Catholic Smackdown In Illinois
I previously spoke of a Presidential candidate and his promises in "When Gay Day Comes Your Way -The Homosexual Rite Becomes Law", sharing information as to why any community, state, and the country should not consider legalizing homosexual marriage. In that article I pointed out the atrocities suffered by Dr. David and Tonia Banner when it came to the right of the state (Massachusetts) to educate their children in a manner consistent with the law. Let's just say that parental "rights" to educate a child otherwise within the public school system doesn't exist!
"Studies show gay and lesbian couples do as well as parents as opposite-sex couples,"..."They (Catholic Charities) do not have the right to impose religious values on those who are wards of the state," ~ Harvey Grossman, Legal Director ACLU Illinois
Harvey Grossman
I previously spoke of a Presidential candidate and his promises in "When Gay Day Comes Your Way -The Homosexual Rite Becomes Law", sharing information as to why any community, state, and the country should not consider legalizing homosexual marriage. In that article I pointed out the atrocities suffered by Dr. David and Tonia Banner when it came to the right of the state (Massachusetts) to educate their children in a manner consistent with the law. Let's just say that parental "rights" to educate a child otherwise within the public school system doesn't exist!
You see, when gay marriage is the law, the public school system has the RIGHT and even the MANDATE to teach your children that gay sexuality is valid and that marriage between gays are just as admirable as marriage between heterosexual couples, simply because it is the law. In fact, isn't that the exact position of our President just a short time ago to the Human Rights Campaign? As a reminder here is what he said then:
"My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians whether in the office or on the battlefield. You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognized relationships between two men or two women, are just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman." ~ President Barack Obama 10/10/2009 Address to The Human Rights Campaign
This theory, that homosexual relationships are "just as real and admirable" as relationships between a man and a woman, was introduced to and felt within Illinois. In a landmark decision, Illinois Circuit Court Judge, John Schmidt, recently held that foster care placement agencies within Illinois that are bound by a religious code of ethics and closely held religious beliefs against homosexual civil unions, are, for the most part, out of business, or at least cannot expect State funds as compensation for their services.
The Peoria Journal Star reports that the Illinois Department Of Children & Family Services (DCFS) previously paid Catholic Charities of Illinois $30.7 Million annually for the placement of 15,600 foster children through 4 operating units in Illinois. Those units or agencies are located in Peoria, Joliet, Belleville, and Springfield.. The Catholic Charities of Peoria, which is the largest operating unit of the four, had a $24 Million
annual operating budget. They received $14.8 Million from DCFS and employed over 200 people. This is problem number one, NO religious organization should build their ministry, or their services off of a secular state funding including grants etc. We all understand it, but this is simply a slippery slope and one bound to slap religious entities in the face as this one did.
annual operating budget. They received $14.8 Million from DCFS and employed over 200 people. This is problem number one, NO religious organization should build their ministry, or their services off of a secular state funding including grants etc. We all understand it, but this is simply a slippery slope and one bound to slap religious entities in the face as this one did.
Illinois recently made Civil Unions the law of the land as I noted HERE. The law validated both same sex and common-law heterosexual relationships, conferring many marital rights upon them but stopping short of calling them marriages. The Catholic Church, who directs Catholic Charities, held opposition to placing children in the homes of same sex couples, claiming an exemption from the Civil Union Law for closely held religious belief and practice. In light of Catholic Charities response in opposition to the law, and with the guidance of the ACLU, DCFS FIRED Catholic Social Services with plans to pull ALL of the funding from Catholic Charities. To restate...that funding was $30.7 Million USD!!!
