Illinois Government’s War Against Religious Child Services Continues

by Warner Todd Huston | October 31, 2011 10:32 pm

Earlier this year the State of Illinois moved to force religious-based children’s services to break their religious principles[1] and give children in their charge to homosexual couples. Organizations such as Catholic Charities have been told by the state that they either break their religious principles or face being shut down by the state. So, pursuant to that agenda, the state has determined that all children currently in the hands of religious adoption agencies need to be removed immediately.

Representing Catholic Charities of three Illinois Roman Catholic Dioceses, the Thomas Moore Society filed an emergency motion to prevent the state from removing all the children in its care. Unfortunately, an Illinois appellate court refused to overturn the trial court’s decision to remove the children during the appeal process in which lawyers are now engaged. (Filings here[2] and here[3].)

Still, other motions made in the emergency motion were granted. Thomas Moore informs that the matter “is now on an expedited schedule for briefing in the Appellate Court.” The fate of the children remains unknown at this point.

So what was so bad that the State of Illinois felt it necessary to take all children away from religious-based organizations? Have there been cases of abuse? Perhaps children’s services from religious-based groups have been rated lowly? Have adopting parents complained?

None of the above. In fact, there is no substantive reason at all for this attack on religious-based children’s services in the Land of Lincoln. Well, no reason except for a left-wing, pro-homosexual political agenda, that is.

You see, the state received precisely one complaint about Catholic Charities. It was from an activist homosexual who complained that the religious-based adoption agencies in the state would not willingly give children up to homosexual couples.

If there has been before such draconian actions taken by government based on a single, hazy, non-substantive complaint — one that did not entail any abuse of children — I’ve never heard tell of it. But here we have such a case. The complaint of one activist pushing the homosexual agenda was enough for the state to decide to force all religious children’s services to either break religious principles and give children to homosexual couples, or face being shut down by the iron fist of the state.

This overt attack on religious-based children’s services hits with interesting timing, too. This month the Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services gave Catholic Charities its highest rating for children’s services. Catholic Charities received a Level 1 compliance score[4] and was ranked as one of the best foster care providers in the state.

So on one hand, one state agency says that the services Catholic Charities provided to the State’s most vulnerable children is top notch, yet on the other hand another state agency (the Attorney General’s office) says that Catholic Charities is so bad it must be shut down.

It just goes to show that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (a Chicago Democrat) has a political agenda and doesn’t really care what’s good for the homeless children of Illinois.

Endnotes:
  1. force religious-based children’s services to break their religious principles: http://www.publiusforum.com/2011/10/11/illinois-government-continues-war-against-religion/
  2. here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/67940274/Illinois-Catholic-Charities-EMERGENCY-MOTION-OF-PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS-FOR-A-STAY-OF-ENFORCEMENT-OF-THE-CIRCUIT-COURT’S-ORDER
  3. here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/67942370/Illinois-Catholic-Charities-Summary-of-Grounds-for-Entry-of-a-Stay-on-Foster-Care-Case
  4. Catholic Charities received a Level 1 compliance score: http://www.scribd.com/doc/70566116/Catholic-Social-Services-of-Southern-Illinois-Gets-Highest-Ranking-for-Foster-Care-from-DCFS

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