Anti-gay christian couple barred from fostering

[star-warrior]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-12598896

A decision to bar a Christian couple from fostering children because of their views on homosexuality has been backed at the High Court.

Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, of Derby, said the city council did not want them to become foster carers because of their traditional views.

 

[BlueLantern]

My heart bleeds sadness for them.

 

[silosybin]

welcome to the 21st century, old people

 

[Bored]

Isn't this a good thing?

*This was posted when I got to the part where she said she will not tell a child it is ok to be gay. (something like that)

 

[MisterMajestic]

Foster care is usually temporary...Temporary can last 1 day to 1-year or more...I don't agree with the High Courts decision...

The couple is old-school and they answered the social workers questions honestly. Just because they're not comfortable with homosexuality does not mean they will give-into their fears & teach hate to the kids they foster...

What will the Social Worker do when she interviews a NON-Christian couple and they tell her they don't belive in God? Will they be DENIED because they don't practice a religion?

 

[Esquire0399]

I find it interesting that the woman states that she and her husband "feel excluded and that there is no place for them in society." I wonder how these people think gays feel? I wonder if they would ever try to apply this same exclusion logic to gays. Frankly, I don't feel all that sorry for them.

Imagine a scenario where these people are allowed to foster a child and this child remains with them long term, becoming attached to them. Now imagine this child comes to the realization that he/she is homosexual. How do you think these people would receive such news? Not well I'd bet. Having heard nothing but negatives about homosexuality from his/her parents throughout childhood, this child would no doubt be left emotionally damaged.

That's how I look at this situation, but that's just me... or maybe not.

 

[fetaby]

Foster care is usually temporary...Temporary can last 1 day to 1-year or more...I don't agree with the High Courts decision...What does the length of time a child could stay have anything to do with anything? Is this saying that, indeed the couple would be hostile to gay youth, but that's ok cause it would only be for a short amount of time.

The couple is old-school and they answered the social workers questions honestly.It's hate then and it's still hate now. Just because they're not comfortable with homosexuality does not mean they will give-into their fears & teach hate to the kids they foster...Except that's exactly what they said they would do, out of their own mouths.

What will the Social Worker do when she interviews a NON-Christian couple and they tell her they don't belive in God? Will they be DENIED because they don't practice a religion?

For some reason I get the impression your response has less to do with the way these people would treat a LGBT youth and more to do with the fact that they are christian and you see them being "discriminated" against.

What you fail to understand is that being gay happens. It is a state of being. Choosing to practice a religion, regardless of the amount of good will that comes from it, is a decision individuals elect for themselves.

 

[healingduck]

I would guess its sort of like if the couple said they didn't like a certain race. The courts don't want the family to instill values like that in the child. That and they would want the kid to know it is ok to be gay, and make sure the family didn't do anything drastic if the kid did say he/she was gay. Must say though, I am a bit surprised that the court ruled this way because some people still think that it isn't ok to be gay. I dunno....I agree with them though. They really shouldn't put a kid with a family that is discriminate against certain people.

 

[quasar]

Esquire, that's exactly how I looked at it. The future scenario has to be the one considered. A Christian couple are much more likely to be negative about homosexuality because of their beliefs. That doesn't mean to say that a non-christian couple could be negative about homosexuality, but at least it takes some of the 'risk' away.

Part of the 'job description' of being a parent is to love one's child unconditionally - unfortunately, as many gay people will testify, it doesn't always work out that way.

I see nothing wrong in insisting open-mindedness as a pre-requisite to the right to foster.

 

[unloadonme]

Fetaby, I've noticed a cultural difference several times.

African-Americans are a lot more tolerant towards Christians than their European-American compatriots. I'm not sure why.

European-American?

 

[fetaby]

Fetaby, I've noticed a cultural difference several times.

African-Americans are a lot more tolerant towards Christians than their European-American compatriots. I'm not sure why.

Please don't throw this blanket over me, I'm quite warm enough.

 

[fetaby]

European-American?

He means white people.

 

[HoodedRat]

European-American?

Yanks who claim to be European descent?

 

[DarkHelios]

This is what I consider to be one of the perks of foster care/adoption. Any man and woman can have a baby on their own, but foster/adoptive parents actually get screened to determine if they can provide a good home for a child (within reason, you can't verify 100% that someone would be a good parent).