Guess what? Just in case you didn't know already:
RELIGION AND WHAT ONE BELIEVES IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE TO ILLINOIS
That's right...in a landmark decision handed down by Circuit Court Judge John Schmidt in Sangamon County (Springfield, IL), said that neither what Catholic Charities believes nor their past 40 year relationship with the state, are of any consequence when it comes to the law of the State of Illinois regarding civil unions. Catholic Charities had even sought an emergency stay for reconsideration on the ruling. However, that was also denied earlier this week (Sept. 26,2011) with the judge stating that he saw no basis for reconsidering his original ruling. In other words, as the ACLU advised the State Of Illinois, all $30.7 Million is now open to go to any agency who agrees with sate law and who has no problems placing children in homes with same sex couples or amongst unmarried heterosexual couples.
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| Bishop Daniel Jenky |
"...simply astonished that the politicians of the state of Illinois seem to be unwilling to grant the same kind of religious accommodations that have been granted in the states of New York and Rhode Island regarding their establishment of civil unions."
In other words "we thought that these devils would play fairly while we take their money"! I don't think so Bishop...When does the devil ever play fairly? When can we hold his hand and the hand of the world? Doesn't work!
Scruple-less Religion
Surprisingly, Lutheran Social Services doesn't have the scruples that Catholic Social Services has regarding the issue. They are one of less than a handful of agencies ready to take on some of the extra clients from the demise of the Catholic Social Services relationship with the state.
A Reasoned Response
Both Mr. Grossman of the ACLU and Mr. President have missed the argument completely. Unfortunately their misargument has caused many within the church to go down their path and only run into a dead end and become frustrated trying to prove that homosexual unions are harmful to children. Let's lay out a few points that may help those of us that are committed to biblical truth as it pertains to marriage and why children should not be raised in either a home where a man are woman are playing house or one in which a same sex union exists.
1- Mr. Grossman says that "studies show" that same sex unions do not harm children and President Obama says that the arrangements are "just as admirable" as heterosexual unions.
Both of these arguments are garbage to be relegated to the garbage heap of MYTH, conjecture and wishful thinking.
First, within the United States, same sex unions have not been in existence in the light of day long enough to determine the long term effects of the arrangements on children. Even in times past, where there were same sex unions, in most cases, these relationships were secret. This creates a whole different psychology regarding the relationships and the effects. Surprisingly enough, the greatest argument against these relationships come from the homosexual advocate. According to them, the secrecy of such relationships doesn't produce favorable results for anyone, children or adults. Alas: "we want recognition, because we are having problems that heterosexual couples don't encounter" Are we to believe that these "problems" haven't had an effect on the children witnessing and experiencing the problems? Isn't this part of the fight for homosexual marriage?
In addition, prior to 2004, homosexual unions had no state sanctioning or place within the law. The law in Massachusetts has only been in existence since 2004. This is hardly long enough for ANY study to provide valid information as to how beneficial these relationships and arrangements may be. Sociologists know that it will take a minimum of 15 to 20 years to assess the societal impact of such relationships including the psychological health and benefits of the children that have the experience of openly homosexual parentage. So homosexual unions have in essence been similar to common law relationships or "shacking up" as some call it.
Further, we have ample proof that "playing house" or "shacking up" is harmful to children, sanctioned by the state or otherwise. We know that a lack of an official, light of day commitment within relationships is not in the best interest of emotional well being and stability of children. We also know that broken relationships devastate children.
Third, studies CLEARLY show that since the demise of the nuclear family committed by marriage, there has been an overall steady decline in productivity and a decrease in social morality and this has led to a decline in almost every measurable economic category. A broken down family reflects economically and has an economic cost. Further information on that can be found at Family Research Council
Fourth, the expectation of parents is also a factor according to Dr. Kara Joyner, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago in a 1996 Ph.D dissertation. In a study of 6 year relationships, 28 % of cohabitating men and 26% of cohabitating women expected their relationship to breakup at some point in the future. This was in contrast to 12% of married women and 11% of married men who had also been married for 6 years. What does this mean? It means that the psychological preparation is different for a person preparing for long term relationship as opposed to that of a person preparing for a breakup. Does anyone rationally believe that decisions made under circumstances where there is a minimized long term outlook, will not have an effect on children in those respective environments?
2- "There have been homosexual unions in foreign countries for years and the children of those unions are faring well."
