Dear Board of Social Services,

As a pastor of a local church and the director of a child care facility I am urging you to uphold the rights of faith-based adoption agencies to remain true to their faith. Allowing legislation to pass that subjects a faith based establishment to rules that violate its own clearly defined morals is a contradiction to the freedom expressed in the First Ammendment to the Constitution. The government has ruled against the expression of faith by staff members of public schools because they are public institutions and under the governorship of the state. Faith based adoption agencies are not public institutions, they are private organizations. I believe the end result of instituting such regulations will be a marked decrease in the number of adoptions of children because agencies will be forced to close or violate their own religious positions. Is the Board of Social Services willing to take such a responsibility? Please consider the outcome of your decision.

Respectfully,

Tony Johnson