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.
Whereby we get the name "CHRISTIAN" adoption agency. Not Catholic
Ummm, Catholics ARE Christians, brainiac.
You FR posters are proving to be worse than DU posters. Find anywhere in any post that I have said what you just said that I said. When you find that, then we can talk.
Hinn was educated in a Catholic school.Interesting background on Benny Hinn. (from http://www.balaams-ass.com/journal/housechu/hinn05.htm)
"Benny Hinn was born in Jaffa, Israel, where he lived with his parents, Costandi and Clemence Hinn, five brothers and 2 sisters.
Although he was raised as a Greek Orthodox, he was schooled in a private Catholic school. His educational experience in the Catholic school nurtured a desire at an early age to dedicate his life to ministry."
get in line
Huh? You'll have to explain that one to me.
Snake Handlers? Check.
Speaking in tongues? Check.
Burning crosses? Check.
Catholics? Take a hike.
What a bunch fundy morons!
And "some" would be wrong. I wouldn't rely too much on what ignoramuses from the south believe about a religion that is not their own.
And no, I am not calling ALL Southerners "ignoramuses", for those of you who like to leap before you look!!!
Believe it or not, there are Catholic Southerners. Miss Katie Scarlett O'Hara couldn't have been the only one! (Although she was hardly a paragon of pious Catholicism!! LOL!)
Well, I do figure I deserve some note for managing an excuse to post a babe on a thread like that.
You can ask all you want for the mod to pull this thread but I doubt very much if he/she will do it on your request, especially since it's someone else's thread.
Thanks for your take on it. A lot of the differences seem like mostly semantics to me, but then again, I'm not a religious scholar by any means. I just rely on my belief in Christ and know God will sort it out in the end. ;)
The universal Church includes ALL folks with personal relationships with Jesus Christ--regardless of "religious" affiliation--not just Catholics.
Understanding this is basic to Christianity.
Maybe you should direct your remarks to this adoption agency, which appears to believe that the universal church includes all folks with personal relationships with Jesus Christ ... EXCEPT for Catholics.
Catholics are Christians, dummy.
Not a very detailed article, but I think what this adoption agency is doing is wrong.
Just to clarify, though, how exactly are the fees from the Choose Life license plates processed? Is the money managed by some government entity?
While I think they are supremely ignorant, I'll let them place kids where they can find homes among their acceptable denominations.
The state interest is in getting kids adopted.
Generally, no. Might there be individual Mormons/JW's who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? It's possible.
Also, by universal, do you mean catholic?
By universal I mean on this earth. I don't believe there are Christians on other planets. :-)
Being Dead is No Excuse : The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe, Charlotte Hays
This book has the funniest description of the differences in foods brought to Southern funerals. The funniest thing is that it is spot on. lol
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