This is partially true. There has been homosexual unions in other countries for years. That's about where the truth ends.
The rest is another MYTH! There remains NO HOMOSEXUAL union that can produce a child. That is a fact. So NOT ONE homosexual union has produced a single child. Children have been raised within homosexual unions, but the union of 2 men or the union of 2 women cannot and does not produce any children.
The point of such comment would be that children raised by homosexual parents turn out OK. A statement of such is a subjective opinion and not an objective truth. It can only be judged on a case by case basis rather than going down a "rabbit hole" trying to prove or disprove the happiness of fulfillment of a class of people. Although the rash of suicides by teens have been interpreted to be an indictment upon a society that does not readily accept homosexuality, the opposite may well be true. Those suicides could be a revelation that homosexuality is an unwanted desire or at least a desire that the individual would have liked to have kept secret or out of the public conversation. The homosexual advocate has "spun" the deaths and tragedies to support their agenda...that is to their shame and the church should boldly make the pronouncement that we see and understand their diversion in this and they are FULL of lies!
In foreign countries, what we have is a certain amount of liberalism. In many cases we also see increases in crime and poverty rates. We certainly can't attribute children raised within homosexual unions to the cause of those increases, but we also cannot say that children raised in homosexual unions have brought special benefits to those societies either. So far as the individuals themselves, one would have to examine those individuals on a case by case basis to see the influence and well-being of each including the assessment of psychological well-being and stability.
Conclusion
So the problem is much more complex and unsettled than the homosexual advocate pretends that it is. It is time for believers to challenge the assertions that we hear and challenge them openly and with reason, beyond the emotionalism. The FACT remains, the fight for the homosexual marital rights ARE NOT anything similar to the fight for racial justice and equality...at the end of the day any person can chose to have sex or not and or hide their sexual inclinations. Blacks cannot do either...We cannot choose to not be black (ALTHOUGH SOME TRY) and we cannot choose to cover the color of our skin.
Homosexual advocates say that they can't choose who they love and that "feeling" makes it a right...However it is clear, ANY PERSON can choose HOW they love anyone! I'll ask any pedophile and they will tell you of a "feeling" they have that allows them to have romantic love and lust for children...FREE WARREN JEFFS, if all that is necessary is a feeling or emotion in order to validate actions! If you want to uphold equality then do so with a practice that has been happening in the US openly for years. When affection(s) are out of order anything can happen in any relationship. The homosexual advocate argues as if their passion and romantic love for the same sex is uncontrollable...what we find is anything out of control IS NOT love. Whatever is out of control is a MONSTER and that monster is called LUST!
Next up: We're dealing with President Obama's recent speech to the HRC on 10/1/2011. It was a fiasco!
Blessed!
Please excuse the errors in the original version of this the system had some sort of a glitch...it really wasn't ALL my fault-LOL
Scruple-less Religion
Surprisingly, Lutheran Social Services doesn't have the scruples that Catholic Social Services has regarding the issue. They are one of less than a handful of agencies ready to take on some of the extra clients from the demise of the Catholic Social Services relationship with the state.
"We've let the department along with every other agency know we're willing to help in any way we can," ~ John Schnier, Lutheran Social Service Director Of Children's Services.OK, I'll cut some slack...someone needs to be able to help these children and it may as well be someone who does have some sort of biblical concern for them...so I won't be overly critical, although I am concerned as well as surprised that the Lutheran agency doesn't seem to have a position against homosexual unions (at least publicly)
A Reasoned Response
Both Mr. Grossman of the ACLU and Mr. President have missed the argument completely. Unfortunately their misargument has caused many within the church to go down their path and only run into a dead end and become frustrated trying to prove that homosexual unions are harmful to children. Let's lay out a few points that may help those of us that are committed to biblical truth as it pertains to marriage and why children should not be raised in either a home where a man are woman are playing house or one in which a same sex union exists.
1- Mr. Grossman says that "studies show" that same sex unions do not harm children and President Obama says that the arrangements are "just as admirable" as heterosexual unions.
