended family after being orphaned. The Quran encourages the care of orphans: “...they ask you about orphans. Say, improving their condition is best...” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:220). However, Islam also prohibits naming a child after their adoptive parents if it obscures their biological identity (Quran 33:5).

This stems from the belief that lineage, inheritance, and identity are sacrosanct. Unlike Western adoption, where a child may legally become as if born to their adoptive family, kafala ensures the child’s original identity is preserved. In many Muslim-majority countries, full legal adoption is not recognised in the Western sense.

Cultural and practical implications

Muslim families in the West often struggle to reconcile legal adoption with Islamic values. Questions arise around naming, inheritance, and religious upbringing. Some scholars have encouraged a more flexible approach to formal adoption when it prioritises the child's best interests, while still honouring the principles of kafala. There is also a strong communal emphasis on extended family support. When biological parents cannot care for a child, relatives often assume care, meaning formal adoption is less common.

Judaism: A strong cultural precedent for care

Judaism views caring for vulnerable children as a moral obligation rooted in the concept of tikkun olam - repairing the world. While the Torah does not contain a detailed legal framework for adoption, rabbinic literature and community customs provide precedent for raising non-biological children.

Halachic considerations

Jewish law (halacha) places emphasis on lineage, particularly regarding tribal identity and religious status. For example, a child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish. If the birth mother is not Jewish, the child must undergo formal conversion to be recognised as Jewish, even if adopted by a Jewish family. This applies especially in Orthodox communities. Conversion of adopted children is a sensitive issue, especially if the adoptive family does not maintain strict religious observance. Some communities may require a reaffirmation of faith by the child upon reaching adulthood.

Support within the Jewish community

In many Jewish communities, especially in Reform and Conservative branches, there is widespread support for adoption, including domestic and international adoption. Jewish Family Services organisations often provide counselling, adoption services, and community events. As with other faiths, adoption can also serve as a means of addressing demographic concerns. Following the Holocaust, for example, Jewish communities placed significant emphasis on rebuilding the population through family support, including adoption.

Hinduism: Karma, duty, and care

In Hinduism, adoption is not explicitly outlined in spiritual texts, but the broader values of dharma (duty), seva (service), and compassion underpin care for children. Traditionally, Hindu families might adopt within the extended family to ensure care and continuation of lineage.

Social and spiritual interpretations

In Indian society - where Hinduism is the majority religion - adoption has been influenced more by caste, social structures, and family tradition than direct religious injunction. Still, spiritual values encourage the care of those in need. Some myths and epics even feature characters who are raised by non-biological parents, such as Karna in the Mahabharata. Adoption is also framed through the lens of karma. While this can provide comfort to some adoptive families, it can also inadvertently stigmatise adoptees if people assume difficult life experiences are the result of “bad karma.” This requires careful sensitivity, particularly when addressing children’s emotional wellbeing.

Contemporary perspectives

Modern Hindu communities often embrace adoption, particularly as more childless couples seek alternative family-building methods. However, issues such as caste identity and lineage may still influence decisions about who can adopt and be adopted. In the UK and global diaspora communities, Hindu families navigating adoption may balance traditional expectations with more liberal legal frameworks.

Sikhism: Universal family and service

Sikh teachings strongly advocate for equality, service, and care for others. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, emphasised the oneness of humanity, and the Sikh principle of seva (selfless service) is often cited in the context of caring for others.

Adoption and community care

While Sikh scripture does not detail adoption practices, the community-oriented nature of Sikh life encourages care for those in need. Gurudwaras (places of worship) often serve as community hubs, providing support for those experiencing hardship. Adoption within Sikh families tends to be guided more by cultural norms than formal theology. However, there is growing interest in domestic and international adoption, particularly in diaspora communities, where legal structures facilitate it. As with Hinduism, caste considerations may still exist in some circles, although Sikhism officially rejects caste hierarchy.

Interfaith adoption: Complexities and opportunities

In an increasingly global and interconnected world, many adoptive families span multiple religious or cultural backgrounds. This can offer rich experiences but also raises unique challenges. For instance, if a child is adopted from a different faith background, questions about religious upbringing, exposure, and consent arise. Some adoptive parents opt to expose their child to multiple traditions, while others raise them within the family’s faith, navigating cultural heritage with sensitivity. This is particularly relevant in cases of transracial or international adoption. Adoptive parents must consider not only their child’s cultural identity, but also how faith - and the lack of it - shapes their sense of self. Faith communities can play a significant role in either welcoming or alienating these families. Religious leaders and educators have the opportunity to create inclusive spaces that honour difference, support healing, and prioritise the child’s needs above dogma.

Common threads across different faiths

Despite theological differences, there are shared values across major religions that support adoption and the care of children:

Compassion and duty: All faiths promote care for the vulnerable, often framed as a moral or spiritual responsibility.
Preservation of identity: Many traditions place importance on maintaining a child’s cultural or religious identity, even when adopted into a different family.
Community responsibility: In most religions, care for children is not only the responsibility of the family, but of the wider community.
Complexity and care: No faith offers simple answers. Instead, each tradition encourages ethical reflection, compassion, and often, flexibility in response to individual cases.

Conclusion: Towards a more supportive faith-based adoption culture

Religion can be both a source of comfort and a site of tension in the adoption journey. The teachings, expectations, and structures of faith communities profoundly shape how adoption is understood, practised, and supported.

Faith leaders and institutions have an important role to play in advocating for trauma-informed, inclusive, and supportive adoption practices. This means engaging with modern legal systems, offering emotional and practical support to adoptive families, and avoiding stigma. It also means acknowledging the adoptee’s voice - recognising that adoption is not just a charitable act, but a lifelong experience that includes loss, identity exploration, and healing.

For families navigating adoption within a faith context, knowledge is key. Understanding how different religions approach adoption allows for more informed decisions and deeper empathy - both for the children being raised and the communities they grow into.

Ultimately, the goal is not to make adoption fit within religious frameworks, but to ensure that every adopted child grows up in an environment where they are loved, supported, and truly seen - for who they are, and who they may become.Faith and adoption: experiences across different religions