Stories like this are a little too common:
In Illinois, the adoption agency run by Catholic Charities in the diocese of Peoria (headed by notorious homophobe Bishop John Paprocki) was turning down gay couples as prospective parents. Interestingly enough, this only became an issue for the Church when same-sex marriage was looming on the horizon.* The governor cut off their funding and the attorney general threatened to revoke their license. Ditto with two other dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Chicago. They got out of the adoption business, and their caseload was immediately picked up by other agencies, including one run by the Lutheran Church.
In Illinois, it was a matter of violating state anti-discrimination laws, which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status. I don't know about anti-discrimination statutes in Pennsylvania, but someone brought up a fairly interesting issue:
Can you say "Establishment Clause violation"?
Another day in the sad story of those poor, persecuted "Christians". I'm waiting for Liberty Counsel to jump right on it.
* Interestingly enough, as I recall Catholic Charities was originally founded as an organization under the Church's auspices but as a separate legal entity to avoid church/state conflicts. Strangely enough, when states started legalizing same-sex marriage, it became a "religious organization."
Two Christian adoption agencies in Philadelphia are under attack – and under review – after being caught with policies refusing same-sex couples and LGBT people from adopting children in their care. In the last year alone the City of Philadelphia has paid them a total of $3 million to care for the children in need of loving homes. Those payments are now on hold and an investigation into both agencies is underway.
Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Social Services are both refusing to alter their policies, insisting same-sex marriage is not in keeping with their religious beliefs, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
In Illinois, the adoption agency run by Catholic Charities in the diocese of Peoria (headed by notorious homophobe Bishop John Paprocki) was turning down gay couples as prospective parents. Interestingly enough, this only became an issue for the Church when same-sex marriage was looming on the horizon.* The governor cut off their funding and the attorney general threatened to revoke their license. Ditto with two other dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Chicago. They got out of the adoption business, and their caseload was immediately picked up by other agencies, including one run by the Lutheran Church.
In Illinois, it was a matter of violating state anti-discrimination laws, which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and marital status. I don't know about anti-discrimination statutes in Pennsylvania, but someone brought up a fairly interesting issue:
Mary Catherine Roper, the Pennsylvania's ACLU's deputy legal director also says giving taxpayer funds to agencies refusing LGBT parents might be unconstitutional.
“A government doesn’t get to use a contractor to implement religious programs and when you start saying, ‘We’re running this as a religious program such that we won’t take you because you don’t fit our religious view,’ then the city is paying for a religious program, and that’s a problem under the First Amendment.”
Can you say "Establishment Clause violation"?
Another day in the sad story of those poor, persecuted "Christians". I'm waiting for Liberty Counsel to jump right on it.
* Interestingly enough, as I recall Catholic Charities was originally founded as an organization under the Church's auspices but as a separate legal entity to avoid church/state conflicts. Strangely enough, when states started legalizing same-sex marriage, it became a "religious organization."
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