Just in case you were looking for yet another reason why faith-based initiatives or public funds via vouchers going to religious schools are a bad idea comes this nice little bit via the AP,
[t]he Mississippi branch of Bethany Christian Services of Grand Rapids, Mich., told a Jackson couple this month that the Catholic religion conflicts with the agency's 'Statement of Faith,' and another Mississippi couple said they were rejected for the same reason last year.According to Bethany's Mississippi director Karen Stewart,
It has been our understanding that Catholicism does not agree with our Statement of Faith.
Bethany's "Statement of Faith" is worth a read.
Bethany Christian Services is founded upon the Scriptures which reveal the triune God. Members of the national board, local boards, staff and adoptive applicants indicate their personal agreement with Bethany’s Statement of Faith by signing below.Whew, that "Statement of Faith" seems pretty restrictive. Seems like they have a particular idea about what it means to "Christian." Heck, I'm surprised it doesn't include something about how the Pope is the devil incarnate and how priests are his evil minions. And it really seems to contradict with Bethany's "Cultural Diversity Statement" that states in part,
I believe that the sovereign, triune God created the world out of nothing and sustains His creation. The heavens and earth are His handiwork. He made man and woman in His image and likeness as the crown of creation. All creation reflects His greatness and power.
I believe that God created the family, giving Adam and Eve the responsibility to conceive, bear and nurture children. As the creator of life, God Himself begins each human life at conception and gives to each person, as His image bearer, meaning, dignity and value.
I believe that sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sought to be independent of Him. As a result of this Fall, all people are estranged from God and live in a world permeated by sin.
I believe that God, by His grace, provided redemption and restoration in Jesus Christ for all who repent and believe. As the Savior, Jesus takes away the sins of the world. 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.
I believe that in all matters of faith and life, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the final authority. The Scriptures point us with full reliability to Jesus, God’s Son. The Scriptures tell us that we receive forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus Christ, and that God provides salvation by grace alone for those who repent and believe.
I believe that forgiveness comes through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, who was made flesh, took our place in death, rose from the dead, and is now in glory with the Father interceding and praying for His people.
I believe that God, through His Spirit, lovingly calls, redeems and adopts us into His family, the Church and that, in gratitude for God’s saving love in Christ, we are called to live a life of faithfulness and obedience according to the scriptures.
Bethany will serve children and families, regardless of their cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Now you might be saying to yourself that a private adoption agency can do whatever the heck they want. And you'd be right. Except that the Mississippi branch of Bethany is funded in part by "Choose Life" license plates folks can purchase from the STATE of Mississippi. Now officials in Mississippi are trying to say that it merely collects the money and passes it onto the nonprofit " Choose Life Mississippi." Nice try, but the way I see it, if state workers are processing the money, at some point taxpayer dollars are going to a group that discriminates based on religion. And other Bethany branches are getting state funds for helping to provide foster parents. Your tax dollars being used to discriminate on the basis of religious faith. It's not right. End of story.
