SLOVAKIA: Billboard Touts Pope's Support For Tomorrow's Anti-Gay Rights Vote

Via Yahoo News:

A big billboard of Pope Francis hangs over the center of Slovakia's capital, urging citizens to vote "Yes" in a referendum on restricting gay rights. The vote this weekend in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation — which follows a similar one that succeeded in Croatia in 2013 — points to a cultural divide within the European Union in which more established western members are rapidly granting new rights to gays, while eastern newcomers entrench conservative attitudes toward LGBT people. In Saturday's vote, Slovaks will be asked whether they agree to three points: that marriage can only be called a union between man and woman; that same-sex partners must be barred from adopting children; and that it's up to parents to decide whether their children receive sex education. While the constitution already defines marriage as between man and woman, the campaigners decided it was important to include the question in the referendum to reinforce traditional family values.

As I reported two days ago, local activists are urging Slovaks to stay home tomorrow as at least 50% of registered voters must cast a ballot in order for a bill to become law. Therefore no vote at all is better than merely voting no. (Tipped by JMG reader Tristam)

RELATED: Read my breakdown of the several major US-based anti-gay Christian groups that are supporting tomorrow's vote.

Hobby Lobby Fallout: Religious Groups Demand Exemptions From Obama's Coming Executive Order On Employment

We all saw THIS coming. Via the Atlantic:

A group of faith leaders is urging the Obama administration to include a religious exemption in a forthcoming LGBT anti-discrimination action. Their call, in a letter sent to the White House Tuesday, attempts to capitalize on the Supreme Court case by arguing that it shows the administration must show more deference to the prerogatives of religion. "We are asking that an extension of protection for one group not come at the expense of faith communities whose religious identity and beliefs motivate them to serve those in need," the letter states.

The Hobby Lobby decision has been welcomed by religious-right groups who accuse Obama of waging a war on religion. But Tuesday's letter is different: It comes from as group of faith leaders who are generally friendly to the administration, many of whom have closely advised the White House on issues like immigration reform. The letter was organized by Michael Wear, who worked in the Obama White House and directed faith outreach for the president's 2012 campaign. Signers include two members of Catholics for Obama and three former members of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

"This is not an antagonistic letter by any means," Wear told me. But in the wake of Hobby Lobby, he said, "the administration does have a decision to make whether they want to recalibrate their approach to some of these issues." [snip] To these religious leaders, Hobby Lobby ought to prompt the White House to reexamine the way it weights religious rights against other priorities. Liberals opposed to the decision, on the other hand, argue it creates a slippery slope to more and more carve-outs from important legislation for claims based on faith. This executive order could be the next battleground for those competing points of view.

We still don't even know the actual wording of the executive order. By the way, among those "general friendly" faith leaders that signed the letter are Father Larry Snyder, the CEO of Catholic Charities, and Stephen Schneck, the head of the Institute for Religion & Democracy, which in March viciously denounced the United Methodists for refusing to ostracize clergy that conducted same-sex marriages.  Just a couple of weeks ago Schneck's group declared that the Presbyterian Church had sealed its doom by allowing pastors to conduct gay marriages. These guys are "generally friendly"?

We cannot allow another ENDA-sized loophole in this executive order or it will be useless.

Read the full letter.

Gingrich Lies About Gay Adoption

During a Meet The Press panel on same-sex marriage, yesterday Newt Gingrich issued the usual lie about gay adoption.

“But what I’m struck with is the one-sidedness of the desire for rights,” he added. “There are no rights for Catholics to have adoption services in Massachusetts. They’re outlawed. There are no rights in DC for Catholics to have adoption service. They’re outlawed.” “This passing reference to religion, we sort of respect religion — sure, as long as you don’t practice it,” Gingrich continued, saying we should go beyond the question of “Are you able to be gay in America?” and ask what it means. Whether that means, for example, eliminating “any institution which does not automatically accept that, and therefore, you’re now going to have a secular state, say, to a wide range of religious groups.”

