The city of Philadelphia refused to work with Catholic Social Services (CSS) because CSS would not violate its religious beliefs and agree to place foster children with same-sex couples.
For a while, it seemed like Philadelphia had won – but then the United States Supreme Court took the case and a unanimous ruling changed everything.
And now, Christians everywhere are celebrating this major victory for religious freedom.
According to CBN News, CSS has partnered with the city of Philadelphia for over 50 years to help displaced children find a home.
Helping children find a home shouldn’t be controversial and should be a common goal for both parties.
But, all of a sudden, the city threatened to shut down CSS for its beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman.
As a result, several foster moms licensed through CSS filed a lawsuit and the religious liberty law firm, Becket, agreed to take on the case.
CSS brought the city of Philadelphia to a Third Circuit court, but the court refused their request for a preliminary injunction reported Faithwire.
It seemed like Philadelphia had obtained victory – at the expense of vulnerable children being left without a home no less.
CBN News reported:
“This ruling is devastating to the hundreds of foster children who have been waiting for a family and to the dozens of parents working with Catholic Social Services who have been waiting to foster a child,” Lori Windham, Becket senior counsel, said in a press release.
“We’re disappointed that the court decided to let the city place politics above the needs of kids and the rights of parents, but we will continue this fight.”
And sure enough, the fight continued all the way up to the highest court in the land.
Upon taking the case, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of CSS, presiding that Philadelphia’s refusal to work with CSS unless they agreed to place foster children with same-sex couples was in violation to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
Faithwire reports:
“The City’s actions burdened CSS’s religious exercise by forcing it either to curtail its mission or to certify same-sex couples as foster parents in violation of its religious beliefs,” the high court ruled.”
Praise God for this victory!
CSS could have easily given up, but they kept fighting, knowing these precious children needed a safe home.
Even more encouraging, they refused to compromise on their deeply held religious beliefs.
Sadly, not all Christian agencies have remained true to Biblical principles.
Christian Life Daily recently reported on Bethany Christian Services caving to LGBT pressure.
As a result, impressionable children can now be placed in the homes of same-sex couples.
But at least in the case of Catholic Social Services, we can celebrate in this hard-fought victory.
Because they refused to compromise on God’s Word and were determined to take the fight all the way to the top, children can still be placed in safe homes without being exposed to the LGBT agenda.
Praise God for His faithfulness in answering our collective prayers!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17
To stay current on the latest Christian Life Daily stories, follow us on Facebook and be sure to like and share our posts!