This has been a very controversial issue here for over a year ~ but our governor [Pat Quinn] and our state attorney general [Lisa Madigan], both of whom I believe are Catholic, did a great job ~ Sooz
Bishops Say Rules on Gay Parents Limit Freedom of Religion By LAURIE GOODSTEIN
Published: December 28, 2011
Catholic Charities in Illinois has served for more than 40 years as a major link in the state's social service network for poor and neglected children. But now most of the Catholic Charities affiliates in Illinois are closing down rather than comply with a new requirement that says they can no longer receive state money if they turn away same-sex couples as potential foster care and adoptive parents.
For the nation's Roman Catholic bishops, the outcome is a prime example of what they see as an escalating campaign by the government to trample on their religious freedom while expanding the rights of gay people. The idea that religious Americans are now the victims of government-backed persecution is now a frequent theme not just for Catholic bishops, but also for Republican presidential candidates and conservative evangelicals.
“In the name of tolerance, we're not being tolerated,â€