[Apologetics] Bethany and the Catholic adoption FUD

[Stuart D. Gathman]

Reading the articles from Art, you will notice that all the Catholic 
couples were rejected by a single branch office.  My meeting with 
Constance Barry, Virginia director of Bethany, confirmed my suspicion.  
The director of one branch in Mississippi is under the mistaken impression 
that the Catholic "religion" is a priori incompatible with the (rather 
minimal and uncontroversial) Bethany statement of faith.  

In response to the media blitz, the Mississippi state office held an emergency
meeting, and changed the wording of their policy from "any couple who accepts
the Bethany statement of faith ... is eligible to adopt" to "any couple who
accepts the Bethany statement of faith, including Catholics, ... is eligible to
adopt".

According to Constance, in Virginia, about 1 in 4 Bethany adoptions go to
Catholic couples.  All the state offices are considering whether their
written policies also need to explicity mention Catholics as not being
excluded a priori.  It *should* be obvious, but ...

Now, Catholic friends, the media blitz is stage one of a demonic attack,
and Constance Barry covets your prayers.  Once the general public associates
Bethany with "anti-Catholic", the next step is for a secularist to file suit
concerning state funds received for adoptions of older children.  Adoptions of
young children are fully funded by the adoption fee and donations.  However,
there is no adoption fee for older children - and in addition to donations,
part of the money comes from state funds designated for adoptions of older
children.  There will then be a campaign to force Bethany to place these
children with any kind of "couple" according to modern "standards", e.g. not
only other religions, but gay, etc.  (Can I adopt a child with my cat?)

So prayer warriors are needed, both for Bethany to have the integrity 
to turn down state funds if push comes to shove (greatly reducing their
ability to place older children), and for defeating that scenario in
the first place.

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
"Confutatis maledictis, flamis acribus addictis" - background song for
a Microsoft sponsored "Where do you want to go from here?" commercial.