In response to a disputed decision from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the Wolverine State’s largest Christian adoption agency says it will begin placing children in the homes of same-sex couples.
According to LifeSiteNews, Bethany Christian Services, a nonprofit based in Grand Rapids, announced Monday “that it will now facilitate the placement of children into gay and lesbian households.” That announcement followed an April 11 vote of the agency’s national board of directors to change its policy, which had previously excluded LGBT couples from adopting children.
The policy change came in response to Nessel’s unilateral decision to overturn a group of 2015 laws that allowed faith-based organizations to refuse to place children in LGBT homes. At the time, Nessel, a Democrat who is “married” to another woman, called the laws “a victory for the hate mongers.”
A lesbian couple, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the state to overturn the laws after the women’s adoption requests were rejected by both Bethany and Lansing-based St. Vincent Catholic Charities. (Never mind the fact that there are 88 other adoption agencies getting state money, most of which would have been happy to serve the women.) Nessel was, of course, only too happy to settle the lawsuit by declaring the laws null and void.
“Discrimination in the provision of foster care case management and adoption services is illegal, no matter the rationale,” Nessel said in a statement. “Limiting the opportunity for a child to be adopted or fostered by a loving home not only goes against the state’s goal of finding a home for every child, it is a direct violation of the contract every child placing agency enters into with the state.”
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St. Vincent, which handles less than one percent of Michigan’s adoption cases, is challenging the settlement in court.
Bethany, which facilitates about nine percent of the state’s adoptions, chose to capitulate.
“The mission and beliefs of Bethany Christian Services have not changed,” the agency said in a statement. “We are focused on demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by serving children in need, and we intend to continue doing so in Michigan.”
Queried by LifeSiteNews as to how placing children in LGBT homes comports with Bethany’s mission, a spokesperson said, “At Bethany, we believe in God’s plan for marriage and family as it is outlined in the scriptures. We also believe that every child should grow up knowing that they are chosen and worthy of unconditional love and care. As Christians we must provide for the welfare of children in need, specifically in the arena of foster care.”
“Bethany cannot cede the foster care space completely to the world and leave children without the opportunity to experience Jesus through our loving care,” the spokesperson added. “Therefore, we will continue foster care operations in Michigan and serve all families in compliance with our contract requirements. The church must be present and engaged, even in environments where we are the minority. Remaining involved in this work provides Christian families the opportunity to partner with an agency that shares their faith and to unashamedly show the love of Christ by caring for children and families in need.”
Left unsaid was the fact that violating Nessel’s directive, assuming it is allowed to stand, would have deprived Bethany of about 65 percent of its revenue (as of 2017).
Nessel applauded Bethany’s decision, tweeting: “Having more adoption agencies which don’t discriminate =‘s more children adopted into loving, nurturing ‘forever’ homes. Thank you to Bethany Christian Services!”
Bethany is just one of many Christian adoption agencies across the country faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to bow to the government’s demands to place kids in LGBT homes. Catholic Charities have already shut down in various cities and states because of such laws. A U.S. Circuit Court just ruled against a Catholic foster-care agency whose contract with the city of Philadelphia was canceled because it refused to place children with LGBT couples. A Christian adoption agency in New York State is also fighting for its survival for similar reasons.
Government used to prosecute corruption of minors, but in today’s topsy-turvy world, it persecutes those who refuse to be complicit in corrupting them.
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