Live Action founder and president Lila Rose recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation. Bomberger spoke about his experience being adopted after being conceived in rape, his views on adoption, and his work today speaking and advocating for the preborn.
Bomberger began telling Rose his unique story; conceived in rape, his birth mother chose life rather than abortion. He was then adopted when he was six weeks old by loving parents who went on to raise 13 children in total.
“I am that exceptions case. When we talk about the issue of abortion, I am the one percent that’s used 100 percent of the time to justify abortion,” he explained. “It blows my mind to think that some people think that the circumstances of conception change the condition of our worth.”
He praised the love and generosity of his parents, saying that they dedicated their whole lives to caring for and loving their children, 10 of whom were adopted. Bomberger says his parents “shattered the myth of the unwanted child,” bringing in children from all ethnicities, abilities, and backgrounds.
He was never able to meet his birth mother and recently learned that she has passed away, but noted, “Her courageous decision is causing these beautiful reverberations that will last for generations, so I thank her for her courageous decision… triumph can rise from tragedy.”
As a mixed-race man working in the pro-life movement, Bomberger was frank about his views on adoption, foster care, and race. He spoke out against segregated adoption, which is the idea that white families shouldn’t adopt black or brown babies.
While many call this “white supremacy,” or say that white parents have a “savior complex” in adopting Black or brown children, Bomberger calls it a “false cry,” explaining that it is not better for Black children to be aborted or spend time in foster care rather than be adopted by a loving family.
“Adoption is an act of love, an act of rescue, an act of redemption,” he said. “The emphasis on color is so destructive.”
He also spoke against the oft-repeated claim that abortion is better than foster care, noting that he and most of his siblings were adopted from foster care. “We weren’t better off dead, we were better off loved,” he said.
Bomberger and Rose discussed the cultural battle facing society today and the problems with the ideology of “wokeness” — something Bomberger encounters frequently when he publicly shares his story. He said that narcissism has become the national religion, with so many in the culture becoming “me-focused” while they ignore the actual injustice and violence that occurs against the preborn. Bomberger said that in his work with the Radiance Foundation, he tries to “dismantle the tragedy” of the me-culture by trying to get others to understand the horrors of abortion, noting, “A culture that focuses on the sacrifice of others is not a strong culture, a strong society. Self-sacrifice is what elevates all of us.”
Bomberger recognizes that his story is unique and he is grateful that he has been able to use it to reach others. “Never underestimate how God can use your story, how God can use your vulnerability and your obedience,” he said, noting that even if his story impacts just one person, that’s a life and a mind changed. “That’s why it’s important for us when we have stories to tell, to tell them.”
Find out more about Bomberger and his work at Radiance.Life.
