Christian Adoption Agency Nixes Catholics

AP ^ | 07/15/05

[nypokerface]

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."

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 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."

The agency is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and has offices in 30 states, including three in Mississippi. Its Web site does not refer to any specific branch of Christianity.

Stewart told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that the board will review its policy, but she didn't specify which aspects will be addressed.

The 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.

"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.

[InterestedQuestioner]

well said.

[Marysecretary]

IQ, I don't really think he hates Catholics. He may be against the teachings of the church but I doubt very much that he HATES anyone. He just wants catholics to understand what scripture is saying about salvation because he loves catholics enough to want to see them saved. That's all.

[InterestedQuestioner]

MarySecretary,

Thanks for your kind note, you know I respect you. We Catholics read the bible just fine, and what we have is a disagreement regarding what the bible means, not a disregard for scripture. There are 30,000 groups that claim to be based on the bible, and they disagree on a very large number of issues. The point it, Mary, it's possible for reasonable people to read the bible differently.

Race has gone far out of his way to post distortions and disinformation about the Catholic faith. His mistakes have been pointed out to him by a large number of very patient Catholics, and yet he continues to do it. Although he's very eager to attack Catholicism by painting a silly and distorted picture of it, he has simply been unwilling to listen to what Catholics have to say. Mary, when this many people tell someone that he's making a mistake, it's reasonable to expect him to re-consinsider his views. He has also said that Catholics are not Christians, that they worship a false Jesus (!) and re-write scripture. How would you feel as a Christian if someone told you that you worship a false God and are going to hell because you don't agree with what he reads into the Bible? As far as I'm concerned, MarySecretary, he can save his story about not hating Catholics for some Klansman. What he's doing is inappropriate, MarySecretary, and he needs to be told that he can feel free to knock it off at any time.

As for his views actually existing in the Bible, I'm perfectly willing to consider that, but need him to put his theory about salvation into writing so that I can compare it with the Bible. He has passed judgment on Catholics, and seems to claim that it's his understanding of salvation that qualifies him to do that. If so, it's reasonable for him to post his theory about salvation. So far, he has refused to do that.

Given that his views about Catholicism have long since left reality behind and contain many self-contradictions, I'm wondering if he can actually post a coherent theory about salvation that could be reconciled with scripture. I'm eagerly awaiting for brother Race to prove me wrong on that account, as a concise, coherent and complete description of his theory about salvation could create the opportunity to find common ground. It should also take him all of three minutes to type up, so I'm certainly not asking for something extravagant.

I too would like to see this situation resolved Marysecretary, but tolerating inappropriate behavior is not going to accomplish that.

[jw777]

"As a Christian, and FORMER Catholic..."

Thank you for making my point, yet again. You have made the distinction yourself, quite ironically.

[Jaded]

Didja miss this part?

Though I changed my affiliatian, there is no difference in my belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. This is true of all Catholics and only ignorant bigots think otherwise.

[Conservative til I die]

Entire families were baptized. Now I know this is really difficult logic, but since there were presumably many families, some would include children. Or are you implying that a family is only all those over the age of 18, or that there was not one Christian family that had children under the age of reason?

[Conservative til I die]

Whereby we get the name "CHRISTIAN" adoption agency. Not Catholic,

Hey bub, it was our religion first. Christ created it and we carried the ball from there with his blessing. We wrote the Bible, canonized it, and guarded it. You're just some Johnny Come Lately who cribbed our Book and decided to reinvent the wheel. Badly, might I add.

[InterestedQuestioner]

Hey bub, it was our religion first. Christ created it and we carried the ball from there with his blessing. We wrote the Bible, canonized it, and guarded it. You're just some Johnny Come Lately who cribbed our Book and decided to reinvent the wheel. Badly, might I add.

LOL. Well, there you have it in a nutshell.

[RaceBannon]

I know that, but not originally, and not with John the Baptist.

Infant Baptism was originally a pagan practice, not a Christian one.

And when people went back to the Bible, and then got re-baptised as adults, a new name was born for those who got re-baptised, ANA-BAPTISTS.

[jw777]

you all keep saying it is the same religion, so why are you arguing that it is not? i have never argued it is not. i have only argued the "names" given to the various denominations.

if you have a Cadillac Escalade, you have a GM vehichle. However, no one refers to it as the GM Escalade. It's all branding, my friend.

And who is "WE" in reference to the authors of the Bible? Certainly not "you".

[Asphalt]

No, not all of them anyways. At least not in the way that I would define a Christian

[Asphalt]

Are you suggesting all Catholics are Christians?

If so I suggest you do some reading up on things

[Asphalt]

Um, just because Catholocism and Christianity have the same roots does not make the same. You are ignorant if you think so

[Asphalt]

considering that protestants broke from the catholic church and thus got their name portestants, that is probably one of the dumbest things i have seen somone post on FR.

Considering that the reason Protestants broke off from the Catholic church was because they did not agree with their fundamental beliefs, I would say Catholocism is no closer to Christianity than Mormanism. I wonder if you are a troll... For future reference, someone posting something that you find ignorant does not mean they are a troll.

[Asphalt]

You're kdding, right? The Bible teaches against homosexuality, etc. If someone is pro-abortion pro gay marriage and believes euthenasia should be legalized, then I would question their faith.

[Asphalt]

you have it wrong. The Christian one is within the catholic one. At least in my book. Some catholics are what I would call Christians, but ceratainly not all

[Asphalt]

Not necessarily sorcery, but certainly a missunderstanding or missrepresentation

[Asphalt]

Because it didn't "start Christianity"

[Asphalt]

are either ignorant, arrogant, or both.

Or right

[Asphalt]

It would seem you and I agree.