Sadly this is what I predicted with the court’s “Religious Freedom.” It is one thing when the courts ruled against us in the Philadelphia case where a Christian adoption agency was allowed by the Supreme Court to discriminate against us,
Supreme Court Lets Philadelphia Religious Adoption Agency Block LGBTQ Foster Parents
Forbes
By Alison Durkee
June 17, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday in favor of a Catholic agency receiving government funding that argued having to work with same-sex foster parents violated their “religious freedom,” a major but narrow ruling that says Philadelphia’s anti-discrimination laws unfairly burdened the religious agency’s First Amendment rights.
But what happens when a Christian adoption agency discriminates against a Jewish couple?
A Tennessee couple's struggle to adopt shows religious freedom is under siege in America
CNN
Opinion by Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons and Maggie Siddiqi
February 15, 2022
Elizabeth and Gabriel Rutan-Ram, a Tennessee couple, were denied access to a state-sponsored foster parent certification program because they are Jewish. The rationale? The foster agency they applied to claims that they should be allowed to turn away Jewish people because they are a Christian adoption agency.The Rutan-Rams (and six others) have now filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and its commissioner. According to court documents cited by the Washington Post, the Holston United Methodist Home for Children (which is not named as a defendant in the suit) told the couple in an email, "As a Christian organization, our executive team made the decision several years ago to only provide prospective adoptive families that share our belief system in order to avoid conflicts or delays with future service delivery."
So now we have a battle of two religions...
Holston told the Post, ""Holston Home places children with families that agree with our statement of faith, and forcing Holston Home to violate our beliefs and place children in homes that do not share our faith is wrong and contrary to a free society."
[…]
Religious freedom is a treasured American value that allows people of all faiths to practice our religious traditions (or choose not to do so), free from fear. But now, in multiple states, right-wing Christians are turning religious freedom on its head, distorting it into a license to violate religious freedom, by discriminating against religious minorities, the nonreligious and other Americans who hold beliefs that differ from theirs.
I foresee this going to the Supreme Court and depending upon how the court rules they can be setting us up for a state religion by default. Tennessee Department of Children's Services and its commissioner picked the Christian agency just because it was Christian.
Tennessee-based adoption agency refuses to help couple because they're Jewish
Knoxville News Sentinel
By Tyler Whetstone
January 21, 2022
A Knoxville couple is suing the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, saying a state-sponsored Christian-based adoption agency refused to help them because they are Jewish.It is the state’s first lawsuit to challenge a new law that allows religious adoption agencies to deny service to families whose religious or moral beliefs aren't in sync with the provider's, the family's attorney told Knox News on Wednesday.
Did you get that? “...a new law that allows religious adoption agencies to deny service to families whose religious or moral beliefs” the law was passed to specifically ban adoptions for non-Christian!
In December, the Greenville-based Holston sued the Biden administration for regulations that prohibit discrimination in programs funded by U.S. Health and Human Services grants “on the basis of religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and same-sex marriage status,” saying it violates its First Amendment rights.
So this is a full court press to make a state religion by Tennessee and the Christian groups.
“Public funds should never be used for religious discrimination,” Luchenitser told Knox News. “The law should never create obstacles that keep loving parents from taking care of children who need a home. That should certainly never occur because of religious discrimination.”
The couple is joined by six others in the suit against the state.
They are:
The Rev Jeannie Alexander, an interfaith pastor from Davidson County
The Rev. Elaine Blanchard, a Disciples of Christ minister from Shelby County
The Rev. Alaina Cobb, a Christian minister from Davidson County
The Rev. Denise Gyauch, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Davidson County
Dr. Larry Blanz of Davidson County, a retired psychologist with more than 40 years of experience that includes working with foster parents and children
Mirabelle Stoedter, a Davidson County resident who serves as treasurer of the Tennessee chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
Do you think that Tennessee will allow a Muslim adoption agency? What about a Wiccan adoption agency? So where is this push coming from? According to the Tennessean the original bill was backed by,
The Center for Public Integrity traced the faith-based adoption bills to conservative Christian activists backed by the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation. Their template is part of "Project Blitz," a legislative effort with the stated aim to "bring back God to America." The project provides a detailed handbook for state and local advocates to advance legislation.
In Tennessee, a member of the board of trustees for the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes gave a copy of the adoption bill to Rudd, the sponsor, according to the Baptist Children's Homes' president.
With the Supreme Court giving the green light to banning abortion the courts are becoming the instrument for a state religion.
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