Posted on 10/23/2007 9:32:53 PM PDT by Def Conservative
Foster child to be taken away because Christian couple refuse to teach him about homosexuality By JAMES MILLS
They are devoted foster parents with an unblemished record of caring for almost 30 vulnerable children.
But Vincent and Pauline Matherick will this week have their latest foster son taken away because they have refused to sign new sexual equality regulations.
To do so, they claim, would force them to promote homosexuality and go against their Christian faith.
The 11-year-old boy, who has been in their care for two years, will be placed in a council hostel this week and the Mathericks will no longer be given children to look after.
The devastated couple, who have three grown up children of their own, became foster parents in 2001 and have since cared for 28 children at their home in Chard, Somerset.
Earlier this year, Somerset County Council's social services department asked them to sign a contract to implement Labour's new Sexual Orientation Regulations, part of the Equality Act 2006, which make discrimination on the grounds of sexuality illegal.
Officials told the couple that under the regulations they would be required to discuss same-sex relationships with children as young as 11 and tell them that gay partnerships were just as acceptable as heterosexual marriages.
They could also be required to take teenagers to gay association meetings.
When the Mathericks objected, they were told they would be taken off the register of foster parents.
The Mathericks have decided to resign rather than face the humiliation of being expelled.
Mr Matherick, a 65-year-old retired travel agent and a primary school governor, said: "I simply could not agree to do it because it is against my central beliefs.
"We have never discriminated against anybody but I cannot preach the benefits of homosexuality when I believe it is against the word of God."
Mrs Matherick, 61, said they had asked if they could continue looking after their foster son until he is found a permanent home, but officials refused and he will be placed in a council hostel on Friday.
She said: "He was very upset to begin with. We are all very close, but he's a mature young man and he's dealing with it."
The couple, who have six grandchildren and one greatgrandchild, are both ministers at the nonconformist South Chard Christian Church.
When they first started fostering they took in young single mothers and their babies.
More recently they have been caring for children of primary school age.
Mr Matherick added: "It's terrible that we've been forced into this corner. It just should not happen.
"There are not enough foster carers around anyway without these rules.
"They were saying that we had to be prepared to talk about sexuality with 11-year-olds, which I don't think is appropriate anyway, but not only that, to be prepared to explain how gay people date.
"They said we would even have to take a teenager to gay association meetings.
"How can I do that when it's totally against what I believe?"
Religious campaigners say the couple are the latest victims of an equality drive which puts gay rights above religious beliefs.
Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have complained that the rules force them to overturn long-held beliefs.
The Mathericks are planning to fight their case in the courts with the backing of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship.
The same organisation is backing Christian magistrate Andrew McClintock who resigned from the family courts in a row over gay adoption.
He says he was forced to resign because he was not allowed to opt out of cases where he might have to send a child to live with gay parents.
{R}
The Mathericks' case comes at a time when there is a chronic shortage of foster parents, who work on a voluntary basis.
An extra 8,000 are needed to plug the gaps in the service.
Researchers have found that continually moving children from home to home can have a devastating impact on their education and general welfare.
But a report last year revealed that the shortage of carers meant that some children in care are being forced to move up to three times a year.
David Taylor, Somerset County Council's corporate director for children and young people, said: "No decision has been made about the deregistration of Mr and Mrs Matherick.
"The council is committed to promoting the interests of children and young people and welcomes foster carers from all backgrounds and faiths."
Find this story at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=489285&in_page_id=1770 ©2007 Associated Ne
Would this be a part of Hitlery Healthcare if implimented?
= = =
Perhaps some editing of the question will reveal the answer . . .
Would this be a part of
her unroyal lowness, her hideous heinous—lesbo Shrillery Antoinette de Fosterizer, de Dillbo enabler [in more ways than one], de Marx de Machiavelli, de Stalin, de Lenin, de Pol Pot de Arafart, de Manchurian Mama, de cold steely heart, de Camp David lesbian orgies, de RTTM [Ruthless To The Max] . . . ‘s SHRILLERY “CARE?”
The Daily Outrage from the UK.
I’m starting to understand the concept of “martyr” from a Christian perspective.
They do both have the same goal; the destruction of Western society.
True. My own personal "end times" will come when I run out of ammunition.
They do both have the same goal; the destruction of Western society.
= = =
Yup.
The puppet masters are themselves super deluded and deceived. They think satan wants to help them create a new world order, a new age . . . a la THE WATCHERS/fallen angels etc. . . . the hoax has been millenia in the preperataions.
They don’t realize that satan’s primary goal is to trash into hell as many of God’s favorite creation—individual humans—as possible . . . the puppet masters will be exceedingly disappointed to discover their eternal abode.
I think there is a similar rule pertaining to foster children here in California - surprised?
Someone must have complained - and my post has been removed...
Once again - PC compliance with societal suicide has raised its ugly head in FreeRepublic...
Another example of a civilization being destroyed by becoming overly "civilized"...
When barbarians, perverts, diseased and criminals are not addressed, they multiply and overwhelm society....
Perhaps.
The Jihadi’s are not.
I replied to your post 46. I just checked and it’s still there.
You’re right...
I was backtracking through a couple of posts on that article to see what your friend at NIH agreed with —— all the way to my post #31, which was removed....
The left is disgusting.
“The Mathericks are planning to fight their case in the courts with the backing of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship.”
Good for them in fighting this egregious usurpation of rights of conscience.
“What about tolerance of beliefs?”
The Gay Agenda has moved on from tolerance, to enforced acceptance. Who knows what’s next.
That’s the conclusion good German’s came to during WWII.
The couple could have just signed the paper. So what. Teach the child Christianity anyway.
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16
I think the Anglican church
is breeding homosexuals . . .
a little tricky but quite doable with neutered fathers and role models from hell.
Amen. As an FYI, my niece should be leaving Iraq within days from now. My son will follow shortly after within the next two weeks
What in the heck is this world coming to?
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