The Hiller Instinct: Hiller Instinct: Adoption exemptions

What's happening here with adoption isn't about separation of church and state, what the Catholic Church wants is separation from the state.

The church believes adoptions by same-sex couples are "gravely immoral," but in Massachusetts, discriminating against gays is gravely illegal: in fact, it's unconstitutional.

By ending all its adoptions, the church chose not only to avoid a law it doesn't like, it chose church law over state law... and put itself outside the law.

It reminds me of someone who doesn't like the rules taking their bat and ball and going home, but in this case, what's left behind are some of the neediest children in the Commonwealth and now they're less likely to find a home.

Governor Romney wants to exempt Catholic charities from the law, saying that forcing the church to place children with gay couples is a threat to religious freedom.

I think that's backwards. Giving the church permission to break a law everyone else must follow is a threat to justice, and on Beacon Hill, the senate president and house speaker - who are both Catholic - agree.

Just as the church challenges "cafeteria" Catholics who choose which Canon laws to obey, we should challenge a cafeteria church when it chooses which state laws to honor.

I don't have an easy answer, but I do have an easy question: If the Catholic Church can discriminate when it wants to, why can't you?

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)