[Apologetics] More on Bethany's Discrimination Against Catholics

[Art Kelly]

It appears that Catholics are excluded from adoptions
because Bethany thinks that Catholicism is in conflict
with their statement of faith.

Art

Adoption Agency Rejects Catholic Parents
at
http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=28331&TM=867.188

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'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."

Bethany, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has 75 offices
in 30 states, including three in Mississippi. The
offices are independently incorporated and are
affiliated with various religions, spokesman John
VanValkenburg said from the agency headquarters. He
couldn't say whether any were Catholic-affiliated. The
Jackson office is affiliated with the Presbyterian
Church of America, he said.

Glenn DeMots, president of Bethany, said on Friday
that the policy is open to interpretation. He said the
national office does not ban adoptions to Catholic
families, but does allow each branch to establish
rules for the placement of children based on the
agency's "Statement of Faith."

Stewart told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that Bethany's
board will review its policy, but she didn't specify
which aspects will be addressed.

The agency's Web site says all Bethany staff and
adoptive applicants personally agree with the faith
statement, which describes belief in the Christian
Church and the Scripture. It does not refer to any
specific branches of Christianity.

"As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the
world," the statement says in part. "Jesus is the one
in whom we are called to put our hope, our only hope
for forgiveness of sin and for reconciliation with God
and with one another."

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."

Bethany is one of 24 adoption and pregnancy counseling
centers in Mississippi that receives money from the
sale of Choose Life tags, a special plate that
motorists can obtain with an extra fee.

Of $244,000 generated by the sale of the tags in 2004,
Bethany received $7,053, said Geraldine Gray,
treasurer of Choose Life Mississippi, which
distributes the money.

"It is troubling to me if they are discriminating
based on only the Catholics," Gray said.

The Bethany spokesman, VanValkenburg, said the offices
in Mississippi do not receive any public money, but
that some offices in other states do, for example,
because they are involved in foster care.


ART KELLY, ATM-S
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