In response to the Catholic Church closing orphanages...?

Now that's cutting off your nose to spite your own face.

Really shows how much they actually care about the kids, eh?

I have to agree with Marysia even though I am not Roman Catholic. The state, in both cases, was dictating morality to the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The RCC had two choices: institute what they consider immoral practices in their orphanages, or close the orphanages.

The only reasonable choice a devout Christian can make when choosing between right and wrong is to choose right - regardless of the consequences. The means *never* justify the ends.

What is really a shame here is that the states have enforced their morality on a private religious institution. There should be a separation, here, of church and state. The state should be able to *restrict* a religions institution's actions (for example, by outlawing child sacrifice), but they should not be able to *force* a religious institution's actions.

You wrote

Would you rather see a child aborted or adopted into a home with homosexual parents?

I don't understand. Does the closing of Roman Catholic orphanages mean that people will suddenly start getting abortions? How does one relate to the other - are the state orphanages so vile that a woman would prefer getting an abortion to allowing her child to enter a state orphanage?

Jim, http://www.christianwebprogramming.com/br/selector...

Do you have a link to that? I know Catholic orphanages do not allow homosexuals to adopt but to go to this extent? That seems far-fetched (I'm not calling you a liar, just want to get the fact straight). I rarely criticize Catholicism because I see it as the rational out of all Christian churches. Also, I was raised Catholic so that may have something to do with it.

I'm atheist, I'm pro-gay rights, and I'm against abortion. I do not support abortion and would like to see it restricted/outlawed. Now with that said if the story is true then the Catholic Church has lost a bit of its integrity. Denying a child to be with a family that actually wants him/her is wrong. I don't care if a gay or straight couple adopt a child as long as they're prepare for parenthood and will provide love to that child. I don't think we need to put any more restrictions on adoption as it already has a lot and in the end that affects the children. Adoption is sometimes the only way those children would know what a family is. It seems to me people are putting politics and their own personal beliefs over what is best for a child. That is sad.

Yeah, I've heard the same on Catholic radio. Anti-discrimination laws in some states require adoption agencies to allow adoption by gay couples and the Catholics would rather get out of the adoption business than comply.

I don't agree with the Catholic church on many things but so long as they're not being supported by public funds they're free to do what they want.

I have heard of no such procedure, and if there was any accuracy to it there would be several articles on it. America stops at nothing to humiliate and accuse the catholics of any wrong doing.

I myself am a catholic and support gay adoption because a happy house filled with love is better than any orphanage

To answer your question to bob - orphanages are overflowing because couples typically want only infants. Children older than about 1, who are in an orphanage (or similar facility) because their parents have died, left them, etc, are not often wanted. It's sad, but true.

Also - you must understand that the choice here was ultimately between sinning and closing, which in the minds of the Church is not a choice at all. In the eyes of the Church, they weren't told to chose between giving kids to gay couples or closing, they were just told to close.

The government could have respected the free practice of religion, but it did not, and thus this is the result.

How sad. :( I would rather see gay people raising a child than see it murdered, of course. But that said, even if the Catholic church (or anyone, for that matter) closes orphanages, that doesn't justify anyone's choice to have an abortion.

Its their orphanage, they can close it if they want.

Which would be better? Allowing the Catholic Church to proceed with a good service that doesn't include society enforcing conflicting morals on these Catholic-run organizations? Or to let the orphanages close down because society wants to force a Christian-run organization to allow homosexuals to adopt?

You're just ticked that the Catholic Church doesn't let society bully them around.

In addition to the traditional moral truths that have been handed down for centuries, the Church provides clear moral teaching on current issues including stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, mercy killing, various complex medical/surgical issues. etc.

My response to your question: neither. There is an abundance of hetero marriages that would love to adopt a child. For every complex question, there are many simple wrong answers.

homosexuality is against the Catholic teachings. that being said, they closed because they were being forced to allow something to happen with which they didn't agree. why did THEY have to change THEIR opinion - why couldn't the state leave them alone? the same will be happening with the Catholic hospitals. if people force them to preform abortions - they will close. i thought there was a separation of church and state AND a freedom of religion.