[Mississippi] Adoption group changes policy to accept Catholic applicants

[Maddy McCall]

If you want background on this topic, read this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1629925


Adoption group changes policy to accept Catholic applicants



After receiving criticism about its practice of excluding Catholics as adoptive parents, the board of Bethany Christian Services in Mississippi has voted unanimously to now include Catholic families in all adoption programs.

"In accepting applications for adoption, all Christians who are in agreement with our agency statement of faith are welcome applicants to the adoption process," wrote Bethany's state director Karen Stewart and board president Peggy McKey in a statement issued today. "Bethany Christian Services of Mississippi regrets any pain caused to families, especially to our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ."

The statement said the adoption agency will continue to stand on its statement of faith but "we realize that we took too narrow a view in assessing adoptive applicants."

snip/

Bethany's national office in Grand Rapids, Mich., also issued a statement today affirming that "All families in agreement with the agency's Statement of Faith, including Catholic families, are eligible to adopt."

More at: http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050720/NEWS01/50720012/1002

AND a letter to the editor from the Catholic man who was deemed not eligible:

Good can some from this Bethany Christian Services fiasco ("Adoption firm: No Catholics," July 15). The article was way overdue. I'm the husband of one of the couples mentioned.

I just don't see how Bethany (in Mississippi) can call itself a "Christian Service." Not to mention, Bethany on the national level accepts Catholics.

Apparently, the Jackson board has made its own rules to pick and choose which Christian faith it will accept. That's not right. That's certainly not Christlike.

As you can imagine, hearing an adoption door slam in your face is hard to swallow. Especially on the heels of a two-year battle with infertility. How can one can say "no" to a fellow Christian looking to give a child a God-centered home? How can that be justified?

When I discovered Bethany didn't accept Catholic applications, I used the Internet to make this public. I must have emailed 200 friends, family and members of my church. I bet I had 100 responses.

Read more of this letter at:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050720/OPINION/507200336/1009

Many more letters to the editor here:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OPINION