Anti-Catholic Adoption Agency

[Jennifer123]

Good points I think. I’m curious as to whether anyone has good rebuttal, 'cause I can’t think of any!!

I do think though we should, in Christian charity, contact Bethany and let them know the truths of the Church as to not deny ANY child a chance at a loving future.

 

[1ke]

Yes, their statement of faith does contradict Catholic teaching. The bible is not the final authority.

 

[Maccabees]

Some catholic couple could easily sue this Bob Jones adoption agency and win. Their statement of faith is identical to parts of the cathechism and more recently the Joint declaration of Faith between Catholics and Lutherans.
We say the same the exact same thing as Prots many times but mean entirely different things but we don’t have to tell the Judge that.

 

[Mamamull]

Our first two adoptions were through a Jewish agency – we were turned down by Catholic social services – I was too old at 36 – this was many years ago – and we just adopted again.

I was raised a fundamentalist and I know that Catholics are not considered Christians.

We don’t have Sola Fide or Sola Scriptura and that means we are the Whore of Babylon and are pagans. We don’t let Jesus be our saviour. We have the “continual sacrifice” of Jesus as if His passion, death and ressurection didn’t matter That is just some of what I remember hearing.

With all due respect, they don’t realize that theology existed all that many years – let alone for almost two centuries. The more fundamentalistic the religion is, the more they seem to dislike and disparage Catholics.

Sadly, these people don’t realize they are bigots. They are misguided and just think that our homes are not adequate. I know my fundy mom was trying to get our newest son (age five) to their VBS and “so he could get to know Jesus”. I didn’t ask her to explain herself – I know she thinks that we don’t have the ability to save his soul. She’s right it is Jesus and not us – but not in a single event.

Of course, my mom hasn’t been to our house since we had the Entrhonement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 3. I guess she decided that we have backslid and forgot about the Bible again.

Oh well, I love my faith and know that Jesus wanted me here. That is good enough for me.

 

[joshua1]

My wife and I have experience with this as well. Before we had difficulty with misscarriages. We called an adoption agency, I cant remember the name, and they asked us what faith we were. When we told them we were Catholic, they practically hung up on us. Its sad that this exists.

 

[Peace-bwu]

Barf - O- Rama, groups like this make me ill.

 

[MikeinSD]

News articles like these are a reminder even if some religious groups agree with some Catholic church teachings, many religious groups think Catholics are not Christians.

 

[Christian4life]

MikeinSD:

News articles like these are a reminder even if some religious groups agree with some Catholic church teachings, many religious groups think Catholics are not Christians.

Exactly. I was sometimes on this forum for Christian mommies, and then they had this thread asking what’s your theology. So I take the silly little quiz and surprise surprise, Roman Catholic.

I posted my results on there, and a couple of the mommies just started ignoring me. Even one who has been pming me and we’d been writing back and forth. (Although that may have been partly because I said I was against the BC pill.)

Well, phooey. I’ll just stick to the family life forum here cause you guys are a lot more accepting anyway. Nobody snubbed me for being a Protestant.

Well, as if that weren’t enough then I actually read what Christian-mommies has in thier statement of beliefs. And bingo “The Bible is the ultimate and final authority.” Ouch.

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

Mot Juste:

I’d be real careful of the slippery slope here. This sort of argument – denying funding to people because they follow their religious principles instead of an outside fairness standard – is just what secularists use to force Catholic charities to pay for contraception, to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, etc.

I truly believe that we are shooting ourselves in the foot if we go after this organization politically.

Bethany is only one of 24 that receives money from those plates. Less than 3% of the money donated through the license plates goes to them (per the numbers in the original article).

Now I agree in principle with the idea that purchasers of these license plates ought to be able to direct their funds, but there may be other factors. For example: according to the Mississippi DMV web site, the annual fee for one of these plates is $31. I would guess that some of that goes to cover administrative costs, but even if it didn’t, Bethany’s share would only be 90 cents. If Mississippi decides to let people direct the money, administrative costs would have to increase. How much? I don’t know, but if it was just $1 per plate additional, then you’ve more than lost the fraction that was going to Bethany.

