Giving credit where credit is due

I tend to rant and rage against most practicing Christians, usually because the hypocrisy gets to me so much. One of the things that always drove me insane was how most pro-life groups stopped caring about the baby once it was safely out. I always wondered why it was so wonderful to save a baby, and then not concern themselves with all the children in foster care.

Finally, Focus on the Family is fixing that.

From their website:

Christians have a clear command to care for orphans, and there are many ways to get involved-like praying, giving, mobilizing your church, or adopting. Whichever you decide, we'll provide guidance and support as you walk down this incredibly rewarding path. So embrace the call, avoid the trap of thinking "someone else will help," and let's make the US a place where every orphan waiting in foster care has a family.

Our hope is that you begin to see the face of Christ in each of these children.

From the Denver Post

Adoption effort gets "phenomenal" results
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
Updated: 11/26/2008 12:36:23 AM MST

About 250 families took the first steps toward adoption of the 790 children waiting in the state's foster-care system after Saturday's "Wait No More" event at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Religious organizations traditionally help with adoptions, state officials said, but the 1,300-person turnout at the one-day event, sponsored by Focus on the Family and New Life, was unprecedented.

It is two to three times the number of people who attend adoption orientations in the seven participating counties in one full year, said Dr. Sharen Ford of the Colorado Division of Child Welfare Services.

"It was phenomenal. It's never happened before that we had faith-based groups, county governments, the state and other agencies in one place at one time," Ford said. "People care about Colorado's kids."

In Colorado, more than 8,000 children are in foster care, said Denver Department of Human Services spokeswoman Laura Coale. Only 790 of them are available for permanent adoption because parental rights have been terminated in their cases, she said.

Focus on the Family's Orphan Care Initiative also will help adoptive families find resources after a child's placement.

"The ultimate goal is to have no children in foster care in Colorado," said Kelly Rosati, senior director of Focus on the Family's Sanctity of Human Life division.

Yes!! I have to applaud them in their efforts. This is a huge problem, and I am absolutely thrilled that they are putting their considerable resources toward solving it.

I disagree with Focus on the Family on just about every other point. But on this issue, right here, I finally have to give them credit.

Patriocentrics take note

Quite possibly that should be patriocentrics and other religious nuts. The bible might say "spare the rod and spoil the child" or some such nelly nonsense, but....

From USA Today

Police: Boy charged with killing dad vowed spanking limit

By Dennis Wagner, The Arizona Republic
PHOENIX — An 8-year-old St. Johns, Ariz., boy charged with double-homicide may have kept a written record of spankings by his parents, vowing that the 1,000th would be his limit, according to a police records released Friday.

A search affidavit by Sgt. Lucas Rodriguez says the child "is believed to have made ledgers and or communicated in the form of writings about his intentions. (The boy) told a CPS. .. worker that when he reached one thousand spankings. .. that would be his limit. (The boy) kept a tally of his spankings on a piece of paper."

In a statement to police a day after the Nov. 5 killings, the boy said he had been spanked the day before the shootings because he did not complete a school assignment.

Assuming that they started beating on the kid at birth he was being beaten every three days. If you assume they started when he was older he was being beaten every other day or perhaps daily.

Don't blame the kid for snapping. Not one bit.

And do not say that a spanking isn't a beating. You are hitting a child to cause pain, it's a beating. I don't care if it's open handed or done with some implement, I don't care if you are angry or calm, I don't care if your preferred parenting guru or some holy book told you it was acceptable, it's BEATING and it's WRONG. Pure and simple.

Not only does it leave your children hateful and resentful of you, but it destroys their trust in you. So when the bullies want them to commit a crime for them or the bad man comes after them, they aren't going to tell you. They're afraid of you, they might tell you, the person who is supposed to love them and protect them, and you might hit them for it.

Is this the relationship you want with your children?

Do you want them waiting for the day they can leave? Counting the days until they turn 18/graduate high school so they can never look back?

Do you want them to dream of killing you? Do you want them to hate you that much?

Do you?