Typical hate filled Christianity. These Christofascists need to be
dragged out into the street and hung from street lights.
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Christian Adoption Agency Rejects Roman Catholic Couples, Saying Faiths Are
in Conflict
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBNIPQ77BE.html
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A Christian adoption agency that receives money
from Choose Life license plate fees said it does not place children
with Roman Catholic couples because their religion conflicts with the
agency's "Statement of Faith."
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."
Sandy and Robert Steadman, who learned of Bethany's decision in a
July 8 letter, said their priest told them the faith statement did
not conflict with Catholic teaching.
Loria Williams of nearby Ridgeland said she and her husband, Wes,
had a similar experience when they started to pursue an adoption
in September 2004.
"I can't believe an agency that's nationwide would act like this,"
Loria Williams said. "There was an agency who was Christian-based
but wasn't willing to help people across the board."
Bethany, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has 75 offices in 30 states,
including three in Mississippi. The offices are independently incorporated
and are affiliated with various religions, spokesman John VanValkenburg
said from the agency headquarters. He couldn't say whether any
were Catholic-affiliated. The Jackson office is affiliated with
the Presbyterian Church of America, he said.
Glenn DeMots, president of Bethany, said on Friday that the policy
is open to interpretation. He said the national office does not ban
adoptions to Catholic families, but does allow each branch to
establish rules for the placement of children based on the
agency's "Statement of Faith."
Stewart told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that Bethany's board will
review its policy, but she didn't specify which aspects will be addressed.
The agency's Web site says all Bethany staff and adoptive
applicants personally agree with the faith statement,
which describes belief in the Christian Church and the Scripture.
It does not refer to any specific branches of Christianity.
"As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world,"
the statement says in part. "Jesus is the one in whom we are
called to put our hope, our only hope for forgiveness of
sin and for reconciliation with God and with one another."
Sandy Steadman said she was hurt and disappointed that Bethany
received funds from the Choose Life car license plates.
"I know of a lot of Catholics who get those tags," she said.
She added: "If it's OK to accept our money, it should be OK to open
your home to us as a family."
Bethany is one of 24 adoption and pregnancy counseling centers
in Mississippi that receives money from the sale of Choose Life tags,
a special plate that motorists can obtain with an extra fee.
Of $244,000 generated by the sale of the tags in 2004, Bethany
received $7,053, said Geraldine Gray, treasurer of Choose Life
Mississippi, which distributes the money.
"It is troubling to me if they are discriminating based on only
the Catholics," Gray said.
The Bethany spokesman, VanValkenburg, said the offices in Mississippi
do not receive any public money, but that some offices in other
states do, for example, because they are involved in foster care.
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