Supreme court AGAIN rejects discrimination against faith.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-supreme-court-again-rejects-discrimination-against-faith/ar-AALw0S7?ocid=msedgntpThe Supreme Court again rejects discrimination against faith
Donavan Wilson 13 hrs ago
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Can people who follow their faith continue to offer their homes to foster children? When state or local governments impose unnecessary regulations on Christian foster agencies, they cannot, and it’s the children in need of a loving, supportive home who lose out.
a large building with United States Supreme Court Building in the background© Provided by Washington Examiner
Sunrise Children Services, a nonprofit ministry associated with Baptists, is a licensed provider of foster care and other services in Kentucky. It might have to stop if the state tries to enforce a new contract provision that would force Sunrise to fit children with same-sex couples, contrary to its religious beliefs and long-standing practice.
Sunrise’s practice hasn’t excluded anyone. According to Dale Suttles, the organization’s president, it directs couples “that aren’t the best fit” to other organizations so that they may still foster children.
That’s not good enough for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who wants to force Sunrise to embrace same-sex couples as part of its continued contract.
“It would be a mistake not to place kids with wonderful couples that want to be foster parents that are gay,” Beshear said. “People make wonderful foster parents in all types of couples, and we shouldn’t be eliminating or discriminating against any of them.”
This month, Beshear’s mandate might have run headlong into the Constitution. The Supreme Court on June 17 ruled in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that Philadelphia may not exclude Catholic Social Services, another Christian foster agency, simply because city bureaucrats disagree with the Catholic Church’s principles regarding marriage.
In 2018, Philadelphia declined to contract with CSS so long as the organization would not certify same-sex couples to be foster parents. Although no same-sex couple had complained, the city, which oversees all foster families, enforced its nondiscrimination provision. As in Kentucky, the government pressed Christian organizations to toss aside their traditions, change with the times, and abandon their beliefs. Two foster moms and CSS sued.
The court said Philadelphia violated the Constitution’s guarantee of free exercise of religion by ending a contract with CSS to screen foster parents.
“CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the Supreme Court.
What was perhaps most striking was that the decision was unanimous. Liberal and conservative justices joined together to stand for religious liberty.
Beshear should heed that strong state statement from the court and abandon his oppressive mandate in Kentucky.
America is at an inflection point. Some individuals tolerate faith only as long as it remains open for business one day per week. Step outside the church, synagogue, temple, or other place of worship, however, and people of faith should bow to liberal dogma.
That view is contrary to the Gospel proclaimed by Christ. The Christian faith must extend its principles beyond the parish and pews in service to society. Such duty to serve the community is common among most religions.
Since Plymouth Rock, people escaping religious hostility have found religious freedom here. While the church is far from perfect, it is tethered to the eternal. Our secular postmodern society sees babies as a burden and the church as an outdated relic, an obstacle to the greater progressive common good.
Christians are pretty good at offering assistance to the less fortunate. The Catholic Church offers an array of services to those who lack important resources. Yet, if society excludes the Christian world from lending a helping hand, the poor, marginalized, and underserved will suffer.
Government cannot exclude religious organizations from receiving contracts or benefits just because of their faith. Our Constitution provides protection for religious individuals to practice their faith in peace. In its ruling, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the First Amendment rights of all religious people. This specific law requires the government to accommodate diverse religious beliefs.
We live in a pluralistic society with many religions. America can have some organizations that work with same-sex couples and some that do not. We can all agree all such organizations should act in the best interest of both the less fortunate and the children.
Christians do not want to impose their beliefs on others, but they also don’t want the beliefs of the state imposed on them. The rule of law and the Constitution must allow people of all faiths to flourish and find fulfillment.
Donavan Wilson is a writer in Washington, D.C., who covers culture, religion, spirituality, and politics.
Tags: Opinion, Op-Eds, Supreme Court, Religious Freedom, Family Issues, LGBT, Christianity, Foster Care, adoption, First Amendment
Original Author: Donavan Wilson
Original Location: The Supreme Court again rejects discrimination against faith
