Anne Reed
AFA Journal staff writer
January-February 2019 – Ryan Bomberger was conceived in the horrific violence of rape. Though adopted by a loving family, he received painful messages about his worth from a society that uses rape to justify abortion.
He is a loving husband and father of four, and founder and chief creative officer at the Radiance Foundation, an educational nonprofit with a vision to creatively affirm the value and purpose of every human life.
Bomberger radiates with unmistakable joy, compassion, and fearlessness. Take one look at his beaming smile, and it is hard to believe he once suffered from severe depression.
“God allowed me to experience the triumph of being adopted,” he told AFA Journal. “But I took myself through some rough journeys because of self-loathing and self-rejection. I believe a child feels a lot in the womb, things that are conveyed and experienced emotionally and psychologically. We already know the impact when someone sings or plays music to an unborn child.”
Wanted
Bomberger has grown to understand that even adults who grew up with biological parents often feel unwanted.
“It’s not just about the orphan or those who have been adopted,” he said. “Maybe some grew up in difficult situations. I grew up being loved like crazy, but it was still a struggle. In our humanity, we constantly doubt ourselves and God.
“But God is a father to the fatherless. He loves us. He knows our deepest wounds. He knows our biggest heartbreaks. He knows the addictions that have ruined so many lives and kept so many in bondage. He knows all that, and He still says, ‘Come to me, I love you.’ That is why God established adoption. It’s how we become part of His family – children of God
for eternity.”
Delivered
Bomberger was delivered from depression one day on his drive home from work. “I was listening to a song I had heard many times before, but something different happened. I was completely set free. My experience was supernatural and immediate. I never experienced depression again.”
After that experience, he became intentional about identifying lies that entered his mind, then separating them from truth.
“I couldn’t fight something if I didn’t know it existed,” he explained. “I really had to understand what it meant to hold every thought captive. We have to fight every lie individually and collectively – hold them like a POW! We need to disarm our thoughts and strip them down of anything that can be used to harm us.”
Separated
“I realize deeply and personally when you don’t value yourself, nothing matters” he explained. “As someone who is in the pro-life, pro-family movement, if I'm not fighting the lies on a personal level, I’m going to be diminished and become ineffective in this larger fight.
“Our culture has an aversion to truth. And that aversion has infected every facet of life and institution, including our churches. I think the biggest problem is that Christians constantly confuse what compassion is. They view capitulation as compassion.”
Now that Bomberger has learned to separate lies from truth, he has become passionate about illuminating the truth and equipping people to engage on culture-shifting issues.
His passion is expressed through creative ad campaigns, powerful multi-media presentations, fearless journalism, and compassionate community outreaches. The Radiance Foundation promotes peaceful and positive action in response to pressing societal issues.
“It is incumbent upon us,” said Bomberger, “to research, to know the facts and speak them.” 
Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong is a compilation of Bomberger’s bold, straightforward articles and visually stunning graphic designs intended to educate and equip readers to confidently discuss today’s most pressing social and human rights issues.
The Radiance Foundation
PO Box 1332
Purcellville, VA 20132
theradiancefoundation.org
[email protected]
877-517-4463
