CATHOLICISM VIOLATES ADOPTION GROUPS' "STATEMENT OF FAITH"

Glancing over the Miami-based blog Bark Bark Woof Woof this afternoon, an interesting posting caught my eye, especially because the story is out of my native state of Mississippi. A very sad and disgraceful bit of news, I had to look deeper.

In Mississippi, proceeds from it's "Choose Life" license plates which advocate against abortion are funnelled through the non-profit organization Choose Life Mississippi (the state tax commission says the additional $31 fee for the specialty tag is considered a private donation), which then parcels out those funds to a variety of nonprofit adoption and other advocacy groups who have applied to receive the money.

One of those groups is the Grand Rapids, Michigan adoption agency Bethany Christian Services, which operates three offices in Mississippi (Their only Florida office is in Maitland). Choose Life Mississippi has asked to review Bethany's policy in the wake of publicity that at least two Catholic couples were rejected as adoptive parents because of their faith.

The couple reportedly received a letter dated July 8 which said,

"It has been our understanding that Catholicism does not agree with our statement of faith. ... 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."

Click this link to see Bethany's Statement of Faith.

The Hattiesburg American contacted Bethany's president in Grand Rapids, Glenn DeMots, who said that the Statement of Faith is "open to interpretation", and that while the national office does not ban adoptions to Catholics, each branch office is allowed to establish rules for the placement of children based on the Statement.

When the Jackson Clarion-Ledger contacted Jackson branch director Karen Stewart, who reportedly wrote the letter noted above, Stewart did not answer the questions directly but wrote, "Bethany seeks to place children with (sic) who are emotionally, financially, socially and physically stable and who agree with the agency's Statement of Faith." She was also quoted in the written reply: "Recently, there have been many inquiries about our policy. When the Board of Directors meets for their regular bimonthly meeting, these inquiries will be addressed."

The last time I checked, Roman Catholics worshipped the same God as most other Christians, the same Trinity. So, so shortsighted. If this is happening in Mississippi, which of Bethany's other branches practice this?