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
Unfortunately, I think you are right.
Totalitarianism.
Interesting though, how high a percentage of foster parents are Christian. (Or indeed, any other socially important and yet thankless task)
If they drive all the Christians out, who is going to be left to do this important work? Most of todays secular society are far too selfish.
Nothing wrong with compromise, as long as it is not based on illusion...
Don’t forget the thread about Norwegien air-headed “experts” . . . exspurts indeed . . .
advocating kindergarteners dancing nude and masturbating . . . but not coercing one another into anything “the individual” didn’t want to do . . . and not doing sex things during lunch.
Sheesh.
I can imagine the outrage of the Islamo-Nazi community if the authorities try to place a Muslim child with a Gay couple.
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Hmmmm . . . I wonder if we could stage a media event . . . where all the traitorous idiots in the U.S. SENATE and house en masse tried to bodily do so with a leading Muslim’s son . . . perhaps in Detroit?
Might be a way to facilitate some special elections . . .
Forcing foster parents to sign this agreement is simply their way of making sure that Christians will not be raising these kids and will be forever excluded from the system. God help these children in the homes that are left to them.
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Francis Schaeffer sp? spoke of training his kids to be rebels . . . Orthodox Christians . . . rebels against the growing tide of evil . . . INDEED . . . a task all parents need to be diligently about with great Holy Spirit wisdom.
I wouldn’t 2nd guess parents feeling compelled to stick to orthodox Christian beliefs and telling the system to go fly a kite.
I’m not per se in favor of significant compromise with evil. Never turns out well.
There may be occasions when one has to choose the lesser evil . . . to do some good. But I think Holy Spirit has to be the one advising such exceptions . . . not whims of man.
Evidently you have little understanding of the ruthless deadly fascism etc. looming in the wings . . .
I suggest a crash course in globalism and their less known goals.
I’m still wondering why the clash between the queers and the towelheads hasn’t happened yet. What’s the delay? My popcorn is getting stale.
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The puppet masters are pulling the strings of both. Probably have deftly prevented it or ordered it not to happen . . . or merely from a satanic demonic control perspective . . . prevent it . . . given his leadership of both groups.
That does not exist in the little minds of these social re-engineers. Sounds to me like it might be time for people with strong Christian values and beliefs to look for a more tolerant place to live.
Scratch a liberal and under his thin skin is a hard core socialist. Dig a little deeper and you will find the Marxist nuclear fuel rod that drives everything he says and does.
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Scratch a little deeper and you’ll find every cell and fiber of the nuclear fuel rod constructed in satan’s workshops in hell.
Satanism . . . literal, genuine satanism is at the root of all such.
Stay tuned . . . the world gets the chance to worship the dark lord . . . and bear his CHIP IMPLANT . . . or die.
The globalists have been planning it for decades.
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
INDEED. QUITE SO.
If they drive all the Christians out, who is going to be left to do this important work? Most of todays secular society are far too selfish.
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Haven’t you heard. Families are passe. They are to be phased out. Babies in test tubes . . . The hybrids are showing the way . . .
What a Brave New Age awaits . . .
the lobotomized, chipped, monitored, brain-washed, brain-controlled automatons.
With the shortage of foster parents and the number of unfit ones out there, that they would do something like this is sick. The system is the one that is unfit, not the foster parents.
That does not exist in the little minds of these social re-engineers. Sounds to me like it might be time for people with strong Christian values and beliefs to look for a more tolerant place to live.
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The globalists have installed the same ethos AROUND THE WORLD . . . as in . . .
GLOBALLY.
The Anti-Christ will be given the rule over every tribe for a season . . .
We must stay steadfast and remain true to our Christian values no matter the costs, and no matter where we live.
Would this be a part of Hitlery Healthcare if implimented?
We must stay steadfast and remain true to our Christian values no matter the costs, and no matter where we live.
= = =
INDEED!
OH, LORD, PLEASE CONFORM ME TO YOUR IMAGE, ASAP . . . BY YOUR SPIRIT AND GRACE . . . bring me to a place where I Love what You Love, Oh, Lord and hate what You hate. Make me sensitive AND OBEDIENT to your still small voice, Oh, Lord, according to Your Word.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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