Texas adoption agencies could ban Jews, gays, and Muslims from adopting children - Polidicks

[quote]AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Parents seeking to adopt children in Texas could soon be rejected by public or private agencies with religious objections to them being Jewish, Muslim, gay, single, or interfaith couples, under a proposal advancing in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Five other states have passed similar laws protecting faith-based adoption organizations that refuse to place children with gay parents or other households on religious grounds — but Texas' rule extends to state-funded agencies. Only South Dakota's is similarly sweepingly. Republican sponsors of Texas' bill, which is poised to pass Saturday in the state House, say it is designed to support the religious freedom of adoption agencies and foster care providers. But opponents say it robs children of stable homes while funding discrimination with taxpayer dollars. "This would allow adoption agencies to turn away qualified, loving parents who are perhaps perfect in every way because the agency has a difference in religious belief," said Catherine Oakley, senior legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign. "This goes against the best interest of the child." The bill also blatantly violates the Constitution, Oakley added. "As a governmental entity, Texas is bound to treat people equally under the law," said Oakley. "This is a violation of equal protection under the law." State Rep. James Frank, the bill's author, said it's designed to address the state's foster care crisis by making "reasonable accommodations so everyone can participate in the system." "Everyone is welcome. But you don't have to think alike to participate," said Frank, a Republican from rural Wichita Falls, near Texas' border with Oklahoma. Suzanne Bryant, an Austin-based adoption attorney who works with LGBT clients and was one of the first individuals to have a legal same-sex marriage in Texas, said the bill fails to provide alternatives for prospective parents rebuffed by adoption agencies.[/quote] How exactly does this mean everyone can participate in the system??? [url]http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2017-05-06-US-XGR-Adoption-Religious%20Exemptions-Texas/id-fa2c0cfa6905469da10b1073b020c88f[/url]

Fuck that shit. Absolutely inexcusable. Your faith, sexual orientation, race, whatever has NOTHING to do with your capability of raising children. I'm one of the so called "right wingers" and I cannot believe my own party sometimes. Should be fucking ashamed of themselves. We need a new, third party.

Take your religious bullshit and shove it up your asses, assholes.

[QUOTE=Bird;52197655]What is even the point of this? I can't think of even a single rational argument, morally or financially.[/QUOTE] they have no single rational argument, morally or financially is the point of this

[QUOTE=Bird;52197655]What is even the point of this? I can't think of even a single rational argument, morally or financially.[/QUOTE] Scapegoat all the world's complex problems onto amorphously large groups of peoples since it takes too much time and effort to attempt to dissect what makes complex issues.. The solution as old as life itself.

Fuck you Texas, and fuck your lone-star beer.

Can we ban Christians too?

This is literally just no holds barred religious discrimination and homophobia Shouldn't this kind of thing be illegal at a federal level? I don't see why a state should be allowed to do something like this.

Well this is great. I don't want to be pregnant but I've always wanted kids and adoption seemed like the best option for me and my boyfriend. If they're gonna be out here discriminating because he's not religious I'm gonna fight someone.

[QUOTE=Mister Sandman;52198030]This is literally just no holds barred religious discrimination and homophobia Shouldn't this kind of thing be illegal at a federal level? I don't see why a state should be allowed to do something like this.[/QUOTE] There has to be a lawsuit made before the feds can just go and say "don't do that", as far as I know. [editline]7th May 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Amakir;52197986]Can we ban Christians too?[/QUOTE] This helps how, exactly?

Children who are in orphanages need homes regardless of traits listed above. People still should be put through the process as a prospective parent and that is it.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52198036] This helps how, exactly?[/QUOTE] With less hardcore Christians, the general state intelligence rises, meaning laws like these no longer get passed! Just kidding, but I think the point of the post is to highlight how discriminatory this is considering we would never ban Christians from adoption the same way we'd ban jews or muslims or gays. Even though that will have just as much impact on the child's development because they'll be Christian.

