Posted on 07/15/2005 12:48:28 PM PDT by teacherwoes
JACKSON, Miss. - 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Look, mommy, the liberal media found a reason to get all faith based agencies a bad name!
I think the issue would be their acceptance of state money. If a sinle faith agency wanted to limit adoption to their own church members, I have no fault to find with that but accepting state money from license plate fees probably binds them to accept all applicants who otherwise qualify. IMHO
There's another thread on this. Check it out, it's getting good in there.
Hoping that this can be used for what it is, a good opportunity for discussion and reconcilliation.
I would agree the issue is acceptance of state money. One would suspect they are in violation of state anti-discrimantion laws.
My thoughts also about this post.
A lot to do about nothing.
"It has been our understanding that Catholicism does not agree with our Statement of Faith," Bethany's state director Karen Stewart wrote.
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."
No problem there. I can't get into their website to get the whole thing.
So deviants like Rosie ODonnell can adopt children but not a man and a woman with a foundation in God?
**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."**
Huh??????
**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.**
I want to know what their Statement of Faith is!
Look, kiddo, some zealot is using the liberal media to defend anti-Catholic bigotry!
I'm not a Catholic, but I believe Bethany's wrong. Its time for them to get out of the 17th century.
Here are parts their statements of faith that might contradict their teachings; followed by what Catholics believe.
#1) I believe that God, by His grace, provided redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ for all who repent and believe. As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world. 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.
Catholics believe in the Sacrament of Penance (often called Confession).
#2) I believe that in all matters of faith and life, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the final authority. The Scriptures point us with full reliability to Jesus, Gods Son. The Scriptures tell us that we receive forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus Christ, and that God provides salvation by grace alone for those who repent and believe.
Catholics believe that Scripture and Tradition are co-equal.
The point is that "their beliefs," refer to the beliefs taught by the Catholic Church.
If you believe in absolute Truth, then it makes sense to have someplace one can go to determine what that Truth is, in all cases. If you believe that you can determine, based on your own experience or your own reading of scripture, the Truth, then that "truth" is relative -- not absolute.
This is one of the basic causes of the reformation. Protestant sects continually come up with new interpretations of Scripture and tradition. Therefore, they have to keep changing their dogma. But traditional Catholics adhere to the beliefs of the Church as promulgated by the Pope, the magesterium and the Bible as interpreted by the Church.
Many Catholics are not aware of "Truth" in all cases, and so they have a source, based on 2000 years of study, reading of Scripture and thought to help guide them. I see no irony here, just a simple recognition that each individual cannot know everything innately, but must have a source for knowledge and information.
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