A Tale of 2 Religions
It was the vote heard around the world.
Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson was confirmed 62-45 by the Episcopal Church USA during their convention in Minneapolis last week. The House of Bishops vote immediately received worldwide attention, and could cause a massive split in the Anglican Church worldwide.
Robinson went home to New Hampshire to serve his church last weekend, as church followers around the world deal with the fallout.
Meanwhile, the convention failed to approve a measure fully backing same-sex union ceremonies.
Catholics are also dealing with the ramifications of recent moves by their church leaders, specifically the directive from the Vatican against same-sex marriage and parents. The strong wording against gay marriage and gay parents has caused Catholic Charities of Chicago to rethink its adoption and foster care policies.
But Catholic Charities, like many church-related groups, receives millions of dollars in taxpayer support. Those taxpayer dollars include many gay and lesbian dollars. In addition, both the city of Chicago and Cook County have protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The question is, will Catholic Charities be able to discriminate in their use of taxpayer dollars against gays and lesbians who want to adopt or become foster parents? Or will this be the start of a campaign against public dollars going to religious groups who discriminate against GLBTs?
A similar campaign is going on nationwide against the Boy Scouts, who receive public funding for discrimination that was sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court. That move has proved costly, as government agencies across the U.S. are deciding to de-fund Boy Scouts organizations and end sweetheart deals for property and land use.
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Episcopalians
The Episcopal Church confirmation of Robinson during their 74th General Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., affirmed his election by the New Hampshire diocese in June. He is now the denomination's first openly gay bishop.
'I am excited and thrilled at the action of the House of Bishops,' said The Rev. Susan Russell, executive director of Claiming the Blessing, a partnership of leading Episcopal LGBT organizations. 'As difficult as these last couple of days have been, I am gratified to be part of a church that is willing to work together through hard times. This is a prophetic step forward taken by the Episcopal Church on behalf of GLBT people and the Gospel.'
The Rev. Steven Baines, convention attendee and religious organizer for the People for the American Way, said that, as with the debate over the participation of women in the church 27 years ago, reports of schism and disharmony are being over reported.
And while the church did not fully back same-sex ceremonies, delegates did vote to call them 'an acceptable practice in the church.' Bishops would not back creation of an official liturgy for the ceremonies, but this move basically allows individual churches to do as they please.
Integrity, a gay Episcopal group, said they believe this move gives 'national license' to the ceremonies. It states in part: 'We recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions.'
The House of Bishops approved the measure on a voice vote Aug. 6. The House of Deputies, comprised of clergy and lay people, approved the document the next day.
Three Episcopal bishops (Delaware, New Hampshire and Kansas) already allow priests to bless same-sex unions. Some have quietly allowed the ceremonies.
The Episcopal Church in this country has 2.3 million members. There are more than 70 million members of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola condemned Robinson's vote: 'We are astonished that such a high-level convention of (the Episcopal Church) should conspire to turn their back on the clear teaching of the Bible on the matter of human sexuality. The present development compels us to begin to think of the nature of our future relationship, which would be determined after the ongoing consultation with other Provinces and Primates,' he said.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, head of the world's Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church, will hold a meeting of the communion's 38 primates in October to try to restore unity now that Robinson has been approved.
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities has a network of services in the Chicago area, and receives major government funding their work. They offer help on adoption, child care, counseling, domestic violence, foster care, immigration/refugee issues, and maternity/pregnancy, in addition to other areas.
Among their programs is Foster Parent Development at 651 W. Lake. The organization's Web site says they do 'Foster parent recruitment, development and foster home licensing. Foster parent education and support including publication of a foster parent newsletter.' It is a division of Non-Residential Children and Youth Services.
If Catholic Charities does revise its policy on adoption and foster parents to eliminate GLBTs, 'to assure that it is in conformity with Catholic teachings and canon and civil law,' they could be in violation of city and county ordinances on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, said Mayor Daley's liaison to the GLBT community, Bill Greaves. But the Commission on Human Relations has yet to make a ruling on this, and it will not until a case is brought before them. 'We're definitely watching this,' Greaves said.
'Chicago and Cook County ordinances forbid sexual-orientation discrimination by operators of public accommodations,' said William B. Kelley, former chairperson and current member of the Cook County Human Rights Commission. 'It wouldn't be proper for me to state a position at this point on whether an adoption agency is legally a place of public accommodation or, if it is, on whether an exemption based on freedom of religion might be available to such an agency.'
While Catholic Charities might fight for their right to discriminate based on religious grounds, the issue will get touchy because they are using massive public funding to do their work, including $20 million from the state of Illinois. Most childcare advocates, including Cook County Public Guardian Patrick T. Murphy, back gay parents. 'Some of the best foster parents we have are gay people who get into it for the right reasons,' Murphy, the lawyer for state wards from Cook County, told the Sun-Times.
Catholic Charities said in a press statement that they 'do not currently make sexual orientation a factor in reviewing the qualifications of a potential foster parent or adoptive home. Catholic Charities has not knowingly placed any children into the care of same-sex couples or homosexual individuals; nor have any applicants been turned away based on their sexual orientation.'
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services may also investigate if Catholic Charities changes their policy of 'don't ask, don't tell' to a more affirmative ban on GLBTs.
Catholic Charities operates both inside Chicago and around the state. Other offices include Lake County Adoption Services in Waukegan. They also offer Specialized Adolescent Foster Care from their 651 W. Lake in Chicago office. 'Service is directed toward youth aged 9 through 19 with primary focus on placement stabilization and goal setting with the eventual goal leading to successful independent living and functioning,' CC's Web site states. If they are going to more strongly follow the recent Vatican directive, it is also unclear how this will impact CC's ability to deliver adequate services to GLBT youth who face additional problems and barriers because of their sexual orientation and gender identity issues.
The public and private funding of Catholic charity work is extensive in Chicago. Just recently, Mayor Daley and Francis Cardinal George united to support an education program for the Back of the Yards neighborhood. This joint effort further links the Catholic Church with public funds.
Lutherans
In yet more religious news, Soulforce is in Milwaukee this week at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Churchwide assembly, at the request of the Lutheran Alliance for Full Participation, which includes Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries. It is thought there may be a delay in the final report of the study of homosexuality to be released in 2005. A delay will postpone the decision ordaining non-celibate gays and lesbians into the full ministry of the church.
By having Soulforce, a national interfaith GLBT movement, at the event, activists hope to stop any delay of the report.
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