Both of these arguments are garbage to be relegated to the garbage heap of MYTH, conjecture and wishful thinking.
First, within the United States, same sex unions have not been in existence in the light of day long enough to determine the long term effects of the arrangements on children. Even in times past, where there were same sex unions, in most cases, these relationships were secret. This creates a whole different psychology regarding the relationships and the effects. Surprisingly enough, the greatest argument against these relationships come from the homosexual advocate. According to them, the secrecy of such relationships doesn't produce favorable results for anyone, children or adults. Alas: "we want recognition, because we are having problems that heterosexual couples don't encounter" Are we to believe that these "problems" haven't had an effect on the children witnessing and experiencing the problems? Isn't this part of the fight for homosexual marriage?
In addition, prior to 2004, homosexual unions had no state sanctioning or place within the law. The law in Massachusetts has only been in existence since 2004. This is hardly long enough for ANY study to provide valid information as to how beneficial these relationships and arrangements may be. Sociologists know that it will take a minimum of 15 to 20 years to assess the societal impact of such relationships including the psychological health and benefits of the children that have the experience of openly homosexual parentage. So homosexual unions have in essence been similar to common law relationships or "shacking up" as some call it.
Further, we have ample proof that "playing house" or "shacking up" is harmful to children, sanctioned by the state or otherwise. We know that a lack of an official, light of day commitment within relationships is not in the best interest of emotional well being and stability of children. We also know that broken relationships devastate children.
Third, studies CLEARLY show that since the demise of the nuclear family committed by marriage, there has been an overall steady decline in productivity and a decrease in social morality and this has led to a decline in almost every measurable economic category. A broken down family reflects economically and has an economic cost. Further information on that can be found at Family Research Council
Fourth, the expectation of parents is also a factor according to Dr. Kara Joyner, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago in a 1996 Ph.D dissertation. In a study of 6 year relationships, 28 % of cohabitating men and 26% of cohabitating women expected their relationship to breakup at some point in the future. This was in contrast to 12% of married women and 11% of married men who had also been married for 6 years. What does this mean? It means that the psychological preparation is different for a person preparing for long term relationship as opposed to that of a person preparing for a breakup. Does anyone rationally believe that decisions made under circumstances where there is a minimized long term outlook, will not have an effect on children in those respective environments?
This is partially true. There has been homosexual unions in other countries for years. That's about where the truth ends.
The rest is another MYTH! There remains NO HOMOSEXUAL union that can produce a child. That is a fact. So NOT ONE homosexual union has produced a single child. Children have been raised within homosexual unions, but the union of 2 men or the union of 2 women cannot and does not produce any children.
The point of such comment would be that children raised by homosexual parents turn out OK. A statement of such is a subjective opinion and not an objective truth. It can only be judged on a case by case basis rather than going down a "rabbit hole" trying to prove or disprove the happiness of fulfillment of a class of people. Although the rash of suicides by teens have been interpreted to be an indictment upon a society that does not readily accept homosexuality, the opposite may well be true. Those suicides could be a revelation that homosexuality is an unwanted desire or at least a desire that the individual would have liked to have kept secret or out of the public conversation. The homosexual advocate has "spun" the deaths and tragedies to support their agenda...that is to their shame and the church should boldly make the pronouncement that we see and understand their diversion in this and they are FULL of lies!
In foreign countries, what we have is a certain amount of liberalism. In many cases we also see increases in crime and poverty rates. We certainly can't attribute children raised within homosexual unions to the cause of those increases, but we also cannot say that children raised in homosexual unions have brought special benefits to those societies either. So far as the individuals themselves, one would have to examine those individuals on a case by case basis to see the influence and well-being of each including the assessment of psychological well-being and stability.