I for one like the idea of government money helping out faith-based charities, even if I disagree with some of those faiths. I’m really afraid that getting us Catholics up in arms against a fundamentalist charity is just going to play into the hands of those who want all faith-based programs ended.

–Bill

We didn’t have to go after it politically. We just had to let them finally realize that Catholics match their ‘statement of faith’.

bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/c79edbd86c517a1d852569c800702556/ebaf660aa5f2574a852570440070e1cd?OpenDocument

Bethany Christian Services -The local Board of Directors for Bethany Christian Services of Mississippi met in Jackson on July 19, and voted unanimously to change their practice to now include Catholic families in all adoption programs. more>>

 

[jimmy]

threej_lc:

Hmm… the only thing I see that would hint at Sola Scriptura is

However, everything that the church teaches and adheres to is in the scriptures and based in the scriptures, as taught by sacred Tradition. In that sense, the scriptures are the final authority.

I think that is incorrect to say. The base of our faith came before the scriptures(of the NT), the scriptures affirm it in writing.

 

[Church_Militant]

When the Irish first came here they had this sort of prejudice as well.

My Dad says that one Irishman altered such a notice with these words.

Who’er wrote ye wrote ye well
Same is written on the gates o’ hell
No Catholics need apply

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

J.R.:

A Christian group refuses to let Catholics
adopt.

cnn.com/2005/US/07/15/adoption.church.ap/index.html

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) – 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’s state 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.”​

That sounds fair enough to me. It’s a principled approach - if we don’t like the principle, that’s our tough luck. Maybe they think Catholics are gay ##

 

[davy39]

## JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) – 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’s state 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.”​

That sounds fair enough to me. It’s a principled approach - if we don’t like the principle, that’s our tough luck. Maybe they think Catholics are gay ##

I believe this agencys home base is in Grand Rapids, Mi. They stated on the radio that each agency has a right to adopt in any way the see fit. Maybe a gay couple would stand a better chance that a Catholic couple.

 

[Maccabees]

There should be some truth in advertisng here and rename themselves “Bob Jones Adoption Agency”

 

[deb1]

The best course of action is not to got after them legally but through the media. Invite their members for debates on news talk shows. This would attract public attention. Many people have no idea that there is still prejudice against Catholics in this country.

 

[Zooey]

I want to say thank you for providing the email address. I had heard about this, & wanted to contact them.
I just sent off a message, telling them how appalled I am at their accepting gov’t funds, while practicing discrimination.

 

[ladyrosary]

Just another thought on this. Does this agency accept children to be place for adoption from a Catholic parent/parents?

 

[cargopilot]

According to the link below, it looks like they’ve ‘fixed’ the problem, at least publically. Let’s see how it goes.

BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES OF MISSISSIPPI
VOTES TO SERVE CATHOLIC FAMILIES

Grand Rapids, MI-- July 20, 2005 --The local Board of Directors for Bethany Christian Services of Mississippi met in Jackson on July 19, and voted unanimously to change their practice to now include Catholic families in all adoption programs. “

bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/c79edbd86c517a1d852569c800702556/ebaf660aa5f2574a852570440070e1cd?OpenDocument

 

[J.R]

According to the link below, it looks like they’ve ‘fixed’ the problem, at least publically. Let’s see how it goes.

BETHANY CHRISTIAN SERVICES OF MISSISSIPPI
VOTES TO SERVE CATHOLIC FAMILIES

Grand Rapids, MI-- July 20, 2005 --The local Board of Directors for Bethany Christian Services of Mississippi met in Jackson on July 19, and voted unanimously to change their practice to now include Catholic families in all adoption programs. “

bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/c79edbd86c517a1d852569c800702556/ebaf660aa5f2574a852570440070e1cd?OpenDocument

Thank God and the media. By shining the light of truth on this matter it apparently softened their hearts to change their policy. The benefactors? The children.

 

[Mot_Juste]

J.R.:

Thank God and the media. By shining the light of truth on this matter it apparently softened their hearts to change their policy. The benefactors? The children.

That is wonderful news!

–Bill