Catholic Charities threatens to withdraw from Colorado

It’s the same ol’ song and dance: A state passes legislation granting some or all benefits to same-sex couples, and religious organizations squawk in protest at the thought of being prohibited from discriminating against people who shack up with partners they don’t approve of. Here’s Catholic Charities, wondering aloud whether their sincerely held religious beliefs will allow them to continue helping disenfranchised children in Colorado in the wake of that state’s new civil unions law:

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver expressed Tuesday “disappointment” in Colorado’s Legislature, stating that if signed into law, the bill “may threaten the policies which guide us in the vital work to find families for Colorado’s children in need.”

The bill providing protections for gay couples does not provide exceptions to religious institutions wishing to withhold adoptions based on sexual preference, a decision that House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, said would be “discriminatory.” […]

Catholic Charities spokeswoman Tracy Murphy said the organization would not announce any concrete decision regarding adoption services in Colorado until the civil unions bill was signed into law, but the organization previously threatened to withdraw adoption services in Colorado if the legislation did not include exemptions that would allow religious organizations to withhold adoptions from gay couples.

The group has already cut ties with several states after they passed their own same-sex partnership equality legislation, typically with little-to-no deleterious repercussions once non-discriminatory (usually secular) organizations stepped in to pick up the slack. But of course, they’re always quick to dub these entirely voluntary withdrawals as being “shut down by the state”, as if they didn’t have the option to simply follow the laws that apply to everyone else and stop discriminating against perfectly eligible same-sex households. Which really says all you need to know about their priorities.

(via Joe. My. God.)