Excerpts
This article contains excerpts from the September, 1955 issue of the "Woman's Home Companion," the articles titled, "The 'Children Waiting," written by the noted author Pearl S. 'Buck, and the June, 1956 issue of the same magazine, the article titled, "The Battle Over Children For Adoption," by Joseph H. Reid and Pearl S. Buck.
1. Do you believe there are no children to be adopted? Then read this report of American children held prisoner."
2. "The children without parents and the parents without children, pressing eagerly toward each other and yet unable to reach each other. A barrier stands between, a high wall, and in the middle of the wall is a narrow gate, kept locked until a social agency unlocks it a little way and lets one child through at a time. The trickle through this narrow gate is so slow that it scarcely reduces the number on either side."
3. "Caring for the orphans were some women in a religious uniform, it does not matter what religious group it was for I found out later that many groups are guilty of keeping children orphans, under the illusion that it is a GOOD WORK."
4. "There are many 'kinds of orphanages but the largest number belong to religious groups."
5. "True, it would be very difficult to close these orphanages, not because of the children but because of vested interests. What would the trustees do with all that money if they closed these orphanages? And to close them, would of course, put many people out of work."
6. "Children are not set free for adoption because of the hold of a church. There are churches whose members get a warm feeling of doing good when they think of the orphans fed and clothed by their donations. They seldom see these children but it is nice to think that they are there and they do not observe the look in their eyes, the orphan look. It is a sad look, yes, but worse than that, it is an empty look. Empty hearts send up that look into the eyes."
7. "A child is born a child, without consciousness of race or religion but he is very conscious of the need for love and understanding from the moment he appears upon this earth. To certain groups the child is primarily a property. I do not doubt that some persons sincerely believe that it is better for a child to be an orphan within their order or church than it is to find parents for that child in some other faith, but is sincerity enough?"
8. "Letter from a Pennsylvania physician. He writes: 'I discussed with the Commissioner of Health the shocking situation of 62,000 children institutionalized and separated from their parents here in our state. He felt that the major factor was a religious one and that, when one gets up against religious groups, it is impossible to operate."
What a condemnation of religious groups, they should see that they are denying the very spirit of true religion'." The following numbered quotations are from the June, 1956 issue of the "Woman's Home 'Companion," the previous eight excerpts from the September, 1955 issue.
9. "For when children grow up in institutions and transient boarding homes they grow up stunted in heart, if not in body."
10. "Or most likely of all, sad to say, the barrier may be an organized religious or other group which will not allow a child to be adopted by any except its own members, and if there is no member willing to adopt, the child is kept an orphan rather than freed to find adoption elsewhere."
11. "There are only about 10,000 true orphans in the whole of the U. S., a true orphan is a child whose parents are both dead and who is alone in the world. There are far more orphanages in our country, however, than are needed to shelter 10,000 children. True, these orphanages often have difficulty in keeping their beds filled. Their boards of trustees search diligently for children, nevertheless, for the aura of "GOOD WORKS" still lingers about an orphanage."
12. "No orphanage can give the child the individual family love and opportunity that he needs."
13. "Yes, a child is born free, surely this means too that he is not born the property of religion or of a church, they are not born with a theology, but there are many groups guilty of possessiveness especially in most religious groups.
14. "Let us set the children free." Pearl S. Buck has adopted several orphans herself, lest these institutionally minded brethren, all with one accord, begin to make excuse and falsely accuse.
Thus it is seen the tragedy of orphan homes, having no authority in the Book as a 'GOOD WORK and their existence as church supported institutions is contrary to human wisdom, common sense if you please.