Conceived in rape, adopted on Juneteenth

Ryan Bomberger narrowly escaped abortion after being conceived in rape. After being adopted on Juneteenth, he speaks out against the abortion industry targeting unborn Black babies.

Juneteenth, short for June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. For Ryan Bomberger, he also remembers the day his life changed through adoption.

Bomberger was conceived in rape. Even in states with strong protections for the unborn, these protections often don’t extend to children conceived in rape. Some consider these exceptions a mercy to women who have suffered assault; others consider abortion a secondary trauma.

“My birth mom chose courage in the midst of the chaos,” Bomberger told EWTN News. “She had a strength within that enabled her to be stronger than her circumstances.”

“She rejected what the world says was her right and, in some circles, her obligation,” Bomberger said. “The world looks at lives like mine and says we should have been aborted.”

“I have nothing but love and compassion for the post-abortive, but had my birth mom given in to the lie, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Those beautiful generational reverberations wouldn’t exist.”

“My family — my heart — wouldnʼt exist,” he said.

As an adult, Bomberger advocates for unborn babies and for adoption through the organization he co-founded with his wife, the Radiance Foundation.

Adopted into a diverse, loving family

After nearly being aborted, Bomberger was adopted into a large and loving family on June 19, 1971.

“I was the first of 10 children adopted and loved by parents who loved Jesus. They had three biological children prior to adopting,” he said. “We were a diverse family of white, Black, mixed, Asian, Native American, able, and disabled children from different backgrounds who became one family because of our faith.”

“We grew up on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — the perfect place for all of us as we did life together,” Bomberger said. “People often looked at us, confused, trying to figure out whether we were a youth group, a team from school, or some other kind of unrelated crowd of kids. It was fun to see some of their reactions when they learned that we were all Bombergers.”

“Our family served as a powerful testament to the community about how color isn’t what binds us, but love is,” he said.

“I knew I was loved, unconditionally,” Bomberger said. “And I was a complete handful.”

Bomberger’s experience of adoption inspired him to advocate for adoption in his work — and to adopt two children.

Bomberger advocates for adoption through AdoptedAndLoved.com, an initiative that “helps defray expenses for Christian families seeking to adopt,” Bomberger said.

“I was grafted in as one of their own,” he said of the Bombergers. “That’s the beauty of adoption.”

“In the natural and the supernatural, it makes you a son or daughter without a disclaimer,” he continued. “It’s an act of love, mercy, and justice that helps brings wholeness and healing to what was broken.”

Juneteenth: Self-sacrificial love

For Bomberger, Juneteenth is a reminder of the unity of Christ’s love.

“Juneteenth broke through color barriers both in our nation’s history and in my own personal life,” Bomberger said. “Both situations took courageous white and Black people rejecting the lies about our humanity and choosing self-sacrificial love instead.”

“Juneteenth is a great reminder that there’s beauty in unity,” he said. “Only Christ’s love brings perfect unity.”

Bomberger advocates especially those targeted by Planned Parenthood, which often places locations in Black communities and has a history of eugenics and racism.

“Juneteenth demonstrates how truth has to get over so many obstacles to be finally heard and bring the freedom that is its very nature,” Bomberger said. “Our nation’s soul was finally moved by the truth that we’re created equal and led to the abolition of the inhumane institution of slavery.”

“My prayer is that the work I do helps bring this great nation to that same awakening when it comes to the inhumane institution of abortion,” he said.

How is the Black community targeted by the abortion industry?

Bomberger advocates against the abortions of all unborn babies, but especially Black babies.

He described Planned Parenthood as “the leading killer of Black lives.”

“Planned Parenthood kills more Black lives in two weeks than the KKK killed in a century,” Bomberger said.

Bomberger noted that Planned Parenthood has a past history of racism.

“Planned Parenthood has a long history of targeting the Black community initially through its eugenics programs including the Negro Project,” Bomberger said.

“Presently, it overtly targets the Black community with their facility placements, racial propaganda, marketing, and specific programs (i.e., Black Organizing Program, African-Americans for Planned Parenthood, and Stand with Black Women),” he said.

“They even admit in writing: ‘The fact is — Black people are our base,’” Bomberger continued.

“Planned Parenthood poses as an ally in a community they ravage with abortion,” he said.

Motivated by faith in Christ

Bomberger is inspired by his faith, his family, and love for all people.

“My faith in Jesus fuels my activism,” he said. “My resilient and resourceful wife, Bethany, who is the co-founder of our organization, inspires me.”

“1 Corinthians 13:6 says: ‘Love does not delight in evil, but it rejoices in the truth,’” he said.

“Everything I do is motivated by love for Christ and love for people,” he said.

“Our four children, two of whom were adopted, are the reason why we fight for the most marginalized,” he said. “They’ve been involved in our ministry since they were toddlers.”

His organization publishes children’s books that teach “an age-appropriate pro-life worldview” for kids.

“Each book shares the truth that every human life, whether planned, unplanned, able, or disabled, has God-given purpose.”

“We’ve taught them that every human life has equal and inherent worth from God, not government,” he said. “It’s been a blessing to see them, over the years, be able to communicate God’s heart for the most vulnerable through our original content and to live audiences across the country.”