The Boston Archdiocese and Gay Adoption

Catholic Charities of Boston has announced that it will stop placing children in adoptive homes altogether to avoid the issue of having to allow them to being adopted by a gay or lesbian couple. This report states that the organization, a big deal in heavily catholic Boston, has placed over 700 children over the last two decades, 13 of them with gay families.

This is one of those stories that I had to re-read a couple of times to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.

I think I understand it now. This organization has decided that it is better to leave children in foster homes or an orphanage than to place them with a potentially loving, stable, affluent gay or lesbian couple. Why?

Fear.

I don't think too many intelligent people think that being raised by GLBT adults makes a child become gay (note, I said intelligent people).

I believe religious organizations like the catholic church that condemn homosexuality do not want children influenced by GLBT people in any way. If they allow that to happen, the children might learn that there is nothing inherently wrong with homosexual people. GLBT couples function very much like hetrosexual couples. They're people who have made a committment to a person they love. The only major difference is that the other person is of the same gender, not a different one, something I've had an opportunity to observe myself.

Children growing up in these homes may come to think that the church's teaching are shallow and bigoted. They may place more value in what they see with their own eyes and the love and guidance they have received from their parents than the teaching of the church.

In the meantine, according to this report, there are 119,000 children awaiting adoption.

According to Catholic Charities of Boston, that's better than them winding up in the hands of gay or lesbian couples.

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people and organizations will go to discriminate or just outright hate GLBT people, regardless of how it affects others, even innocent children.

Would You Take a Bullet for Christ?

In this fascinating example, one church was tested with that very question. Fortunately, no one was actually shot, but I found it intersesting to see how the congregation at that particular church. It really gives you pause for thought and, for those of you who are christians, hopefully helps you examine just how deep your committment to Christ REALLY is. I sure the members of that congregation did.

In the same post on the blog "A Christian Voice for LGBT Rights," there are examples of how there is a double standard of how we often evaluate our actions differently when they involve spreading the gospel of Christ. One of them is:

"Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says."

Things that make you go "hmmmm."

Happy pondering.

The Latest From Our Good Friends At the AFA

Yes, that open minded group called the American Family Association has a new company they want to ruin. They take credit for bringing NBC to it's knees and forcing the cancellation of the program "The Book of Daniel" because it did not portray christians as a cross between June Cleaver and Mother Theresa. Now, they are targeting the Ford Motor Company for another boycott effort.

Here are a few of the sinful acts (in their view) that Ford is guilty of.

o They were given a 100% score on this year's Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, the largest corporation to earn that score. We can't have corporate America promoting human rights, now can we?

o Ford has been on the DiversityInc "Top 50 Companies for Diversity" all four years of its existence. Diversity in the workplace? What heathens.

o They recruited homosexuals by advertising on "gay job sites."

o Ford targeted some marketing to GLBT people. What nerve this company has. They actually want to employ gays and let them drive the cars that Ford makes.

I suppose the AFA wants GLBT people to take the bus to pick up their unemployment checks.

There are other terrible affronts to society that the Ford Motor Company has committed according to the AFA. It's a lengthy list, Ford has apparently been very busy trying to destroy the fabric of our country.

Of course, what Ford is really guilty of is supporting organizations that have values which differ from those expoused by the American Family Association.

We just can't have that kind of thing in the United States.

Hammering a Point

I was channel surfing on my satellite radio on the way home (give a straight man a remote control, we surf, that's what we do) and ran across the Sean Hannity show on ABC Radio. Hannity is a right-wing conservative who appears nightly on Fox News (where else). I disagree with much of what he stands for, but I find it helpful to listen to opposing points of view from time to time.

Anyway, what really bothered me was not something he said but a statement from one of his callers. After proudly stating he was a republican, he told Hannity (I'm paraphrasing), "I'm a teacher, and there's five republicans and two democrats sitting at the lunch table every day. We hammer them pretty good but they still don't get it." Hannity applauded him for the effort he was putting into converting democrats and encouraged him to continue.

I wonder if that's how he teaches--hammers the lessons across to his students? Is that the only way people communicate anymore? Does anyone listen? Is a respectful exchange of ideas not cool anymore?

I'm not just talking about the right wing, either. When I listen to liberal talk programs, they are often calling President Bush a moron of idiot or a variety of other disrespectful names. All that kind of talk does is fire up people who agree with it and stiffen the resolve of those who disagree to force their point of view on everyone. There are ways to disagree with someone's actions or policies without stooping to name calling, but it's easier to take the cheap shot and maybe get a few laughs in the process.

It's hard to really understand both sides of an issue and have an educated debate. Who wants to make that kind of effort anyway?

If we're not careful, we might learn something.

Education.....What a Concept!

One of the major battlegrounds between gay rights activists and their opponents has been local school systems. The issue of how much to teach children about homosexuality and especially how it is to be presented are serious hot-button issues. This has often pushed emotions on both sides past the point of reason.

This recent AP story brings the concept of fair and reasoned debate back to the table. Groups on both sides agreed to set up a framework for this debate, one where everyone shares their views and listens to others.

It's a shame that this is so newsworthy, but at least it is good news. The battle will continue, but perhaps there can be less emotion, especially hate, and more understanding.