Good to see they care about the parents being the same kind of Christian as them more than the kids actually getting families.

Yup sounds like Texas alright. Living here. I can tell you they hate anyone that isn't a Straight white christian male.

[QUOTE=MissingGlitch;52198561]Yup sounds like Texas alright. Living here. I can tell you they hate anyone that isn't a Straight white christian male.[/QUOTE] That would depend on what part of Texas you're living in. I've heard that the more urban areas aren't so bad. Of course, the only place in the city where I really know what people are like is a community college campus that I go to.

[QUOTE=MissingGlitch;52198561]Yup sounds like Texas alright. Living here. I can tell you they hate anyone that isn't a Straight white christian male.[/QUOTE] The only time I've seen anti-gay shit going down here was from the DFW airport fight video. 99% of people I've talked to have zero problems with LGBT, only my foreman has a grudge against them.

So, what legislation is allowing this?

[QUOTE=Skerion;52198664]That would depend on what part of Texas you're living in. I've heard that the more urban areas aren't so bad. Of course, the only place in the city where I really know what people are like is a community college campus that I go to.[/QUOTE] Sure I will admit that the city areas are a bit better. But the moment you go into rural territory (which is like 90% of texas) you start seeing all the nasty stuff.

[QUOTE=Bird;52197655]What is even the point of this? I can't think of even a single rational argument, morally or financially.[/QUOTE] The argument would probably be that it's better to have an adoption agency that discriminates than not have the agency at all. In the big picture, more kids are adopted by allowing them to exist.

Why the fuck does this apply to state agencies? I can understand why you would allow private agencies to do this. It's wrong but I can at least understand the logic of the people supporting it. But letting state-funded agencies do it is just blatantly wrong. That's clearly a violation of the establishment clause - you're enabling the state to establish one religion or set of religions as superior. I don't think it'll even get to the Supreme Court - lower courts will strike that down pretty much immediately, and higher ones won't bother hearing the appeal.

Honestly I'm rather baffled at the thought of privately run adoption agencies. The welfare of orphaned children should belong to the state, not some private entity with private interests.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52199314]Honestly I'm rather baffled at the thought of privately run adoption agencies. The welfare of orphaned children should belong to the state, not some private entity with private interests.[/QUOTE] Hey, we already have private prisons. (And they're just as terrible!) (e: i'm not recommending private prisons, they need to be destroyed)

[QUOTE=Luni;52199887]Hey, we already have private prisons. (And they're just as terrible!)[/QUOTE] I don't think prison's should be private either. I can imagine it being worse for kids, because the trauma sustained in such place may last the rest of their lives whereas prison, adults may be able to "deal with it" a bit more easily.

[QUOTE=Pascall;52198033]Well this is great. I don't want to be pregnant but I've always wanted kids and adoption seemed like the best option for me and my boyfriend. If they're gonna be out here discriminating because he's not religious I'm gonna fight someone.[/QUOTE] Couldn't you technically pursue legal action in that case since they're technically discriminating against your beliefs and the bill they're exploiting is supposed to protect religious freedoms?

[QUOTE=Zero-Point;52200410]Couldn't you technically pursue legal action in that case since they're technically discriminating against your beliefs and the bill they're exploiting is supposed to protect religious freedoms?[/QUOTE] Not technically, definitely. The issue with laws in the US a lot of the time is that the only way to overturn them is via lawsuit. Judges don't just review laws as they pass out of the legislature.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;52200132]I don't think prison's should be private either. I can imagine it being worse for kids, because the trauma sustained in such place may last the rest of their lives whereas prison, adults may be able to "deal with it" a bit more easily.[/QUOTE] Do you have any reason to think that kids going through private adoption agencies are worse off?

[QUOTE=sgman91;52200429]Do you have any reason to think that kids going through private adoption agencies are worse off?[/QUOTE] Well if they're potential adoptive parents are being discriminated against, I can't imagine if the child was Jewish or gay that it would be much better for them in their care.