On Tuesday, December 2, 2008, The United Families International Blog posted a piece entitled, “Gay Marriage: Sexual Freedom Trumps Religious Freedom”, penned by an unnamed author. The article claims, in part, that where gay marriage is legalized, “those who are free to practice religion lose aspects of that precious freedom.” Huh? Wait, it gets better:
“A perfect illustration of my argument took place in March of 2006 in the liberal state of Massachusetts. Catholic Charities of Boston began in 1903 as an adoption agency primarily serving Catholic children left by parents who died or abandoned them. For more than 100 years this respectful organization placed children in homes with goodly parents who would watch over and nurture them as they grew.”
“In 2006 Catholic Charities of Boston was forced to shut down their adoption department and get out of the business of finding homes for children. This decision was made after the organization was given an ultimatum from the state government: Comply with state law and adopt to gay couples, or close your doors. The Catholic church condemns homosexuality, it is a practise that is against the Catholic religion, for this they morally could not place a child in to the home of a gay or lesbian couple.”
Sounds like a terrible end to a wonderful story. What a shame. Also, what a sham. UFI is lying. And I called them on it. And they refused to publish my comment on their blog. So, below is my comment that they refused to publish, to their slanted, hateful, bigoted piece. Draw your own conclusions.
“It is a terrible shame. A terrible shame that you have chosen to alter the facts which are clearly and easily verified. You state, “In 2006 Catholic Charities of Boston was forced to shut down and get out of the business of finding homes for children.” Really? Forced to shut down? Well, Catholic Charities of Boston is alive and well. Here is their website. As a matter of fact, according to Catholic Charities’ own website, earlier this year the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachussets, Martha Coakley, “served as host to Catholic Charities Greater Boston’s Teen Center at St. Peter’s Job Shadow Day. The daylong event was held at the Attorney General’s Office in Boston.”
“Catholic Charities was not “forced to shut down and get out of the business of finding homes for children.” Catholic Charities WAS performing adoption services to gay and lesbian parents. This from The Boston Globe, which you can read in its entirety here:
“Agency officials said they had been permitting gay adoptions to comply with the state’s antidiscrimination laws. But after the story was published, the state’s four bishops announced they would appoint a panel to examine whether the practice should continue. In December, the Catholic Charities board, which is dominated by lay people, voted unanimously to continue gay adoptions.”
“In the end, one Bishop decided against the will of the people in the congregation and against other Bishops and ended their adoptions. They were not “forced to shut down”. They CHOSE to stop helping children. What a shame.
Get your facts straight and present the truth. And have the courage to sign your name to your work. I do.