When faced with the choice of receiving state funds or ending discriminatory treatment of would be LGBT adoptive or foster parents, Illinois Catholic Charities demanded that it receive state money and be allowed to discriminate against LGBT citizens and taxpayers. In the minds of the bigots at Catholic Charities, the victims of religious based discrimination should help finance an organization that treats them as not only unequal but as vermin. An Illinois judge did not buy the argument and upheld the right of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service's decision to terminate its adoptive and foster care contracts with catholic Charities. Religious freedom is a two way street - you can believe and practice whatever beliefs, but you don't get to make the general public, including the victims of your intolerant religious beliefs, finance your bigotry. Here are some highlights from WLS-TV in Chicago:A Sangamon County judge has ruled the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service can begin canceling its adoption and foster care contracts with Catholic Charities. Judge John Schmidt on Monday denied Catholic Charities' request to stay his earlier ruling that the group has no right to state contracts to provide adoption and foster care services.
Illinois ended $30 million in contracts with Catholic Charities in four dioceses in July because the organizations' practice of referring unmarried couples to other agencies was discriminatory, a violation of the state's civil union law.
Catholic Charities has argued it developed a "property interest" in the work after 40 years of annually renewed contracts with the state. Attorneys for Catholic Charities say they will ask the 4th District Appellate Court to stay Schmidt's ruling.
Let's hope that the 4th District Court upholds Judge Schmidt's common sense ruling.
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