Christian couple turned down as foster parents because of 'bias' against their religious beliefs

 (Photo: Unsplash/Paul Hanaoka)

A Canadian human rights law firm is accusing a government adoption agency of discriminating against a Christian couple who wanted to become foster parents.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms sent a letter to the Simcoe Muskoka Child, Youth and Family Services in Ontario demanding that they end what the group called "religious discrimination" against the couple.

The letter, whose online copy simply identified the couple as "A" and "L," claims the couple's application to become foster parents was denied "not due to any legitimate deficiency in their qualifications, but due solely to Child Services' prejudice and bias against the religious beliefs of [the couple]."

According to the letter, the couple submitted an application in November 2017 to become foster parents. In the week of April 30-May 4 of last year, they met with a Child Services social worker.

The social worker asked the couple, one of whom is a pastor, if they "still" believe "in some of the more outdated parts of the Bible" and if they considered homosexuality a sin.

Last October, the couple received a letter from Child Services declining their application, stating that "the policies of our agency do not appear to fit with your values and beliefs."

In a statement released last week, the Centre explained that with the demand letter, they hope to have "Child Services reopen the couple's application to foster and properly process their application to become foster parents in a non-discriminatory manner."

Founded in 2010, the Centre's stated mission is "to defend the constitutional freedoms of Canadians through litigation and education."

Last year, the Centre got a legal victory for an evangelical couple in Alberta who had been told they could not adopt because they oppose same-sex marriage.

Centre lawyer John Carpay said in a statement last May that he was "thrilled" by the decision in favor of the Alberta couple, adding that the legal battle "has not diminished their enthusiasm for adopting a child."

"The government has no right to discriminate on the basis of religion when looking at couples who are seeking to adopt," stated Carpay in 2018, according to The Canadian Press.

"You can't say that someone can't become an adoptive parent because they're Muslim, they're Jewish or because they're evangelical Christian."

Courtesy of The Christian Post

News
Retired pastor prosecuted under abortion buffer zone laws 
Retired pastor prosecuted under abortion buffer zone laws 

A retired pastor is being prosecuted for an alleged breach of an abortion clinic buffer zone in Northern Ireland. 

Gateway Church founder Robert Morris charged with child sex abuse
Gateway Church founder Robert Morris charged with child sex abuse

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma on Wednesday. The indictment stems from allegations made by Cindy Clemishire last June that he sexually abused her over multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12.

Former Conservative MP has 'no confidence' in assisted dying bill safeguards
Former Conservative MP has 'no confidence' in assisted dying bill safeguards

A Former Conservative MP has "no confidence" in assisted dying bill safeguards

Former bishop gets four years for historic sex offences
Former bishop gets four years for historic sex offences

The former Bishop of Swansea and Brecon has been sentenced to just over four years in prison after admitting sex offences against a young boy.