Conclusion
So the problem is much more complex and unsettled than the homosexual advocate pretends that it is. It is time for believers to challenge the assertions that we hear and challenge them openly and with reason, beyond the emotionalism. The FACT remains, the fight for the homosexual marital rights ARE NOT anything similar to the fight for racial justice and equality...at the end of the day any person can chose to have sex or not and or hide their sexual inclinations. Blacks cannot do either...We cannot choose to not be black (ALTHOUGH SOME TRY) and we cannot choose to cover the color of our skin.
 |
| Warren Steed Jeffs & One Of His Underaged Wives |
Next up: We're dealing with President Obama's recent speech to the HRC on 10/1/2011. It was a fiasco!
Blessed!
Please excuse the errors in the original version of this the system had some sort of a glitch...it really wasn't ALL my fault-LOL
GCMwatch has an excellent article in conjunction with this also at HERE
ReplyDeleteI believe they are using victims, spinning it to promote their agenda. For shame!
Peoria Journal Star reports:
ReplyDelete"Catholic Charities of Peoria has dropped out of its months-long legal battle with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services over foster care and civil unions.
By Jan. 31, DCFS will transfer the faith-based agency’s multi-million dollar contract and about 1,000 foster care cases, including about 300 in Peoria, to a new organization that currently has no director, no office and no state licensing for foster care.
While spokespersons for Catholic Charities and DCFS hailed Thursday’s news as a solution that puts children first and assures a smooth transition, Michael Drymiller, a board member of the new organization — The Center for Youth and Family Solutions — said, “We have a lot of work to do.”
Drymiller, a financial adviser at Northwestern Mutual in Moline, said the board of The Center for Youth and Family Solutions formed last month. He and the other four board members had not met before.
“But we knew the people at Catholic Charities, so we were all motivated to try to keep the contracts intact,” he said. “We all knew the leadership at Catholic Charities, and we were all motivated to find a solution.”
The two board members with Peoria connections are Julie Hohulin and Jeff Myers. A Jeff Myers was the chief financial officer at Catholic Charities at one time, though his employment status could not be verified Thursday.
All parties say the new agency is not connected to Catholic Charities.
The Catholic Diocese of Peoria announced in a news release Thursday that it was withdrawing from all state-funded social services. Along with an approximately $15 million foster care contract, the plan is to transfer more than 200 Catholic Charities employees to the new agency.
“To my immediate knowledge, this is a first-of-its-kind solution,” said DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe. Though Marlowe previously mentioned the possibility of transferring foster care cases to agencies in the 26-county area of the Peoria diocese, he praised the new plan as “a cleaner, stronger solution that allows the team of professionals working at Catholic Charities to largely stay intact.”
The Peoria-based Catholic Charities is the largest of four Catholic Charities agencies that sued the state after civil unions were legalized in June. Catholic Charities in Springfield, Belleville and Joliet are appealing the latest judicial decision regarding state contracts.
DCFS did not renew their contracts after the agencies, based on religious convictions, refused to recognize the new civil unions law. The state said their refusal discriminated against same-sex couples.
Catholic Charities in Peoria, Springfield, Belleville and Joliet filed suit, maintaining they had property rights and a religious exemption. They argued they should have the contracts and be allowed to continue their long-standing practice of referring unmarried couples, including same-sex couples, to other agencies.
Catholic Charities of Peoria first signaled the possibility of withdrawing from the lawsuit last week after a Sangamon County Circuit judge ruled, for a second time, that the faith-based agencies do not have an automatic legal right to a state contract.
Attorneys for the Thomas More Society, a Catholic legal adovacy group that is arguing the cases pro bono, vowed an appeal on behalf of the four agencies. But Patricia Gibson, chancellor and general counsel for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria hesitated to say flat out that the Peoria diocese would appeal.
The reason behind her hesitation became clear in Thursday’s news release.
In the release, Bishop Daniel Jenky said he did not make the decision lightly. “Public policy and state laws, however, have increasingly clashed with church teachings in such a way that we no longer can maintain this partnership as a viable option.”
Almost $20 million of Catholic Charities’ $24 million budget is from state contracts. The diocese supplies about $220,000 to the budget."