Panelist Joy-Ann Reid shot Gingrich down, properly noting that Catholic Charities voluntarily withdrew their services rather than comply with anti-discrimination laws.

Catholic Charities: We're Done In Colorado

Responding to yesterday's passage of civil unions, Catholic Charities of Colorado said that they will probably end their adoption services rather than allow gay couples to rescue children abandoned by heterosexual parents.  

The Rev. Samuel J. Aqulia, archbishop of Denver, released a statement Tuesday refuting Ferrandino’s stance on religious exemptions, adding that while the Catholic Church “recognizes and affirms the dignity of every human person,” it does not view all relationships as equal. “The ability for religious-based institutions to provide foster care and adoption services for Colorado’s children is now dangerously imperiled,” Aquila said. “Marriage is a stabilizing institution at the foundation of civil society. Religious liberty is a civil rights issue. Both have been grievously harmed.”

A spokesman for Catholic Charities said a final decision will not be made until the bill is signed by the governor, but since the group did not get the exemption they demanded, it is unlikely the adoption program will continue. The organization has voluntarily ended their adoption programs in other states with legalized same-sex marriage. Hate groups typically characterize that voluntary action as having been "shut down by the state."

COLORADO: Catholic Charities Vows To Shut Down Adoptions Over Civil Unions

(Tipped by JMG reader Ned)

COLORADO: Civil Unions Bill To Be Heard By Senate Committee Next Week

On Wednesday the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee will begin hearings on a proposed civil unions bill.

Senate Bill 11 would "authorize any 2 unmarried adults, regardless of gender, to enter into a civil union." Last year, the Colorado House failed to vote on a civil union bill before the end of a special session of the legislature. This legislative session, democrats control the majority in the House and Senate. House Speaker Mark Ferrandino (D - Denver) says he would like to have a civil unions bill on Governor Hickenlooper's desk by Valentine's Day but has acknowledge it may take more time to get the bill through both chambers.

Catholic Charities is already screaming about changes to this year's version of the bill. Via Catholic News Agency:

If the legislation passes this year, civil unions for two people of any sex would be legally equivalent to marriage under state law. The 2012 Colorado Senate bill proposing to create the unions had stated that the bill “shall not be interpreted to require a child placement agency to place a child for adoption” with a couple in a civil union. That language, however, is absent from the 2013 bill, S.B. 11.

Kraska said this change means the legislation has the potential for “serious conflict with religious liberty” regarding religious institutions involved in charitable services as well as adoption and foster care. Mark Rohlena, President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, said if the bill passes it could threaten the religious liberty of agencies like his that decline to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples.

“We feel it would be a very sad commentary if Colorado forced religious institutions or those who believe in a different framework to do something against their conscience,” he told CNA Jan. 16. If Colorado law forces the Colorado Springs-based agency to violate Catholic teaching, he said, “we probably would cease the operation of our adoption programs.”

Petition Launched: Ask America’s Highest Profile Cardinal to Support LGBT Youth

Joseph Amodeo, who last week resigned from Catholic Charities after seeing Cardinal Dolan's arrogant and dismissive letter to Carl Siciliano, has launched a petition asked Dolan to meet with some of NYC's homeless LGBT youth.

It's wrong that 30-40% of homeless youth are LGBT. We're asking Cardinal Dolan to meet with homeless LGBT youth, hear their stories, and dialogue with them. A little over eight years ago, I came out as a gay man to my family and friends and continued to practice my faith as a Roman Catholic. I came to witness the overwhelming support that so many people have for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Despite support for LGBT people from so many Catholics today, I resigned from the Executive Committee of the Junior Board of Catholic Charities two weeks ago. [snip]

With Vatican insiders and international media outlets speculating that Cardinal Dolan could become the first Pope from America, join me today in calling on Cardinal Dolan and the Archdiocese of New York to meet with leaders from the LGBT community and homeless LGBT youth. Ask Cardinal Dolan to hear their stories, and collaborate in responding to the epidemic of LGBT youth homelessness. The petition will be delivered to Cardinal Dolan's office on the Feast of the Ascension, Thursday, May 17, 2012 to celebrate the rising support for LGBT people on a day when the Church celebrates Jesus Christ's love for all of us.

