Christians and Children's Services

Christians believe Man is inherently sinful, God is inherently sinless, and the only way to achieve communion with God is through faith in God's son, Jesus.  Christians believe Jesus came about 2,000 years ago to teach Man the way of righteousness, and to die as a sinless sacrifice in exchange for the lives those who know and love him.  Christian culture includes a belief in the infallibility of Scripture, in duty to God above duty to self, and in striving (however imperfectly) to follow God's word at all times. 

As late as the 1950s, a clear majority of Americans were active, practicing Christians.  Today, only 10% - 30% of America's population are active Christians. 

Christian belief in a Higher Authority can bring conflict with those who worship the State, and who believe the State is the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong.  Increasingly, Christians are treated as pariahs, idiots, or evildoers.  Part of this animosity is reflected in state laws regarding child abuse.   Examples from Oregon state law may be found elsewhere on this website.

Children's Services denies an anti-Christian bias, but....let's get real:

"Not all child abusers are Christian and not all Christians are child abusers. But a surprisingly high number of cases of reported child abuse occur in Christian families." Marie Fortune, Director, Center for Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, Seattle, WA.  Quoted in Profane Justice, by Suzanne Shell; p. 6

"My daughters called me, were hysterical, and said, `Mama, they (public school officials) took our Bibles and called them garbage and threw them in the garbage and then threatened to call Child Protective Services,'" Deborah Bedenbender, 37, a Texas homemaker, as reported in Worldnet Daily; Saturday, May 27, 2000.

"Teaching your children that homosexuality is wrong is child abuse!" - a multicultural liberal (revealing the Left's version of open-mindedness) in a Corvallis, Oregon supermarket, May 25, 2000.

"They're treating you like you're the Branch Dividians and you have David Koresh in your basement"- a Catholic mom whose child was taken over a spanking, talking about caseworker attitudes toward her faith.  Listen to the streaming audio file

"Visits with my children were reduced to two hours, supervised, once a week, after I invited my pastor to attend a visit and pray with my children. The caseworker has threatened to stop all visits if I read the Bible or pray during my visits." - Lisa in California

"I have been a social worker for over ten years.   Some people think it preposterous that Christian beliefs are seen as a threat to children, but we were taught in school that one risk factor for incest is parents who have strong Christian beliefs.  Christianity was belittled time and again in what I call the "indoctrination process" even as professors said that social workers should be "nonjudgemental". - Karen in New Jersey.