One of the major problems I've had with Dubyas "faith-based initiatives" is their legalized discrimination. Now, far be it from me to tell anyone how to worship or that they must associate with this person or that person. But when it comes to spending public monies (to which we all contribute), doesn't it seem as though the church provided social services should be, at the very least, non-denominational? The Religeous Right has been whining for a long time about how discriminated against they are. How unfair it is that they should not get federal grants and such for their social service programs. In theory, I agreed. Might've even supported them had the discrimination clause not been included.
Then we see
this story from the AP -
JACKSON, Miss. --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 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."
I find it ironic that money from the government-sanctioned antichoice "Choose Life" liscence plates is being used by a group that, it would seem, would rather see an un-wanted child remain without a family than be raised in the only christian sect that explicitly condemns contraception. Huh.
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. --- Sandy Steadman said she was hurt and disappointed that Bethany received funds from the Choose Life car license plates. "I know of a lot of Catholics who get those tags," she said.
She added: "If it's OK to accept our money, it should be OK to open your home to us as a family."
A lot of folks on the right bemoan the lefts preoccupation with the seperation of church and state. They think that it is merely because we have some kind of animosity for religeon in general and christianity in particular. They just don't get it. James Madison once said, in defense of complete seperation of church and state, that "Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other Sects?" I think some of them may soon get an inkling of what we've been fighting for, and against.