Ambivalence of Culture and Religion to Child Adoption Among Infertile Pentecostal Christian Couples in the South East of Nigeria
Publication Date: 24/06/2020
Author(s): Dr. Chukwuma Emeka Godson, Obuna Johnson Akuma.
Volume/Issue: Volume 3 , Issue 3 (2020)
Abstract:
Among the Igbo people of South East Nigeria, the problem of infertility and childlessness is endemic and as Africans, the culture of the people provides that polygyny that enhances consanguinity must guide any remedial action poised towards solving childlessness or the lack of a particular gender of child. But they have imbibed the culture and religion of the colonizers which is Christianity that recommended child adoption for solving infertility and childlessness, among other options. This accounted for a confused infertile Igbo Christian who cannot adopt because his culture insists that a child that is not related by blood is a bastard and still, he cannot remarry another wife as recommended by his culture because Christianity does not approve of polygyny. The study tried to find out to what extent culture and religion can affect a childless Christian couple’s decision to adopt a child. The ABC-X family stress theory which holds that major family events like childlessness are stressors and disrupt family equilibrium but with the resources available to it, efforts are made to avert crisis. The study used the mixed method design which was both quantitative and qualitative. It was discovered that religion and culture were significant, indicating that they determine a couple’s decision on whether to adopt a child at the face of infertility and childlessness or not. The study recommended what Madu (2004) called traditionalization of Christian doctrines which entails the recognition of the right of others to hold views that are dear to them, their identity and self-reliance. By this, the Christianity preached among the Igbo will be liberal to allow those who wish to pursue African traditional means of solving infertility and childlessness through polygyny to do so without branding them sinners while those who wish to adopt perhaps because of their peculiar circumstance like physiological incapacitation, to freely do so and those whose faith can carry them can still exercise it for the realization of a birth child.
