Now who's being naive?
Posted on 07/15/2005 11:29:25 AM PDT by 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.
Now who's being naive?
Good thing I was done drinking my cup of coffee or my computer screen would have been splashed with java!
Down, boy.
;-)
Ping.
That is an ignorant statement.
I see. So non-Catholic Christians are not normal people.
Venal "name it and claim it" individuals who tell me I have no relationship with my Lord and Savior do tend get under my skin, though.
Like I said, you have a lot of anger.
then why isn't it called the Catholic Adoption agency. That's my only point you tolerant and diverse people LOL
Banner day in FR, huh?
Last I checked, Catholic Charities helps all of God's children, not just some, like this outfit.
Why can't we all just get along? I heard that somewhere.
Cultural Diversity StatementBethany believes that ethnic and cultural diversity is taught and commanded by God and that as Christians, we have a responsibility to reach out to each other across racial, cultural, and ethnic boundaries, to further his Kingdom.
In addition, we believe that cultural diversity and cultural competence within our staff and boards are strengths that protects children, empower individuals to grow, and helps Bethany achieve excellence.
Our Commitments
Bethany will openly support and hold each other accountable for adhering to these principals:
- Bethany will serve children and families, regardless of their cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
- Bethany will expand the knowledge of its board members, staff, and clients regarding cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity.
- Bethany will recruit board members and hire staff who affirm the value and equality of individuals from all cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.
- Bethany will be culturally and racially diverse and sensitive in all its forms of communication, both internal and external.
I'm having a difficult time finding the part that is supposedly contradicted by Catholicism.
Well, some of us are "heretics," you see..........
The Catholic Church started Christianity. How is it not "Christian."
I have personal reasons to know that this is not Bethany's national policy. The director mentioned in the staory is a local director in that area, and they are given a lot of leway in how they run their branches. I think she's gonna get slapped after this hits the fan.
The Betahny office here adopts out to all Christians, I personally know Catholics who have adopted from them, multiple times.
So, in other words, they're fishing for converts by exploiting children whose parents don't want them, or are dead?
I am not crazy about their Statement of Faith, in that they put reconciliation with one another right next to reconciliation with God. Frankly, do my mind, it is possible to reconcile with one another outside of the action of Christ, albeit more difficult. No way this should be placed next to the central place of reconciliation with God.
But since it is their statement, maybe they should put it into practice and reconcile themselves with Catholics.
check this out!
That's the exact opposite of what I said.
Like I said, you have a lot of anger.
Again, when I am directly insulted by someone like jw777 I don't like it.
If someone says to me "you're about thus and such" I have no problem. When someone tells me that unless I follow their own personal idiosyncracies in worshipping Jesus I am not really worshipping Jesus, the I get a little annoyed.
I see no such implication in wideawake's comments. You are the one making that assumption. I also understand wideawake's "anger" towards people who act this way. I think Christians who proseltyze to Catholics, making the claim they aren't "saved yet" because they don't believe and worship the way they do, are either ignorant, arrogant, or both.
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