A Catholic social-services agency urged the Supreme Court this week to rule that the agency can participate in the city of Philadelphia’s foster-care program while refusing to work with same-sex couples. The court should reject the agency’s appeal and make it clear that religious freedom may not be used as a license to discriminate.
Catholic Social Services, which long has participated in Philadelphia’s foster care program, lost its contract to screen prospective foster parents after city officials learned that the agency wouldn’t consider same-sex couples as foster parents. Because that policy is based on the Catholic Church’s teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, the agency claims that the city is violating its religious freedom.
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