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Visit Chris-735081's column >>

CHRIS-735081

Articles Posted: 11  Links Seeded: 77
Member Since: 11/2008  Last Seen: 5/16/2012

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Bill passes to allow state-licensed agencies to deny adoption to those found "unaccpetable" for "religious reasons"

Seeded on Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:53 PM EST
Read ArticleArticle Source: Richmond Times Dispatch
discrimination, politics, atheism, religious-discrimination, dominionism
Seeded by Chris-735081
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The state Senate on Thursday approved the "conscience clause" bill that allows state-funded private adoption agencies to deny placement services to children and prospective parents who don't share their beliefs.

The bill effectively would allow faith-based organizations, such as Catholic Charities, to legally deny the placement of gay children and the adoption of children by gay parents.

Senate Bill 349, sponsored by Sen. Jeff McWaters, R-Virginia Beach, codifies recently adopted state regulations governing the adoption and foster-care placement of children by state-funded agencies.

It passed the chamber on a 22-18 vote, with two Democrats — Sens. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, and Phillip P. Puckett, D-Russell siding with all 20 Republicans in the evenly divided chamber.

Federal law prohibits discrimination by race, national origin and religion. Virginia law allows adoption to married couples and single adults — gay or straight — but does not extend to gay couples.

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  • Chris-735081's Column, All of Newsvine
  • Groups: Anti-Discrimination, Atheism, Atheism Debates, Centervine, Clinton Conservatives, DemGuys, FIRED UP DEMOCRATS!, Free Thinkers, GOP Watch , Gut Check America, Islam Anti-Defamation League, Left of Center, Newsvine HONOR Vine, Outing Dominionism, Outraged Americans For Justice, Politics in USA, Progressive American Rights, Queer Agendas, Rightwingnutjobs, Seeders and Posters w/ Manners, Southern Liberal Democrats, Theocratic Life, We The Godless
  • Regions: Richmond/Petersburg
  • Public Discussion (18)
Chris-735081

McWaters said the bill doesn't change who can and who cannot adopt children in Virginia. Instead, he said, it preserves the rights of faith-based organizations to carry out their services without violating the tenets of their religious beliefs.

But critics say the current regulations allow faith-based adoption agencies — which account for more than half of the 80 placement agencies that receive state funding — to discriminate against gay children or a prospective gay parent if their lifestyle conflicts with the religious beliefs of the organization.

Further, they argued that the legislation would sanction an even broader and arbitrary discrimination, because it potentially allows any private placement agency licensed by the state to make up its own changing set of discriminatory rules in administration of services.

  • 8 votes
Reply#1 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:54 PM EST
Chris-735081

Small government Republicans. /sarcasm

  • 13 votes
#1.1 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:00 PM EST
Woody316

F'ing disgusting.

Virginia law allows adoption to married couples and single adults — gay or straight — but does not extend to gay couples

But I have to ask. In Virginia gay marriage is banned and they don't recognize out of state legal gay marriages, so ALL gay people in Virginia are technically single. How does this change anything other than back up the bigotry with worthless legislation.

  • 9 votes
#1.2 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:25 PM EST
Agent 57

cue the ACLU.. this bill will never stand...

  • 12 votes
#1.3 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:29 PM EST
American Spirit

No it won't. The homophobics tried numerous votes in my state to obtain a similiar goal but they got tossed out by the courts too. It's an unconstitutional law.

  • 11 votes
#1.4 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:46 PM EST
Woody316

No it won't. The homophobics tried numerous votes in my state to obtain a similiar goal but they got tossed out by the courts too. It's an unconstitutional law.

We have a ban on gay marriage that was passed by voters still hanging around though even after Prop 8 was shut down. Not even a hint of discussion about that in Virginia yet. Makes me ashamed to be Virginian.

  • 9 votes
#1.5 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:00 PM EST
Rahlly

I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. It's very simple. If you want to to run a state licensed business then you must not discriminate against anyone. In this case, unless they are going to harm the child or neglect the child or in any way abuse the child, they should be considered as valid adopters. Maybe later you might find another reason to exclude them, say they can't afford another child but that's different.

  • 8 votes
#1.6 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:33 PM EST
petridishofideas

Up until fairly recently I had resepct for Virginia until they got all brain dead and voted in the soulless and heartless gNOp. Never again will I want to move back. SC is bad enough. virginia is WORSE!

  • 2 votes
#1.7 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:15 PM EST
Rainbow Warrior

But but but...don't you want a severely conservative President too?

  • 2 votes
#1.8 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 7:50 PM EST
Reply
lifeisgood43

This is one of the reason why I have always called America a hypocritical and not the place where: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is always used. Remember that the people who wrote all of that crap where racists slave owners and raping their slaves. Also remember how America treats his Gay Pride people and women by large with negativity.

Like I tell people, AMERICA AIN'T ALL THAT

  • 8 votes
Reply#2 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:33 PM EST
Woody316

Like I tell people, AMERICA AIN'T ALL THAT

Having travelled abroad numerous times I can say "That is the truth". Unless you step outside the bubble that is America from time to time you really don't have anything to base your opinion of America on.

  • 10 votes
#2.1 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:45 PM EST
Reply
Libertarian y2k

I don't think this one stands a court challenge.

  • 6 votes
Reply#3 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:47 PM EST
demo scout

It is very interesting that the same people who don't think the government should provide for people to have contraceptives if it is against their employers religious principles should think that it is perfectly alright for the government to fund agencies that enforce their particular religious values against others and deny them the right to adopt.

It all boils down to "our religion is better than yours and we are better than you." This stuff is not only contemptible, it is anti-American and very destructive to democracy because it says that some people do not have the same quality of citizenship as others. If that is to be acceptable then why should anyone who is considered less of a citizen be willing to be a part of this "democracy."

  • 9 votes
Reply#4 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:04 PM EST
3rdtime

And just which religion are they thus sanctioning as the official Virginia State Religion? Doesn't this somehow conflict with Federal standards? I'm sure they haven't read in detail all the Federal Statutes but a glance at the Constitution would be a good place to start.

  • 5 votes
Reply#5 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:10 PM EST
DocPhil

More anti-gay bigotry from the religious right..... When are these people going to learn that they are on the wrong side of history?........ Those who want to discriminate against the LGBT community will find themselves among the same footnotes in the historical record as the slaveholders of 1860.

  • 5 votes
Reply#6 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 4:12 PM EST
Better Careful

When we permit our society to pick and choose which laws apply to which groups or individuals, that is the way to tyranny. Either we're all equal and live under the same laws, or none of us are. Do not condone this sort of tyranny, not coming from our own government.

Elect and insist upon democracy and representative government. All the alternatives to that are unacceptable.

Up with democracy. Up with freedom.

  • 4 votes
Reply#7 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:47 PM EST
charger383

This is another dumb thing out of Richmond. They will waste a lot of tax dollars defending it and lose. But our horse's rear end of an Attorney General will use it to make more of a name for himself

  • 4 votes
Reply#8 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:00 PM EST
barry-barry-libcon

Am I to assume that if you're christian taliban you can not adopt under this new law?

Naw, "christian taliban" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------anybody tired of these folk yet?

  • 1 vote
Reply#9 - Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:36 PM EST
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