Illinois Refuses To Fund Discriminatory Orgs, Catholics Clutch Pearls In Shock

50 years ago, Catholic Charities formed a relationship with the state of Illinois, garnering them millions over the years and placing thousands of the children in their adoption services with families in the Prairie State.  This week, that relationship has ended, with Illinois declining to renew contracts with the faith-based organization.  Why?  Because Catholic Charities is refusing to abide by Illinois state law and continues to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The newly passed Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, which was designed in order to provide more homes with loving parents, is the cited reason for the breach.  In essence, if Catholic Charities had provided adoption services to couples who have civil unions in Illinois, they could have avoided losing state money.  All they had to do was obey the law, put aside their discriminatory policies, and give children loving homes with gay couples seeking children.

Now, of course, they're quick to point fingers at the state and blame them for oncoming detriment to the children in their "care."

From the Chicago Tribune:

"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.'"

Right.  And that impact could have been avoided if Catholic Charities had simply stopped being assholes about gay folk.  Instead, they continue to flout common sense and scientific studies on the issue of gay parenthood, and now their government check won't come in.

I hope this is a lesson to faith-based organizations hoping to continue to deprive children of every loving home possible: you can't do your job if you flout law, conventional wisdom, and common decency.  If these people really cared about these children, they would set aside their idiocy and choose the no-brainer: Accept gay couples as valid parents.