Fourth Commandment for adoptees

[PazzoGrande]

Is an adoptee obliged to honor his or her birth parents?

 

[adamhovey1988]

I would imagine you are to hounour in some way every authority figure. That said, if you’re the result of a closed adoption, and you don’t know whom your biological parents are, how would you honour them? I would say, if nothing else, an adopted person should at least pray for their birth parents

 

[mikeghiorso]

We asked, and helped, our 4 adopted children pray for their birth parents. We asked them to give thanks that they were allowed to be born (given the horrible option many take). And, as my children grew, they understood this more and more.

 

[Beryllos]

Is an adoptee obliged to honor his or her birth parents?

Yes. However obedience may not be required if it goes against obedience to the adoptive parents. I don’t know if this has ever come up, but I should think the parents who are responsible for the child have more authority than the birth parents.

 

[BornInMarch]

I guess it depends on circumstances.

If a child was adopted because their biological parents didn’t want children yet were unwilling to procure an abortion, then the child should honor his biological parents for giving him an opportunity at life.

On the other hand, if a child was adopted because CPS took him away from his biological parents because they were abusive/neglectful/reckless, then they were never true parents and thus deserve no honor.

 

[Convert_in_99]

I would safely say that there is always an obligation to remember them in prayer. More than that depends on your age, whether you had an open or closed adoption, how your adoptive parents feel about it, etc.