A Christian adoption agencyt in Mississippi is discriminating against Catholics because it says they can’t abide by the agency’s Statement of Faith. Unfortunately no one can actually tell us what the conflict is apart from the fact that the agency is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. The agency also receives funds from Choose Life license plates in the state.
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.”
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.”
This is the deep South after all and anti-Catholicism still exists in certain places, despite our common cause on issues like abortion and adoption. So sad to see these divisions still exist when so many kids need good homes.
The sad thing is that in some places, devout Catholics are discriminated against in adoption by radical secularists too. If this isn’t evil, I don’t know what is.
