This is disappointing, but we cannot expect people to agree with us on
every detail even if they agree on many of the really important issues.

You think the Catholics may follow the Presbyterians and Anglicans
to disinvest in Israel?

BlackWater <bw@barrk.net> wrote in
news:28lhd1lm8u75e28tk1fvk25djddm92dmld@4ax.com:

Managing the disposition of children requires State
authority at some point ... and, given that, they
should be expected to abide by the same rules the
State must abide on religious discrimination and/or
preference.

I'm pretty much a libertarian when it comes to government funding of most
anything, so I'm principlely against funding adoption agencies on that
ground.

However, if the state IS going to partially or wholely fund
social services, it should do it without respect to the religious views
of the organization, but the good or bad results they produce. Placing a
child with a Christian family is obviously central to what this agency
does, and I'm sure they'd tell you that that adds to the physical as well
as spiritual well-being of the child.

State authorities need to make
sure the children aren't being placed into abusive homes, but they should
be extremely deferential to how the religious views of the organization
affect their mission work.

I obviously think it's wrong-headed on the
adoption agency's part, but the persuasion should be among private
individuals, not by coersion of the state.

This seems a fairly clear violation of
the 'establishment' clause.

I have to disagree, since there's clearly no religion being established
by the federal or state government.

Protestants allowed to adopt Catholic babies in Italy,
Spain or other Catholic countries? No? How about
Christians adopting Jewish babies at Jewish orphanages?
NO?? So, why is it an issue that Protestants don't want
theirs taken to another faith.

This is after, all a
Protestant majority country (which you would never guess
by looking at the media and Hollywood)...

BlackWater wrote:

"spartakus@my-deja.com" <spartakus@my-deja.com> wrote:

In Mississippi, an adoption agency that accepts funds from the state

from fees for "Choose Life" license plates is discriminating against

Catholic couples who want to adopt:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071501091.html

"Bethany Christian Services stated the policy in
a letter to a Jackson couple this month, and
another Mississippi couple said they were
rejected for the same reason last year.

"'It has been our understanding that Catholicism
does not agree with our Statement of Faith,'
Bethany's state director Karen Stewart wrote.
'Our practice to not accept applications from
Catholics was an effort to be good stewards of
an adoptive applicant's time, money and
emotional energy.'

I guess it's only a matter of time before the marriage of convenience
between conservative Catholics and evangelical fundies breaks down.

Looks like it already has.

Managing the disposition of children requires State
authority at some point ... and, given that, they
should be expected to abide by the same rules the
State must abide on religious discrimination and/or
preference. This seems a fairly clear violation of
the 'establishment' clause. I'm not especially fond
of that clause, I'm willing to give quite a bit of
slack to the religious, but such blantant deference
of one religion and sub-religion is just too much - a
clear violation.

Protestants

Spain or other Catholic countries? No? How about
Christians adopting Jewish babies at Jewish orphanages?
NO?? So, why is it an issue that Protestants don't want
theirs taken to another faith. This is after, all a
Protestant majority country (which you would never guess
by looking at the media and Hollywood)...

BlackWater wrote:

"spartakus@my-deja.com" <spartakus@my-deja.com> wrote:

In Mississippi, an adoption agency that accepts funds from the state

from fees for "Choose Life" license plates is discriminating against

Catholic couples who want to adopt:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/15/AR2005071501091.html

"Bethany Christian Services stated the policy in
a letter to a Jackson couple this month, and
another Mississippi couple said they were
rejected for the same reason last year.

"'It has been our understanding that Catholicism
does not agree with our Statement of Faith,'
Bethany's state director Karen Stewart wrote.
'Our practice to not accept applications from
Catholics was an effort to be good stewards of
an adoptive applicant's time, money and
emotional energy.'

I guess it's only a matter of time before the marriage of convenience
between conservative Catholics and evangelical fundies breaks down.

Looks like it already has.

Managing the disposition of children requires State
authority at some point ... and, given that, they
should be expected to abide by the same rules the
State must abide on religious discrimination and/or
preference. This seems a fairly clear violation of
the 'establishment' clause. I'm not especially fond
of that clause, I'm willing to give quite a bit of
slack to the religious, but such blantant deference
of one religion and sub-religion is just too much - a
clear violation.

Protestants allowed to adopt Catholic babies in Italy,
Spain or other Catholic countries? No? How about
Christians adopting Jewish babies at Jewish orphanages?
NO?? So, why is it an issue that Protestants don't want
theirs taken to another faith. This is after, all a
Protestant majority country (which you would never guess
by looking at the media and Hollywood)...

Protestants allowed to adopt Catholic babies in Italy,
Spain or other Catholic countries? No?

How about Christians adopting Jewish babies at Jewish
orphanages? NO??

So, why is it an issue that Protestants don't want
theirs taken to another faith. This is after, all a
Protestant majority country (which you would never guess
by looking at the media and Hollywood)...

BlackWater wrote:

"spartakus@my-deja.com" <spartakus@my-deja.com> wrote:

In Mississippi, an adoption agency that accepts funds from the state
from fees for "Choose Life" license plates is discriminating against
Catholic couples who want to adopt:

"Bethany Christian Services stated the policy in
a letter to a Jackson couple this month, and
another Mississippi couple said they were
rejected for the same reason last year.

"'It has been our understanding that Catholicism
does not agree with our Statement of Faith,'
Bethany's state director Karen Stewart wrote.
'Our practice to not accept applications from
Catholics was an effort to be good stewards of
an adoptive applicant's time, money and
emotional energy.'

I guess it's only a matter of time before the marriage of convenience
between conservative Catholics and evangelical fundies breaks down.

Looks like it already has.

Managing the disposition of children requires State
authority at some point ... and, given that, they
should be expected to abide by the same rules the
State must abide on religious discrimination and/or
preference. This seems a fairly clear violation of
the 'establishment' clause. I'm not especially fond
of that clause, I'm willing to give quite a bit of
slack to the religious, but such blantant deference
of one religion and sub-religion is just too much - a
clear violation.