Homosexual lobby successfully closes down century old Illinois Catholic Charities

The purpose of Gay Marriage

Putting an end to legal efforts to keep Catholic Charities in the foster care business, the Roman Catholic dioceses of Joliet, Springfield and Belleville have dropped a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, agreeing to transfer thousands of foster care children and staff to other agencies.

The end of the lawsuit brings to a close nearly a century of foster care services provided by Catholic Charities in Illinois.

Since March, state officials have been investigating whether religious agencies that receive public funds to license foster care parents are breaking anti-discrimination laws if they turn away openly gay parents.

After the civil union bill went into effect in June, Catholic Charities told the state that accommodating prospective foster parents in civil unions would violate Catholic Church teaching that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Catholic Charities said it would instead refer gay couples elsewhere and only license married couples and single parents living alone.

The agency has pointed to a clause in the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act that they believe protects religious institutions that don't recognize civil unions.

But lawyers for the Illinois attorney general said that exemption only shields religious clergy who don't want to officiate at civil unions. The policy of Catholic Charities violates state anti-discrimination laws that demand couples in civil unions be treated the same as married couples, they said.

A transition plan for cases had already begun with a deadline of Nov. 30. But Peter Breen, an attorney for Catholic Charities, said the state had delayed payments for foster care services, which delayed payments to foster care parents working for the social service agency.

“The action of the state forced the end of this case,” Breen said. “Time was our enemy in this unfortunately.”

Chicago Trib

And we are the bigots for proposing marriage amendments.  This is precisely why marriage amendments are necessary.  A private matter between two people... ha, indeed.  Coming to you soon New York.