It’s not often that we hear of government bodies agreeing on a decision. But yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a UNANIMOUS judgement in favor of children and religious freedom.

What happened? Here are the facts.

The case: Fulton v. City of Philadelphia

Catholic Social Services (CSS) is a longstanding faith-based nonprofit that serves the foster children of Philadelphia. They exist to help children in need, particularly hard-to-place children, find forever homes. They have many guidelines for the families who are receiving children in their homes – including that there be a married mom and dad in the home.

Their beliefs are essential to their identity and cannot be separated from their work. But the city of Philadelphia thought otherwise.

When the city discovered CSS’s beliefs about marriage, they forced the organization to make a decision: change your beliefs, or the city will stop contracting with you.

CSS chose a third option: seek legal help.

The organization rightly recognized that this was a violation of their constitutionally protected religious freedom, and – represented by our friends at Becket Law – they took that argument to court.

After years of litigation, Catholic Social Services ultimately got their day in court before the U.S. Supreme Court last year. And today, the Justices issued their verdict: Philadelphia violated CSS’s religious freedom.

The implications: good news for children and religious freedom

This decision is good news not only for CSS, but for the many children they serve. When CSS is allowed to participate in Philadelphia’s foster care system, it not only offers a distinctly Christian option, but also increases the sheer number of foster providers – and that matters greatly.

In the U.S., more than 400,000 children in the foster system are waiting for homes. Around 4% of children are adopted within a year of entering foster care, and 85% of children in foster care have at least two placements in their first 12 months. In fact, the foster crisis is so extreme that some states are hosting foster children in hotels and office buildings because there is nowhere else to place them.

Today’s decision is a strong affirmation that foster homes like Catholic Social Services should be able to place children in loving homes while abiding by their religious convictions. Religious freedom is a precious gift afforded to all Americans. The belief that children should be in homes with a married mother and father should not be punished — and the Court affirmed that today.

The decision also reminds us of why the federal Equality Act – which could be up for a vote anytime in the Senate – is unworkable and inadvisable. The Act would redefine “sex” to include a person’s self-declared “sexual orientation and gender identity” throughout federal civil rights law. By doing that, the Act could be used to force foster and adoption agencies into similar dilemmas to Catholic Social Services – something that that the entire Supreme Court rejected today. The Equality Act would threaten religious freedom and the wellbeing of children and must be rejected.

We applaud today’s Supreme Court decision and are thankful for the work of Becket Law representing Catholic Social Services!

Joyfully,

Meridian Baldacci
Policy and Communications Strategist

 

P.S. Want to speak out against the Equality Act? Send a message to your Senator now.

 

Last week, we got the news. The dangerous “Equality Act” – the biggest current threat to freedom and the sanctity of life – has been put on the fast track in the U.S. Senate!

That makes it all the more urgent that we move our mobilization into full throttle ASAP.

We are mobilizing in nine states with swing senators who are most likely to decide whether this scheme passes the Senate – and then goes to President Biden for his promised signature.

With Democrats now in charge of the Senate – and some Republicans having supported the same bill in the past – the situation is urgent.

Will you help us turn up the heat on the Senate with your donation?

Let me encourage you. Despite the grim situation, there is hope! Just look at what happened in the House with your help.

Yes, the so-called “Equality Act” passed the House as expected, but the real story is what happened behind the scenes. With your help, we mobilized citizens in the districts of House Republicans who had voted for it in the past. Two of the five representatives changed their position and voted against it!

On top of that, the explosion of grassroots opposition that you made possible is simply phenomenal. For example, your support helped us put together an online rally that, in just days, gathered thousands of live viewers – and brought together a Who’s Who in a diverse coalition working to stop this.

And the Promise to America’s Children – the policy and parental statement we developed in partnership with The Heritage Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom – has reached hundreds of thousands of Americans with a message pushing back on the “Equality Act.”

Will you help us ramp up even more to defeat this scheme in the Senate? Your gift of support is needed – not just for general pressure on the Senate – but specifically to reach and mobilize tens of thousands of citizens in the states of certain senators who could decide the outcome. It worked in the House. Now it’s urgently needed in the Senate!

So much is on the line, it’s hard to overstate the threat the Equality Act poses to:

Thank you for helping us build momentum against the Equality Act to this point! We couldn’t have done it without you. And now – as we head into the thick of the battle – we need you more than ever.

As God has enabled you, will you join in the action with your gift today?


Craig DeRoche
President & CEO

P.S. The news that the Equality Act is on a “fast track” in the Senate is grim. But there is truly hope! Your gift will help build the public momentum against it and mobilize citizens in the states with swing-vote senators. Thank you for your gift to make it possible!

Just a little while ago, the U.S. House voted 224-206 to pass H.R. 5, the deceptively named bill that is actually the biggest current threat to freedom and the sanctity of life.

What now?

In some ways, this is where the battle really begins.

It was always a longshot to stop the so-called “Equality Act” in Nancy Pelosi’s House, yet it was critical that you and I engage there. And together, we sent a reverberating “shot across the bow” of politicians in both parties who would cater to this dangerous agenda.

All of this gives great momentum as this battle now shifts to the U.S. Senate. After all, this is where the fate of the Equality Act will be decided, as President Biden has already declared that passing it is his #1 priority.

Will you help us ramp up even more to defeat this scheme in the Senate? Your gift of support is needed – not just for general pressure on the Senate – but specifically to reach and mobilize citizens in the states of certain senators who could decide the outcome. It worked in the House. Now it’s urgently needed in the Senate!

So much is on the line, it’s hard to overstate:

Thank you for helping us build momentum against the Equality Act to this point! We couldn’t have done it without you. And now – as we head into the thick of the battle – we need you more than ever.

As God has enabled you, will you join in the action with your gift today?


Craig DeRoche
President and CEO

 

P.S. Today’s outcome in the House was virtually certain, but the battle to stop the dangerous Equality Act could go either way in the Senate. Your gift will help build the public momentum against it and mobilize citizens in the states with swing-vote senators. Thank you for your gift to make it possible!