I wouldn't be surprised if these people would be good parents for most children, but their views could be quite harmful if they got a gay kid (and you can't be certain whether a particular kid is gay or not).

There's a contradiction in their quote:

"We are prepared to love and accept any child. All we were not willing to do was to tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality was a good thing."

If you can't accept their sexuality, you're not accepting the child.

I suppose that there's a little bit of wiggle room in that they didn't explicitly say that they'd tell a small child that the practice of homosexuality is a bad thing.

 

[unloadonme]

He means white people.

Yanks who claim to be European descent?

I see. Never use one word when two will do I guess!

 

[fetaby]

I would guess its sort of like if the couple said they didn't like a certain race. The courts don't want the family to instill values like that in the child. That and they would want the kid to know it is ok to be gay, and make sure the family didn't do anything drastic if the kid did say he/she was gay. Must say though, I am a bit surprised that the court ruled this way because some people still think that it isn't ok to be gay. I dunno....I agree with them though. They really shouldn't put a kid with a family that is discriminate against certain people.

You're close.

The responsibility of the foster system is to protect the child. The trick is that we don't know anything about these kids. Any of these kids could be gay, and as such, placing them in a home that is voluntarily discriminate against gay people would not be in the best interest of the child.

A christian couple could foster children, all they have to do is be non-discriminate.


The situation really does spotlight a gaping hole in the logic of christian philosophy. Love thy neighbor and the golden rule, etc. How does one profess love yet display hate? So many people rail against political correctness, yet it seems true political correctness is more in lines with actual christian principles than what is being followed by christians.

 

[csm123]

Esquire,Quasar your thougts were exactly the same as mine.

Fostering/adopting in the uk is a very long process which requires many checks and visits from social workers.In my opinion part of the training should be to always let the child know that they can talk to you about anything,if they ever for instance ask a boy if he has a girlfriend they should also say or maybe a boyfriend.

If the right traning were given to these familys they could sit down with their new child and point out that black people are born black,red heads are born red and gays are born gay and there is nothing wrong with being any of these sort of things and it is wrong to discriminate against any of them.

 

[star-warrior]

European-Americans/African-Americans?

If the history of slavery I learned many years ago was true, then many African-Americans can trace a European slavemaster as a blood relative in their family tree.

WRT to fostering by this religious couple, if religious organisations like the Catholics can say no to letting gay parents adopt children, then this outcome from courts swings the other way. Open-mindedness as a pre-requisite of adoption/fostering put forward by the authorities are for the best interests of the child, rather than the foster parent.

 

[MisterMajestic]

Yes it does, Mister.

I speak from experience.

My parents were a part of the Foster care program back in the 90's, so I speak from experience as well...We have different experiences and we both can tell different stories about Foster care.......

For some reason I get the impression your response has less to do with the way these people would treat a LGBT youth and more to do with the fact that they are christian and you see them being "discriminated" against.

If you and your Gay partner were Denied acceptance into the Foster Care program because of your sexual oreintation I would still feel it was wrong....We can think of a 1,000 similar situations where a High Court would consider denying many couples acceptance into the Foster care progtam...I will always feel a Single person or a Couple should be judged on the stability of their Life & Home. Sexual oreintation, race & religion should not be a determining factor providing the individual(s) pass the required screening portion of the program...

Fetaby....You need to Learn to post your own thoughts about a given situation and stop making assumptions about other Jubers.....You gain credibility that way.....

Fetaby, I've noticed a cultural difference several times.

African-Americans are a lot more tolerant towards Christians than their European-American compatriots. I'm not sure why.

Wow..So my thoughts and Opinion on this topic is written off because I'm Black.....LOL...I'll be Damned....So you wrote the BOOK on how Black people feel & think about Christians?....You got some nerve to go there...You are way out of left field and out of line.....


This thread HAD & HAS no reason to turn into a Black & White situation....I don't know what's going on with some of the members @ this site...If JUB is getting to the place where every post is shot-down because of a Juber's skin Color & Cultural background then the Owner of JUB need to do away with Avatar's, Self-Pics and create a Policy where it is forbidden to disclose your "race"...

 

[mydrew1]

They should be saving up for their retirement anyway.