Scottish Government attempts to save the nation’s last Catholic adoption agency

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Scotland is rallying in support of St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society after the Catholic charity’s future was placed in jeopardy by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

The Glasgow-based Catholic adoption agency, believed to be the last of its kind in the UK, was threatened with the loss of its charitable status last week after watchdogs, prompted by a National Secular Society complaint, criticised its practice of only placing children for joint adoption by married couples, in accordance with Church teaching.

The Scottish Government has publicly stated that it wishes to help St Margaret’s to continue its work, which is valued in the community.

Read more about April 22 deadline, including adoptive couple’s story: sconews.co.uk/latest-edition/25083/st-margarets-fights-back/
 
They should consider going underground just as the early Church did. I don’t know if that is possible in such a brutally socialist country.
 
Encouraging signs, but it remains to be seen what comes of the Governments supposed support. (Let us not forget it was misguided legislation from politicians which have ushered in this new area of troublemaking secularists / homosexuals).

The National Secular Society (NSS) in the UK is a tiny organisation (it perhaps has 5,000 members, mostly homosexuals, among a nation of 60 million.).

The NSS is really a front for homosexual campaigning against religion - Catholicism specifically. Its leaders - Terry Sanderson & Keith Porteous-Wood - are two homosexual men in a civil-partnership together. It is difficult to see that their involvement wih secularist camapigning is born of anything other than their sexuality and their refusal to accept the truth regarding it.

(In this regard it is similar to the British Humanist Association (BHA) - another tiny, anti-religion, homosexual-led organisation - its chief exective, Andrew Copson, is a homosexual. The BHA recently failed in a court bid to prevent the opening of new Catholic schools in London).

Laughably, the NSS stated their complain about St Margarets was based on “the good of the children”, rather than a desire to make trouble for Catholics.

The NSS succesfully managed to close all of the Catholic adoption agencies in England - or force them to break their links with the Church - and now they have their sights set on Scotland. They are sad, bitter people - bitter, scheming people who use their spare time to make trouble for others, whereas normal people are busy with their families etc.

To give an example of the NSS mentality:
  • during the 2010 Papal visit to the UK, the NSS attempted to whip up anti-Catholicism by stating the visit was costing the taxpayer “over £100 million”. The final bill to the taxpayer was just £6.7 million, and was more than made up for by the economic stimulus which the event created.
  • the NSS has stated it would “vigorously oppose” any attempt to hold World Youth day in the UK.
  • the twisted NSS idea of religious freedom is that you are allowed to go to Church, but not publicly discuss or actually “live” any aspect of your religion whatsoever.
St Margarets adoption agency is based in Glasgow. It has been operating for about 60 years or more. It has an excellent record of helping children; its record is easily the best of any agency in Scotland. This is down chiefly to the Catholic identity and ethos of the charity.

I hope that the troublemaking NSS is seen for what it is and that a way can be found to keep St Margarets open. Currently, it seems the modern UK is willing to accomodate all sorts of people and their values, except Christians.

I will certainly be writing to my MSP and the Scottish Parliament regarding this.

(For info - St Margaret of Scotland was an English Princess, (Margaret of Wessex), who became Queen of Scots about 1,000 years ago. She married King Malcolm of Scotland, after her family fled there following the succesful Norman Invasion of England (1066). Malcolm was renowned for being an uncouth brute of a man (or “Scottish” as we call it haha).

Anyway, Margaret had a very noticeable civilising effect on her husband which made her well known. She was a very pious women who dedicated a lot of her time and gave a lot of her wealth for the good of the poor and to help the advancement of faith. She was well loved by the people. The town of “Queensferry” on the banks of the Firth of Forth is a remnant of her influence, where she established a ferry route to take pilgrims across the firth to Dunfermline Abbey).
 
Finally, the world is becoming a better and more tolerant place!
/endsarcasm
 
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator confirms decision on Catholic adoption agency
St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society has until 22 April to amend its procedures to allow same-sex couples to use its services or it will be taken off the charity register
A Catholic adoption agency has lost its appeal against a decision by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
that it must allow same-sex couples to use its services or lose its charitable status.

The Glasgow-based St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society asked the OSCR to review its decision after the regulator ruled that the organisation had failed the charity test because it insisted that potential adoptive parents be married for at least two years.

This meant it was in breach of the Equality Act 2010 by excluding same-sex couples from its services, the OSCR decided.

In an updated report, published yesterday, the OSCR confirmed its original view that St Margaret’s failed the charity test because it discriminated unlawfully on grounds of religion or belief and sexual orientation, and was in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

“OSCR found that the charity does not provide public benefit because the way it provides benefit involves unlawful discrimination, which causes detriment to the public and to particular groups of people, the effect of which outweighs the other, positive effects of the charity’s work,” the report says.

“OSCR also found that access to the benefits the charity provides is unduly restricted. OSCR therefore found that the charity fails the charity test and confirmed the decision to direct the charity to meet the charity test.”

The OSCR said that St Margaret’s must amend its guidance and procedures by 22 April or face removal from the Scottish charity register.

A spokesman for St Margaret’s said: “We are disappointed at the decision. We will consult our lawyers before considering what course of action to pursue. In the meantime, St Margaret’s remains open for business.”

The charity has the right to appeal the decision to the Scottish Charity Appeals Panel.

thirdsector.co.uk/news/1173467/offfice-scottish-charity-regulator-confirms-decision-catholic-adoption-agency
 
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