Read the full petition.

Catholic Charities Board Member Quits Over Cardinal Dolan Vs Carl Siciliano Flap

A board member of Catholic Charities has resigned after reading Cardinal Timothy Dolan's dismissive and arrogant response to Carl Siciliano.

Joseph Amodeo quit after Dolan took umbrage at a letter from a group that works with homeless lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender youths. “As a gay Catholic who teaches religious education (more than eight years in service to the Archdiocese of New York), is active in parish life and supports Catholic organizations, I’m afraid that the Archbishop has caused my heart to ache and my soul to feel pierced,” Amodeo wrote in his resignation letter. “With a discerning mind, I have tried to overlook the Cardinal's actions and comments, but this has now become impossible in light of his curt words to the founder of the nonprofit Ali Forney Center and New York City’s homeless LGBT youth.”

Three cheers for Joseph Amodeo.

COLORADO: Catholic Charities Testifies Against Pending Civil Unions Bill

Despite an exemption that specifically allows adoption agencies to refuse gay couples, Catholic Charities says they'll discontinue adoption services if the proposed civil unions bill passes in Colorado. Watch around the 5:00 mark when one Colorado state Senator explains the exemption, to which the Catholic Charities rep effectively says, "So what?"


RELATED: Sign ONE Colorado's petition.

Quote Of The Day - Bishop William Lori

"When in a state they’re proposing a same-sex marriage law, they always say to religious people ‘you don’t have to solemnize these marriages so we’re protecting your freedom,’ but they want to force us out of foster care and adoption, they want to force us to provide benefits for same-sex couples. The other thing we should not miss is that when we send our kids off to public schools and a lot of places its being drilled into them that the sexual mores taught by the churches are bad, repressive, that same-sex marriage is OK, that homosexuality is all right.

"Of course if you look at a Western Civ. course the role of Christianity is always portrayed in a negative light, as an impediment to progress. As I say, there is an established religion, it’s really an un-religion, an aggressive secularity, that’s a system of belief and that’s becoming the established ‘religion’ in our country today." - Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut, who yesterday testified before Congress about the president's alleged trampling of religious liberties.

Gingrich Panders To SC: Anti-Christian Bigotry Is Destroying America

Think Progress alerts us that Gingrich is lying again.

Gingrich Confronted On Adoption Lies

Huge props to Soledad O'Brien! Gingrich, of course, rolls right past her corrections and continues to lie.

(Via - Igor Volsky)

NOM: Gays Hate Foster Children

ILLINOIS: Republican Rep Attempts Adoption End Run Around Civil Unions

An Illinois GOP state senator has filed a bill that would grant a religious exemption to the state's Civil Union Act. Via the Christian Post:

State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) introduced a bill to amend the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act to give faith-based agencies such as Catholic Charities the right to decline an adoption or a foster family home application if it violates the group's religious beliefs. McCarter said the bill has a strong chance of passage. "I do believe that if it's sent to the floor, there [are] enough votes to pass it in the House and the Senate," McCarter told the State Journal-Register. If the bill is passed in both the state House and Senate, it will go into effect immediately. The bill is great news for Catholic Charities attorney Peter Breen. He believes lawmakers did not intend for the Civil Union Act to put one of the state's oldest foster care and adoption agencies out of business.

Catholic Charities lost their publicly-funded contract this summer when they refused to comply with state law.

FOTF: Gays Hate Christian Babies

ILLINOIS: Catholic Charities Loses Bid To Keep Adoption Contract With State

Catholic Charities has lost its request for a stay on the cancellation of its adoption contract with Illinois, a relationship severed by the state when the group refused to serve gay and unmarried couples.

