Christian Adoption Agency Nixes Catholics

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.

The Statenent of Faith from their website (sorry if already posted!):

I believe that the sovereign, triune God created the world out of nothing and sustains His creation. The heavens and earth are His handiwork. He made man and woman in His image and likeness as the crown of creation. All creation reflects His greatness and power. I believe that God created the family, giving Adam and Eve the responsibility to conceive, bear and nurture children. As the creator of life, God Himself begins each human life at conception and gives to each person, as His image bearer, meaning, dignity and value. I believe that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sought to be independent of Him. As a result of this Fall, all people are estranged from God and live in a world permeated by sin. 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. 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, God’s 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. I believe that forgiveness comes through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who was made flesh, took our place in death, rose from the dead, and is now in glory with the Father interceding and praying for His people. I believe that God, through His Spirit, lovingly calls, redeems and adopts us into His family, the Church and that, in gratitude for God’s saving love in Christ, we are called to live a life of faithfulness and obedience according to the scriptures. I believe that Jesus, through His Spirit, is presently directing God’s work of making all things new. I believe that the Christian Church, as the community of believers, has an obligation to protect, preserve, and enhance life as fully as possible for each person, born and unborn, from the beginning to the end of life. As Christians we are called to a life of faith into an ongoing ministry until that mission is completed by the coming of the Kingdom in its fullness. The Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill that calling. I, along with all followers of Christ, believe and wait expectantly for the triumphant return of Jesus Christ our King. At that time, I believe that Jesus Christ will gather us to Himself as one complete family and will, throughout eternity, fully enhance the lives of His children as citizens of His kingdom, sons and daughters in our Father’s house. As His children we long hopefully for that day to appear and we face that day without fear, for the Judge is our Savior and Lord. To Him be the glory. Approved: September 15, 1987 Bethany Christian Services National Board Revised & Approved: July 15, 2003 Bethany Christian Services National Board Revised & Approved: January 18, 2005 Bethany Christian Services National Board

I don't see what the problem is. The only possible issue I can see is salvation by grace. I'm a non-denominational Christain, but do Catholics beleive this? Someone help me here!

Source: http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/FAF8F0A9A73CA87D85256E3C006815D9

Something about him doesn't sit quite right with me, however.

In addition to his troubles with the IRS and numerous fraud investigations, he also has given three or four radically different accounts of his own testimony.

I have never heard him preach heresy or anything unbiblical, but it's just a gut reaction.

There are two things about Hinn that strike me as doctrinally surprising, both from my own Catholic perspective and from what I would consider a typical Protestant perspective:

(1) His claim that he was spiritually anointed by touching the grave of Aimee Semple McPherson and his further claim that he returns to that grave regularly to be reanointed. Even Catholics, who believe that saints' relics are holy, would find this a strange claim.

(2) His repeated claims that "whatever you pray for, God will give it to you" - whereas most Christians believe that God will give us what is good for us, not necessarily what we want at any given moment.

(3) His statement that "the Word has become flesh in me. I am not part of Him, I am Him!" and similar comments.

(4) His continual claiming of the ability to predict the future and his completely failed predictions.

(5) When he was criticized by other evangelical ministers he said "I wish He would give me a Holy Ghost machine gun to blow their heads off." When questioned about it later he said "I meant blow their heads off with the truth."

In the past few years he's toned down his language quite a bit and is trying to keep a lower and less controversial profile during the ongoing investigation.

Catholics will continue to be criticized as long as 'Catholicism' is bigger than Jesus. I know many saved and sanctified Catholics that think;

Mary is the Co-Redemptrix with Christ
The Sacraments are a vital part of salvation
Mary is prayed to, therefore worshipped.
(what you pray to, you worship, don't argue that with me, I won't accept it)
Priestly misconduct, celebacy is a church issue and not a church-body issue etc.
The sactification of humans as saints that are once again prayed to.

There are clearly cultish elements of every religion. This is why Yeshua, Jesus, our Messiah had no religion in mind. He came to save the world, not establish denominations.

SO, while not agreeing with the adoption center, I don't agree that Catholics are Christians the way spirit filled non-denominationalists are. They don't even know their own faith or history to understand the position. They only get angry and insulted instead of seeking out why some feel that way. Perhaps if more were truly interested in a relationship, they would intuitively understand that Religion cannot replace Relationship.

I was raised Catholic, so don't jump me for my views. I actually found the truth and salvation. I love my Catholic friends, and pray that they find the inner truth that only lies in Yeshua Ha Messiach.

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