A government-funded social services agency, which happens to hold many of its foster parent training seminars in churches, recently agreed to participate in a retreat at an anti-LGBTQ Bible camp, withdrawing only after a foster family voiced complaints about the partnership.
Iowa-based Four Oaks, which will get up to $7 million from state and federal governments for recruiting and training foster parents in Iowa, withdrew from the training retreat at the Village Creek Bible Camp last month after it was revealed the camp screened staff members for their views on homosexuality and divorce.
“As soon as it came to our attention, we said ‘No, no, no’,” said Kelli Malone, chief program officer for Four Oaks. “It became clear we didn’t want people to misconstrue we were supporting one religion over another.”
That’s the right way to react, given the Establishment Clause, but why were they at a Bible camp in the first place? (Shouldn’t the name of the camp have been a dead giveaway?)
Village Creek Bible Camp is undoubtedly a religious institution that bills itself as a place to help people “grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.” The job application even includes a section where people have to explain their beliefs about “Homosexual/Lesbian involvement.”
Four Oaks initially approved the partnership at the request of camp officials, but they later withdrew from the event after hearing concerns from a local foster family.
Read the full story at the Friendly Atheist Blog
