Thread: Qualifications for parents

Originally Posted by MickR

That there is the difficult part isn't it?! That is why, I guess, laws are made to suit the majority opinion rather than the individual.


Mick

While this may be true in Oz (I make no comment on their laws), in the US this is far from true. The laws are made to protect the individual from the majority, and not to subjugate the individual to the majority. We do not have a democracy, we have a republic ruled by law. You don't have to protect the free speech of the popular majority, you have to protect the freedom of speech for the unpopular minority.

This is my problem with the issue presented in this thread. The unpopular minority (or shall I say unpopular silent majority) is being denied the ability to foster a child because of their unpopular speech. This issue runs counter to the first amendment in two ways. it both stifles freedom of speech and it is governmental sanctioned discrimination against religion. If the government is going to be equal, then no religious person of any faith, and that would include atheists as that is equally a religion, should be eligible to become a foster parent. This is simply not feasible.

You need to look at the parents' history. Is there any history of drug/alcohol abuse, any prior criminal convictions, any prior domestic abuse, what was their childhood like, ...? however, disqualifying a person on the belief that homosexuality is wrong under Christianity is akin to disqualifying a person because, under Christianity, lying is wrong. Both are sins, and both are punished the same. All have fallen short of the glory of God. Not one of us is righteous, and under Christianity, Christians should not judge other sinners. (Let him who has no sin cast the first stone.)

If truly the state is so interested in protecting the child from the speech of others, then no religious person should be allowed to be a foster parent, and that would include atheists, as it is a religion just as Christianity.

I had a meeting to initiate the process of becoming a foster parent last night (the meeting was scheduled weeks ago) and all I could think about was that I was going to be equated to the Aryan brotherhood because of my Christian belief.