Posted on 01/28/2018 5:40:24 PM PST by marshmallow
A marriage counselling service could be forced to close unless it accepts same-sex spouses
The Irish government has threatened to stop funding the bishops’ marriage counselling agency unless it changes its policy to accept gay couples.
Accord, an agency of the Irish bishops’ conference, received £1.4 million in state funding last year and could potentially be forced to close if such funding is withdrawn.
said that Tusla, the government’s childcare agency, has said that any agency it funds must make its services “accessible to everyone”. A new agreement has been sent to state-funded counselling services including Accord.
In England and Wales the bishops’ marriage counselling agency, Marriage Care, already offers its service to same-sex couples. (This service is offered as part of its general counselling, which is separate from its Catholic marriage preparation.) The agency received over £850,000 from national government contracts in 2014-5.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
If they are true to their beliefs, they would tell the government to F off and close their doors— or be mired in interminable legal money depleting actions. What is better?
Tell the Irish government to kiss off and fund the 1.2 million pounds out of church funds. In fact, all Catholic organizations world-wide should not be accepting any governmental funds. That especially goes for the US where Catholic Charities has become beholden to government grants.
Oh, and while I am at it, no religious organization, Protestant, Jewish, etc., including religious affiliated schools, should take government funds.
+1
When you take Caesar’s coin you play the music he wants to hear.
And to think when I was growing up in the late 50’s and early 60’s Ireland (along with Poland) were considered two
of most Catholic countries in the world.
“What is better”?
Standing up for what you say you believe in is better... and if that involves telling the government to get stuffed, then so be it.
At the end of the day, you either believe what you say believe, or it’s just bullsh*t.
“What is better”?
Standing up for what you say you believe in is better... and if that involves telling the government to get stuffed, then so be it.
Agreed.
They should tell them to cram the £1.4 million, and raise their own funds as necessary...
Every person has a moment of truth. It’s incumbent upon us to stand for what we say we believe in. Or don’t bother saying we believe in anything.
Not the issue here, it is the government dictating what their role should be.
No church should accept government funding and feign surprise that the government then wants the church to promote its policies.
Isn’t that sad?
Bet the Church caves for the $
Then don't take the money. If you take Satan's money you have to play Satan's tune.
Or they could scale back with the funding that is available to them from the Church and try to make do. But I’m sure the now-Fascist Irish government wouldn’t even allow that.
I say close their doors. Then let the nation see how much worse off they are when nobody gets marriage counseling.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.