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.
Nope, your wrong. But she is an elderly Eastern European immigrant, and many people like her have a different concept of what to believe. This is a lady who can't recite the Lord's Prayer out of the context of the mass, but recites the Rosary twice a day with no problem.
I wonder if you realise how thoroughly you just contradicted yourself ...
--Unitatis Redintegratio, Vatican II
Don't speak in hyperbole and imply I said this because I did not. I said I had "some" authority having sat under Catholic teaching.
Even "good" CCD classes do not always a Catholic make. It's the other sources one may study as an adult that may bring one into truth, thank God.
You said, "Christ would understand that insulting is not the way to change a mind"
BTW, post #352 shows me that you may want to take this advice yourself.
I can never keep straight what the Protestants believe. I thought Luther believed that Christ was actually present, but didn't actually believe in transubstantiation. In any event, I used the phrase Real Presence, because I figured we Catholics were the only ones who used that phrase. But maybe we're not. I don't know...
>> BTW, post #352 shows me that you may want to take this advice yourself<<
I'll pray for humility.
How about you?
How do you reconcile this V2 statement with the Popes I quoted?
Who are the elders in Revelation 5:8 offering prayers for? Who are those before the throne interceding for?
LOL!!! You can't say the Rosary without saying the Lord's Prayer!
LOL!
Not to mention another thing many forget: the rosary also includes meditation on the life of Christ. It's not simply Marian.
I know! I pretty much said the same thing in my post #370.
The adoption agency isn't Christian, they are full of themselves though.
Actually, from what I am reading here, it might just be this office, not all of them.
Good Luck!
Why would I need to pray for humility now? Concerning my discussion with you?
I've stated what I believe to be facts concerning my experience. Really.
"So, why don't you mention Baptists? Lutherans? Episcopalians? Because you are an anti-Catholic bigot."
Hogwash to you. You know nothing about me so please refrain from trying to make judgement calls. I asked for this thread to be pulled because I realized that people such as yourself do nothing more than pull at Dean, Schumer, Wilson and assume all sorts of un-educated things. Good day and never respond to a post by me again.
They can do whatever the heck they want to do.
However, as a Calvinist I would object to this statement:
"As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world..."
Oh really......I did not realize that you have your sins taken away if you don't trust in him.
What a crappily-written statement of faith. The sins of the entire world are not forgiven, only of the elect, of those who come to faith in Christ.
thanks for seeing the humor in what was not intended to be a slight to anyone here. too bad most of the pings are from people who are as intolerant as the libs we love to bash here.
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