World-ly Vission

A "supposedly Christian" relief organization will now recognize employees' same-sex marriages.

Christian relief organization World Vision has announced that it will no longer define marriage as between a man and a woman in its employee conduct manual, a groundbreaking change for an evangelical institution and a reflection of the impact that gay marriage is having on religious organizations.

The organization’s U.S. branch will recognize same-sex marriage as being within the norms of “abstinence before marriage and fidelity in marriage” as part of the conduct code for its 1,100 employees.

“I want to be clear that we have not endorsed same-sex marriage, but we have chosen to defer to the authority of local churches on this issue,” said World Vision’s U.S. President Rich Stearns in a letter to employees.

World Vision is the second-largest organization listed with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, behind Salvation Army. It also ranks among America’s top 10 charities, with revenue around $1 billion.

“I want to reassure you that we are not sliding down some slippery slope of compromise, nor are we diminishing the authority of Scripture in our work,” Stearns said. “We have always affirmed traditional marriage as a God-ordained institution. Nothing in our work around the world with children and families will change.”

A World Vision spokesperson said Stearns was traveling and not available for an interview.

In an interview with Christianity Today, Stearns said the organization’s board was “overwhelmingly in favor” of the change. But he stressed the decision is not driven by theology.

“This is not an endorsement of same-sex marriage,” he told the magazine. “We have decided we are not going to get into that debate. Nor is this a rejection of traditional marriage, which we affirm and support.

“There is no lawsuit threatening us,” he added. “There is no employee group lobbying us. This is simply a decision about whether or not you are eligible for employment at World Vision U.S., based on this single issue, and nothing more.”

In 2012, Washington state, where World Vision U.S. is based, became one of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote. The organization also has employees who attend churches that conduct same-sex marriages, including the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, among others.

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving three employees who were fired by World Vision, allowing the relief group to maintain its mandatory statement of faith for its workers. A ruling from the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with World Vision in a case involving three former employees who were fired because they did not believe in the deity of Jesus or in the doctrine of the Trinity.

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"Incidentally", World Vision supports REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

World Vision has received grants from The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and has a history of working with USAID, the source of the definition of HTSP above. On a USAID site which gives information on HTSP, this list is included as part of the ways in which the government agency encouraging pregnancy spacing:
D. Hormonal Contraceptives:

• Oral Contraceptive Pill:

• Combined Pill (COC);

• Progesterone Only Pills (POP);

• Emergency Contraceptive Methods

• Injectables: Monthly and Three Monthly

• Implants

• Patch

• Vaginal Rings

E. Intrauterine Contraceptive Device: Copper bearing and Hormonal
Source: basics.org/documents/Advocacy-Presentation_What-is-HTSP.pdf

While other non-abortive methods are also listed, it’s impossible to separate that from the obvious abortifacients, such as emergency contraception and hormonal birth control, which has the ability to expel a fertilized egg. Ella, which is chemically composed like RU-486, is considered a contraceptive by the FDA and would be included on this list, as it qualifies as emergency contraception, but Ella can kill a baby even five days after conception. 

As early as 2006, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, D.D. has warned us AGAINST World Vision.

Pastoral Letter on Worl Vision

Ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa World Vision ay maaaring magdulot ng pagkalito at pagkaligaw sa mga Katoliko sa Pilipinas. Noon pa mang taong isang libo siyam na raan at pitumpu at walo, humingi na ang World Vision na liham mula sa mga Obispo ng Pilipinas upang kilalanin sila bilang kabalikat sa gawain para sa mahihirap. Ang sabi ng World Vision ay nababawasan ang abuloy na tinatanggap nila dahil ayaw silang kilalanin ng mga Obispo ng Pilipinas. Ang lahat ng Obispo sa Pilipinas sa kanilang pulong noong Hulyo, 1978 ay tumangging magbigay ng pagsang-ayon sa World Vision sapagkat ang samahang ito ay nang-aakit na maging Protestante ang mga Katoliko.