To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

New Texas Adoption Law Seen as a Major Religious Victory: "It's What's Best for Children"

Charlene Aaron : Oct 25, 2017  CBN News

The state of California added Texas to its list of states banned from travel to conduct state business, claiming those states have laws that promote sexual discrimination.

airlift(Dallas, TX)—[CBN News] When it comes to adoption, putting children with same-sex couples often leads to a fierce debate. (Photo: via Today's Parent)

A lesbian couple in Michigan is suing the state after two Christian adoption agencies turned them away because they are gay.

"I'm very lucky to have very supportive friends and family and I work in a very supportive environment," said Kristy Dumont.

"I really have not faced any discrimination over being gay so calling the agencies and being told that it's our policy not to place kids with same-sex families was pretty hard to hear," she said in a video produced by the ACLU of Michigan.

Texas Law Protects Faith-Based Adoption Agencies

In order to prevent such lawsuits in Texas, lawmakers passed a bill that would protect Christian adoption agencies for refusing gay couples.

Faith-based operations make up 25 percent of the child-placing agencies in Texas.

Over the past few years, many faith-based groups stopped taking cases from the state's foster care system, fearing their Biblical view of marriage would clash with the LGBT community.

In an interview with CBN News, Scott Collins, senior vice president of Buckner International said, "Your religious convictions should not deny you the opportunity to care for children."

Buckner, an evangelical charity in Dallas, serves more than 1,000 Texas children each year.

"There's just not enough places for them," explained Collins.

"We've had children who've had to sleep on the floor of offices because there was nowhere to take them that night or the next night."

The recently passed Freedom to Serve Children Act protects groups like Buckner if they refuse to place children with gay couples.

Collins said, "We believe that God's design for a family is a man and a woman. That's our Biblically held belief and so, based on that, and with a number of other faith-based providers here in Texas, and obviously with the support of legislature and the governor of Texas, we have been able to secure this extra layer of protection for us to be able to really live out our Biblically convictions."

Texas Law Under Fire from LGBT Community

But the law has drawn fierce backlash from the LGBT community.

The state of California added Texas to its list of states banned from travel to conduct state business, claiming those states have laws that promote sexual discrimination.

The discrimination claim includes Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee.

"To travel to these states at state expense would mean that we would be using taxpayer dollars to support these states and we think it would be an offense to all those individuals in America who feel this scourge of discrimination," said Xavier Becerra, California's attorney general.

Dumont argues that refusing gay couples makes it difficult for children to be placed in loving homes.

"It affects the children because there are so many other couples like us out there who want to provide a home for these kids and are being told no because of this," she said.

Law Seen as Major Victory for Religious Freedom

Supporters of the Texas law disagree.

"At the end of the day what we're trying to get is more homes and I don't think this prevents more homes from coming from any sector of society from coming to the table," said Texas Rep James Frank, the bill's sponsor.

Meanwhile, Christians who feel their beliefs on marriage and family are increasingly attacked see the law as a major victory for religious freedom.

But Collins maintains it's also about saving lives.

Bottom Line: What's Best for the Children?

"For us what it comes down to is 'what about the children?'" he said.

"Do they win? Is this a win for the children? Not for any group or organization. It really is about the kids."

He said he is just thankful the new law allows them to continue helping the state's most vulnerable.

"We believe this is a very inclusive law," he said.

"We're not saying in any way that some people are bad and shouldn't be parents.

He added, "We're just saying this is what we believe. These are sincerely held religious convictions that we have and we want to continue to do what we've done for 138 years now."







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

'Get Him!': Watch as Brave Man Rescues Portion of American Flag Being Burned by 'Pro-Hamas Agitators' [Video]

A Growing Global Movement of Parents Is Keeping Their Kids Free from Smartphones

Democrat Downplays That Bill Would Cost Trump His Secret Service Detail

Teacher's Union Accused of Laundering $1.5 Million to Bankroll Dem Governor Josh Shapiro's Campaign

Dan Bongino: 9 Reasons to Vote for Kamala Harris

New Comms Director for Kamala Harris Campaign Wants to Pack the Supreme Court and Defund the Police

Pro-Life Protester Sentenced to More Than 3 Years Behind Bars for Blocking Abortion Clinic

Ben Carson Gives Perfect Defense of Pro-Life Position and Much More, in Powerful Tucker Carlson Interview [Watch]

Pastor Faced Death Threats, Had to Go into Hiding after Revealing Political Beliefs: 'I Reject the Victimhood Mentality'

'Hey Mom, I'm Trans!': The Truth About the Gender Dysphoria Deception, from a Mom in the Middle of It

These Important Election Integrity Initiatives Might Be on Your 2024 Ballot

Harris Campaign Admits to Misleading Voters on Trump, Project 2025

Pro-Harris Media Scrambles to Erase 'Border Czar' from Her Resume as GOP Highlights Her Record

House Republicans Raise American Flags at Union Station in DC after Chaotic Protesting Hamas Supporters Took Down and Burned Flags

Netanyahu Hails Israeli-US Bond, Reminds Protesters Israel the 'Land of the Bible' for 4,000 Years

'Influencing the Culture': Megachurch Equipping Churches to Mobilize Voters Ahead of November Election

Pray: Elderly Trump Supporter Run Over in Front Yard

Elon Musk Says AI Must Be 'Pro-Human,' Is Alarmed by Technological Developments

The Man and the Motive: Behind Musk's War on the 'Woke Mind Virus,' and Why He Fights for Children

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Promises Bill Protecting Rights to Refuse Vaccines Is Coming



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



BCN Plus

Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com