Judge stops Illinois attempt to axe Catholic adoption services over gay adoption…for now

[_Abyssinia]

An Illinois judge has blocked the state’s attempt to end its contracts with Catholic Charities after they refused an order to participate in same-sex adoptions and foster care placements. The move would have affected nearly 2,000 foster children.

“We’re not going to be removing children from homes,” said Judge John Schmidt of the Sangamon County Circuit Court, according to the Chicago Tribune. “I can’t be any clearer.”

Judge Schmidt ruled that the state’s contracts with Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Joliet, Peoria, and Springfield, which ran out June 30th, will continue until a full hearing on August 17th.

On Friday, the state’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) informed the agencies that the state would not accept their contracts for fiscal year 2012 because they had “made it clear” that they would not comply with the new Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, which took effect June 1st.

lifesitenews.com/news/judge-stops-illinois-attempt-to-axe-catholic-adoption-services-over-gay-ado

 

[Dale_M]

The headline seems to be misleading. The issue isn’t over whether Catholic Charities should be allowed to provide privately funded adoptions, but whether they should be allowed to provide contract services on behalf of the state government.

 

[Iron_Donkey]

The headline seems to be misleading. The issue isn’t over whether Catholic Charities should be allowed to provide privately funded adoptions, but whether they should be allowed to provide contract services on behalf of the state government.

Considering that the judge extended the time of the contract in order to avoid “pulling Children form their homes” I think the issue may be more serious than you imagine.

In any case, even if things were exactly as you said, it would be problematic for the state to suddenly stop supporting an adoption program because that program refuses to discard the understanding of things that was nearly universal until about 15 years ago. This is the state dictating morality to the Church, in the name of no one dictating morality to anyone. Which is kind of stupid.

 

[Dale_M]

Considering that the judge extended the time of the contract in order to avoid “pulling Children form their homes” I think the issue may be more serious than you imagine.

I am not sure the judge based his decision to avoid pulling children from their homes. Simply transferring the Catholic Charities contracts to other agencies could avoid that situation. When Chicago’s Catholic Charities discontinued its foster care and adoption service a few years ago, children didn’t need to be displaced. I think the judge’s statement was more along lines of reassuring the public that the children will not suffer from this debate.

 

[irishpatrick]

Sanity may yet have a day. Catholic Charities is the oldest continuous provider of adoptions services in the nation’s history. CC did adoptions before the government made any laws or rules governing them…before the state even cared at all. Talk about ignoring precedent! It is an absolute clear case of persecution against the Catholic Church to force them to shut its services down.

With all that said: it is likely time for the Catholic Church to begin severing all ties with the state.

 

[JimG]

I am not sure the judge based his decision to avoid pulling children from their homes. Simply transferring the Catholic Charities contracts to other agencies could avoid that situation. When Chicago’s Catholic Charities discontinued its foster care and adoption service a few years ago, children didn’t need to be displaced. I think the judge’s statement was more along lines of reassuring the public that the children will not suffer from this debate.

But children will suffer from being subject to homosexual adoption.

 

[irishpatrick]

The Catholic Church needs to go fully private with adoptions–do not give-up on children because of the state.