Judge John Schmidt on Monday denied Catholic Charities' request to stay his earlier ruling that the group has no right to state contracts to provide adoption and foster care services. Illinois ended $30 million in contracts with Catholic Charities in four dioceses in July because the organizations' practice of referring unmarried couples to other agencies was discriminatory, a violation of the state's civil union law.

Catholic Charities plans to further appeal to a higher court.

ILLINOIS: Catholic Charities Loses Adoption Lawsuit Against State

An Illinois judge has ruled that the state acted legally when it canceled its adoption contract with Catholic Charities. The state's move came after Catholic Charities declared that it would not abide by the new civil unions law and treat gay couples fairly.

"The fact that the Plaintiffs have contracted with the State to provide foster care and adoption services for over forty years does not vest the Plaintiffs with a protected property interest," Schmidt wrote in the judgment. "The State may refuse to renew the Plaintfiffs' contracts." The charities had claimed that the DCFS decision not to renew contracts was illegal under religious freedom protections and argued that they have a right to continue foster care work without compromising religious practice. "We believe that we do comply [ with the law ] because there is an exemption there," said Thomas Brejcha, an attorney for the four charities. "To say that somehow our entities are the same as non-sectarian agencies is to say that alpha is the same as omega."

ILLINOIS: Judge Reinstates Adoption Contract With Catholic Charities

An Illinois judge has temporarily reinstated Catholic Charities as a state-funded adoption agency. This move comes one day after Illinois announced it was severing Catholic Charities' contract because it was apparent that the group would not abide by the new civil unions law.

Judge John Schmidt said the abrupt termination of the contracts could affect foster kids' well-being despite the state's assurances that about 2,000 foster children in Catholic Charities-supported homes would not be affected. He set a hearing on the matter Aug. 17. "We need to work together in these things, not to have this absolute bulwark, walls of separation between us," Catholic Charities lawyer Thomas Brejcha of Chicago said after the hearing. "All these kids need a good chance." The suit argues that the state can only enforce its dicta if there is a "compelling government interest" and it's the "least restrictive" means of achieving it. A far less restrictive method would be allowing Catholic Charities to continue referring gay couples to other agencies who handle adoptions and foster placements, its lawyers said.

IL Severs Ties With Catholic Charities

The state of Illinois has severed its relationship with Catholic Charities, ending all involvement and financial support for its adoption and foster programs.

Though four Catholic Charities agencies had already stopped licensing new foster parents, three of them will seek an injunction from a Sangamon County judge on Tuesday to continue serving families and abiding by Catholic principles that prohibit placing children with unmarried cohabiting couples. “We’re not sure what the state is intending to do or how it’s intending to do it,” said Peter Breen, an attorney with the Thomas More Society representing Catholic Charities. “It’s a surprise. But it’s also very disturbing. The impact on the [nearly 2,000] children in Catholic Charities care will be catastrophic.”

In letters sent last week to Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Peoria, Joliet and Springfield and Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said the state could not accept their signed contracts for the 2012 fiscal year. Each letter said funding was declined because “your agency has made it clear that it does not intend to comply with the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act,” which the state says requires prospective parents in civil unions to be treated the same as married couples.

In other states, Catholic Charities has chosen to go out of the adoption business rather than comply with laws regarding gay couples.

PhoboQuotable - Ignacio Barreiro

"The Catholic Church has often affirmed that here is no 'right to adopt.' It is a privilege and responsibility to be granted only to those married couples who can demonstrate, through their loving, permanent commitment to each other, their ability to make a lifetime commitment to raising a child in the best environment possible. May God bless these shepherds, their flocks and their work, and continue to grant them strength as they weather the storm which will certainly follow their bold leadership. We gladly welcome this clear, public stance for truth, religious freedom, and for children." - Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, congratulating Illinois' Catholic bishops for their lawsuit demanding exemption from anti-discrimination laws.